SGL NURSING COLLEGE, SEMI, JALANDHAR ,

MODULE
Topic - First Aid
SUBMITTED ON-
SUBMITTED TO- [Link] BALA
SUBMITTED BY- Ms. MANPREET SEHGAL
 ACKNOWLEDGMENT
I extend my deepest gratitude to my Nursing
Foundation teacher, Mrs. Kiran Bala, for her
invaluable guidance, patient mentorship, and
constant encouragement throughout this project. Her
dedication to excellence has been a source of true
[Link] expertise and encouragement played
a vital role in bringing this work to completion."I am
truly honored to have learned under her expert
mentorship."
First Aid is the immediate, temporary care given to a
person suffering from a sudden illness or injury before
professional medical assistance arrives. It bridges the
gap between the accident occurrence and advanced
medical care
 THE PRIMARY AIM OF FIRST AID
Every action taken by a first responder must align with three core objectives:
● Preserve Life: The absolute priority. This involves life-saving interventions such as
clearing airways, performing CPR, and controlling severe hemorrhages.
● Prevent Worsening: Stabilizing the casualty's condition to ensure injuries do not
deteriorate. This includes proper positioning, immobilizing fractures, and dressing
wounds to prevent infection.
● Promote Recovery: Providing comfort, reassuring the casualty, and arranging
systematic transport to medical facilities, which lays the groundwork for long-term
healing.
The Legal Framework & Responder Psychology
The Good Samaritan Law
A common barrier to initiating first aid is the fear of legal liability. Most modern jurisdictions
enforce Good Samaritan Laws, which legally protect bystanders who provide reasonable,
voluntary assistance to injured individuals.

To be protected under this framework, a first responder must:

1. Act in good faith and without financial compensation.

2. Not exhibit gross negligence or intentional misconduct.
3. Act within the scope of their training (e.g., do not attempt advanced medical procedures if
trained only in basic first aid).
Obtaining Consent
Before touching a casualty, you must establish consent based on their consciousness level:
Casualty Type of Action Required by First Responder
Status Consent

Conscious Implied or Introduce yourself, state your level of training, and

Adult Verbal ask: "Can I help you?"

Unconscious Implied The law assumes a reasonable person would

Adult Consent want life-saving help. Proceed immediately.

Minor / Child Parental Seek permission from the parent/guardian if

Consent present. If absent, implied consent applies.
 TRIAGE
the process of rapidly assessing, prioritizing, and
categorizing sick or injured individuals based on the
severity of their condition. Its goal is to maximize
efficiency and optimize patient outcomes, ensuring that
those in most critical need receive care first—especially
when resources are limited.
International Guidelines for Triage Color-Coding
Under standard mass casualty and emergency response protocols (such as the World Health
Organization's Interagency Integrated Triage Tool or the START System), patients are assigned
standardized color tags:
Color Tag Category Priority Level Target Condition & Examples
RED Immediate Priority 1 (Highest) Life-threatening that require
immediate survive. Examples: Severe airway obstruction, massive hemorrhage,
cardiac arrest.
YELLOW Delayed Priority 2 Urgent / Potentially serious
conditions that require medical intervention, but are not in immediate danger of death. Examples: Open fractures with pulse,
stable abdominal wounds.

GREEN Minimal / Minor Priority 3 "Walking wounded" with

non-life-threatening injuries who can safely wait for care. Examples: Minor cuts, sprains, superficial burns.
BLACK Deceased / Expectant Priority 4 (Lowest) Deceased patients or those whose
injuries are so catastrophic that survival is improbable with available resources. Examples: Absence of breathing after clearing
the airway, severe trauma incompatible with life.
PRINCIPLE OF SCENE ASSESSMENT (DRSABCD)
[ D] DANGER: Check the area for hazards (fire, traffic, electricity)
[R] RESPONSE: Shake shoulders, shout "Are you okay?".
[S] SEND FOR HELP: Call emergency services (112 / 911
[A] AIRWAY: Open mouth, check for blockages, tilt head back.
[B] BREATHING: Look, listen, and feel for normal breathing (10
seconds).
[C] CPR: If not breathing, commence 30 compressions to 2
breaths.
[D] DEFIBRILLATION: Attach an AED as soon as it arrives.
 ACTION PLAN FOR DRSABCD
Here is a concise, 5-bullet summary of the DRSABCD first aid action plan:
● Assess Safety & Response: Check the scene for Danger to yourself or the victim, then check
for a Response by speaking loudly and squeezing their shoulders.
● Call Emergency Services: If unresponsive, Send for help immediately by calling emergency
services (or delegate someone nearby to call while you assist).
● Open & Clear Airway: Check the Airway; clear any mouth obstructions and gently tilt the head
back with a chin lift to keep the airway open.
● Check Breathing: Look, listen, and feel for normal Breathing for 10 seconds; if breathing, turn
them onto their side (recovery position), but if not breathing, prepare for CPR.
● Perform CPR & Defibrillation: Start CPR (30 chest compressions followed by 2 rescue
breaths) and attach an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) as soon as available, following its
prompts.
BASIC LIFE SUPPORT
Basic Life Support (BLS)
refers to a specific level of medical care used for victims of
life-threatening illnesses or injuries until full medical care can be
given by emergency medical technicians (EMTs) or hospital staff.
EXAMPLE: CPR ,CHOKING ECT
EMERGENCY CONDITIONS…
A medical emergency is a sudden, acute injury or illness that poses an
immediate threat to a person's life, organs, or long-term health. Because
the body's vital functions are compromised, these situations require
rapid assessment and immediate clinical intervention to stabilize the
patient, prevent irreversible damage, and save their life. In healthcare
settings, emergency conditions are prioritized through a process called
triage, ensuring the most critical patients receive care first. Example:
High Fever, Shock, Basic CPR, Road Traffic Accident. etc
 [Link] FEVER
High Fever (hyperpyrexia) occurs when body temperature rises
significantly above normal 38{C} / 100.4{F},usually signaling an infection.
● Symptoms: Chills, sweating, severe headache, muscle aches,
dehydration, and fatigue.
● Treatment: Rest, high fluid intake, cool compresses, and
over-the-counter antipyretics (e.g., paracetamol or ibuprofen). Seek
immediate medical help if accompanied by a stiff neck or confusion.
 SHOCK
Shock is a life-threatening medical emergency where the circulatory system
fails to deliver enough oxygenated blood to vital tissues and organs.
● Symptoms: Rapid, shallow breathing; pale, cold, or clammy skin; weak,
rapid pulse; dizziness, confusion, or loss of consciousness; extreme thirst.
● Treatment: Call emergency services immediately. Lay the person flat
with feet elevated (unless head/neck injury suspected), keep them warm
with a blanket, and do not offer food or drink.
 ROAD TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS
A Road Traffic Accident (RTA) involves a vehicle collision resulting in trauma, structural
injury, or psychological shock.
● Symptoms: Severe physical pain, localized swelling, visible bleeding or fractures,
dizziness, difficulty breathing, altered consciousness, and signs of shock (pale skin,
rapid pulse).
● Treatment: Immediately apply the DRSABCD first aid protocol. Secure the scene, call
emergency services, stabilize the cervical spine, immobilize suspected fractures,
control heavy bleeding with pressure, and provide
● advanced hospital trauma care.
 DROWNING
Drowning is respiratory impairment caused by submersion or immersion in liquid,
leading to oxygen deprivation.
● Symptoms: Shortness of breath or absence of breathing, coughing, persistent
wheezing, bluish skin or lips (cyanosis), confusion, agitation, or unconsciousness.
● Treatment: Safely remove the victim from the water. Call emergency services
immediately. Assess consciousness and breathing; if absent, begin CPR (starting
with 5 rescue breaths, followed by compressions). Keep the patient warm until
medical help arrives.
 SEIZURES
Seizures are sudden, uncontrolled bursts of electrical activity in the brain,
causing temporary abnormalities in muscle control, movement, or consciousness.
● Symptoms: Uncontrollable shaking or jerking, muscle stiffness, staring
spells, temporary confusion, biting the tongue, or sudden loss of
consciousness.
● Treatment: Keep the person safe by clearing nearby hazards and placing
them on their side. Do not restrain them or place anything in their mouth.
Seek emergency medical help if the seizure lasts >5 minutes.
 BASIC CPR ( CARDIOPULMONARY RESUSCITATION)
Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) is an emergency life-saving procedure
performed when the heart stops beating, maintaining vital blood flow to the heart and
brain.
● Indications (Symptoms): Unresponsiveness, loss of consciousness, absence of
normal breathing, and lack of a palpable pulse.
● Procedure (Treatment): Call emergency services immediately. Perform continuous
chest compressions (100–120 per minute, 5–6 cm deep)
● interchanged with rescue breaths in a 30:2 ratio. Attach and follow an
Automated External
● Defibrillator (AED) as soon as available.
 FRACTURE / DISLOCATION
Fracture is a broken bone
dislocation occurs when a bone pops out of its joint socket.
● Symptoms: Severe pain, swelling, visible deformity, bruising, inability to
move the affected area, and numbness or tingling.
● Treatment: Keep the patient calm and immobilize the injured limb using a
splint or sling. Do not attempt to force bones back into place. Apply cold
packs to reduce swelling, manage pain, and seek immediate
● medical evaluation and X-rays.
 POISONING
Poisoning occurs when harmful substances (chemicals, toxins, or drugs) are
ingested, inhaled, touched, or injected, damaging the body.
● Symptoms: Nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, difficulty breathing, sudden
confusion, dilated pupils, burns around the mouth, or loss of consciousness.
● Treatment: Immediately call emergency services or poison control.
Identify the substance if safe. Do not induce vomiting unless instructed by
professionals. Remove contaminated clothing, flush
● skin or eyes with water, and monitor breathing until
● medical help arrives.
 BURN
Burns are tissue injuries caused by heat, radiation, chemicals, or electricity, categorized by depth (first to third-degree).

● Symptoms: Redness, localized pain, swelling, blistering, peeling, or charred,

white/blackened skin with loss of sensation.
● Treatment: Immediately cool the burn under cold running
● water for 10–20 minutes. Remove non-adherent clothing
or jewelry nearby. Cover loosely
● with a sterile, non-stick bandage or clean film.
● Do not apply ice, butter, or pop blisters. Seek medical care
● for severe burns.
CONCLUSION
First aid is the immediate, temporary care provided to an ill or injured person. Its primary goal is to
preserve life, prevent the condition from worsening, and promote recovery. Ultimately, it acts as the critical
bridge stabilizing a patient until professional medical services arrive.
To ensure your first aid is effective, keep these core principles in mind:

● Assess the Scene: Always evaluate the environment for hazards to ensure your own safety before helping others.
● Control Critical Threats: Prioritize severe bleeding with direct pressure, clear blocked airways, and perform CPR for
cardiac arrest.
● Stabilize and Protect: Treat burns with cool running water, immobilize potential fractures, and keep the victim calm
to prevent shock.
● Maintain Hygiene: Use gloves or protective barriers when handling bodily fluids, and wash your hands immediately
after providing care.
 BIBLIOGRAPHY

American Red Cross. (2021). First Aid/CPR/AED Participant’s Manual. American Red Cross.
St. John Ambulance, St. Andrew’s First Aid, & British Red Cross. (2021). First Aid Manual (11th ed.).
Dorling Kindersley.

World Health Organization. (2018). Basic Emergency Care: Approach to the Acutely Ill and Injured. World
Health Organization.

Evidence-Based Guidelines & Review Papers

● De Buck, E., Van de Velde, S., Delvaux, N., Veink, S. E., & Vandekerckhove, P. (2015). Evidence-based first aid
and prevention guidelines for laypeople in India. Indian Journal of Community Health, 27(2), 176–182.