FIRST AID - the first assistance or treatment given for a sick or injured person (called casualty) before the arrival of an ambulance or qualified expert.
FUNDAMENTAL TIPS
1. If unconscious keep the airway clear
2. Make sure the casualty is breathing
3. Stop any bleeding
4. Treat other injuries in the right order
5. Never move the casualty unless there is danger, to avoid further injury
6. Comfort and reassure the casualty
7. Give protection from the cold, exercise heat or wet conditions
8. Dial 999 if unconscious and perform CPR (refer HOW TO PERFORM CPR)
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SEVERE ALLERGIC REACTION - a common causes are insect bites, foods and medicines.
SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS
1. Swelling of the affected area, throat, mouth or face
2. Redness of the skin or an itchy rash
3. Breathing difficulty similar to an asthma attack
4. Dizziness, weakness or collapse
1ST AID STEPS
1. Dial 999 for an ambulance if they have difficulty breathing or if they are very unwell
2. Assist the patient to take any medicine they have been prescribed for severe allergy
3. Put the patient in recovery position if they are unwell or unconscious
4. If they stop breathing, place them on their back and start CPR
5. If the allergy follows exposure to a chemical, wash the contact area thoroughly with water
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ASTHMA ATTACK - caused by breathing passages narrow, causing difficulty in breathing. This narrowing can be triggered by pollens, dust, fur, smoke, cold air or exercise.
SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS
1. Breathlessness or difficulty speaking
2. A wheezy noise when breathing
3. Persistent cough
1ST AID STEPS
1. Help the patient to rest in a comfortable position (usually sitting)
2. Assist the patient to take their asthma relieving medicine
3. Call 999 for an ambulance if they are not improving
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BURNS - commonly caused by heat. Can also be caused by chemicals, extreme cold and electricity. Burns cause skin loss and tissue damage.
1ST AID STEPS
1. Gently flood the burnt area with any cool clean fluid (e.g. juice, soft drink etc) for 20 minutes. Do not use ice.
2. Call 999 for an ambulance if the patient is badly injured, or the burn is: causing significant pain, or involves the face, hands, joints or genitals, eyes, or is larger than half the patient’s arm.
3. Remove clothing and jewellery from the burnt area, but do not remove clothing stuck to the skin.
4. Lightly cover the burn with a clean dressing.
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DIABETIC EMERGENCIES - the most common emergency affecting a patient with diabetes is "low blood sugar".
SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS
1. Confusion, slurring of words
2. Falling level of consciousness
3. Sweating
4. Tremor or shakiness
1ST AID STEPS
1. If unconscious – put the patient in recovery position
2. Call 999 for an ambulance if they are unconscious
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FRACTURED BONES - fractures, particularly of large bones (e.g. thigh bone) are an emergency.
SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS
1. Deformity, swelling and pain
2. Altered sensation (e.g. pins and needles)
3. Inability to move the limb normally
1ST AID STEPS
1. Control any external bleeding using direct pressure over the wound
2. Dial 999 for an ambulance if the patient is in severe pain, or if the bone is sticking through the skin, or if they cannot walk
3. Assist the patient into a comfortable position
4. Support the limb e.g. with a pillow, but do not move the limb unnecessarily
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SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS
1. Loss of consciousness or altered state of awareness (groggy)
2. Confusion and memory loss
3. Nausea and vomiting
4. Any bleeding from the head that is more than minor
1ST AID STEPS
1. Dial 999 for an ambulance if they are unconscious or bleeding heavily
2. Assist them to rest in a comfortable position. Place them on their side if they are unconscious.
3. Control external bleeding with direct pressure.
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NOSE BLEEDING - a nosebleed is usually due to bleeding from inside the front of the nostrils.More serious bleeding may result in considerable blood loss and, if the patient swallows blood, vomiting may result
1ST AID STEPS
1. Sit the person down.
2. Get them to breathe through their mouth, with their head tilted forward.
3. Firmly pinch the entire soft part of the nose for 10 - 20 minutes. Repeat this if the bleeding does not stop.
4. Dial 999 for an ambulance if the bleeding is very heavy.
5. When the bleeding stops, inform the person not to blow their nose for a few hours, this may restart the bleeding.
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POISONING - a poison is any substance that can cause damage to the body. Common examples of poisons include medicines (if taken in large amounts), industrial products, household cleaning products and sprays.
SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS
1. Altered level of consciousness (not fully awake)
2. Burns around or in the mouth
3. Stomach or abdominal pain
4. Vomiting
1ST AID STEPS
1. DO NOT induce vomiting
2. Do not give the patient anything to drink
3. If they are unconscious, place them in the recovery position
4. Call 999 for an ambulance if they are unconscious or if they are very unwell
5. Keep the container of the poison
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ELECTRIC SHOCK
SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS
The patient may:
1. Still be connected to an electrical cable or appliance
2. Be unconscious
3. Have stopped breathing
4. Have burns where the electrical current entered and exited their body
1ST AID STEPS
1. Ensure safety – turn the electricity off. DO NOT approach a patient if they may still be connected to electricity
2. Dial 999 for an ambulance if they are unconscious, injured or unwell
3. If they are unconscious and not breathing, place them on their back and start CPR
4. If they are unconscious and breathing place them in the recovery position
5. If conscious, check for injuries or burns
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DROWNING - when a patient drowns your safety is paramount.
1ST AID STEPS
1. Remove the patient from the water safely
2. If not breathing, commence CPR
3. Dial 999 and ask for ambulance
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EYE INJURY - usually caused by flying particles.
SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS
1. Pain
2. Watering and redness
3. Bleeding
4. Altered vision
1ST AID STEPS
1. If you can see the particle, gently try to remove it with water or a clean cloth. Do not persist if it is hard to remove.
2. Prevent the patient from rubbing the eye as this may result in scratching.
3. If symptoms persist or you cannot remove the particle, see a Doctor.
4. Dial 999 for an ambulance if there is severe pain or bleeding.
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CARDIAC ARREST - people in cardiac arrest need CPR and an ambulance. CPR saves lives by causing blood to flow to the heart and brain while waiting for an ambulance. CPR is needed when the patient is not responding and not breathing normally.
1ST AID STEPS
1. Perform CPR
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SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS
1. Weakness
2. Loss of appetite
3. Fainting
4. Dizziness
5. Sweating
6. Nausea/vomiting
1ST AID STEPS
1. Rest patient in a cool place
2. Give patient fluid to drink. Most patients will respond well with water, fruit juice, or their soft drink of choice
3. Arrange medical attention, or dial 999 for an ambulance, if the patient’s condition gets worse or if they are unable to drink fluids
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SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS
1. Patient feels cold to touch and may be shivering violently
2. Cold environment
3. Patient feels cold to touch and may be shivering violently
4. Cold environment
5. Tiredness – patient may fall behind others in outdoor activities
6. Clumsy, uncoordinated, may fall over and appear drunk
7. Changes in mood with irritability, irrational behaviour
8. Patient may resist help
9. Slow to respond to questions
10. Shivering may decrease and stop
11. Loss of consciousness
12. Pale or blueish skin colour
1st AID STEPS
1. Provide immediate shelter out of the wind, and dry clothing
2. If fully conscious, give warm drinks, sweets, chocolates etc
3. Use body contact to reduce heat loss and slowly warm patient – e.g. huddle around the patient in a sleeping bag
4. If hypothermia is mild, and rest, warmth, drinks etc. allow recovery, there is no need for further medical assistance. But monitor the patient and any others in the group
5. If hypothermia has reached the stage where the patient is becoming drowsy, urgent medical assistance is required.
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FOOD POISONING - inflammation of the stomach and intestine due to infection from a variety of organisms such as viruses and bacteria. Most often, it is caused by poorly prepared, cooked or preserved food.Prevention is the best philosophy for food poisoning and the following key points provide guidance on how best to prevent suffering from food poisoning:
SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS
1. In the majority of cases, symptoms first appear within 24 hours of eating contaminated food
2. The patient has abdominal cramps with diarrhoea
3. There may be vomiting and nausea
4. There is usually a loss of appetite
5. There may be fever
1st AID STEPS
1. Ensure the patient rests
2. The patient can suck ice to provide a small amount of cooling fluid
3. Give fluids such as flat lemonade to replace body fluids
4. Medical assistance should be obtained if any of the following occurs:
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1. Dial 999 for an ambulance
2. Lie the person on their back
3. Push on the chest hard and fast 30 times at a rate of approximately twice a second. Keep your arms straight and push in the middle of the chest. This is the most important part of CPR
4. Tilt the head back, pinch the nose and blow twice in the mouth
5. Continue to alternate 30 pushes on the chest with 2 blows in the mouth until an ambulance arrives
6. Any CPR is better than no CPR. If you do not want to do the breaths, just continue with the chest pushes
FUNDAMENTAL TIPS
1. If unconscious keep the airway clear
2. Make sure the casualty is breathing
3. Stop any bleeding
4. Treat other injuries in the right order
5. Never move the casualty unless there is danger, to avoid further injury
6. Comfort and reassure the casualty
7. Give protection from the cold, exercise heat or wet conditions
8. Dial 999 if unconscious and perform CPR (refer HOW TO PERFORM CPR)
....................................................................................................................................
SEVERE ALLERGIC REACTION - a common causes are insect bites, foods and medicines.
SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS
1. Swelling of the affected area, throat, mouth or face
2. Redness of the skin or an itchy rash
3. Breathing difficulty similar to an asthma attack
4. Dizziness, weakness or collapse
1ST AID STEPS
1. Dial 999 for an ambulance if they have difficulty breathing or if they are very unwell
2. Assist the patient to take any medicine they have been prescribed for severe allergy
3. Put the patient in recovery position if they are unwell or unconscious
4. If they stop breathing, place them on their back and start CPR
5. If the allergy follows exposure to a chemical, wash the contact area thoroughly with water
....................................................................................................................................
ASTHMA ATTACK - caused by breathing passages narrow, causing difficulty in breathing. This narrowing can be triggered by pollens, dust, fur, smoke, cold air or exercise.
SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS
1. Breathlessness or difficulty speaking
2. A wheezy noise when breathing
3. Persistent cough
1ST AID STEPS
1. Help the patient to rest in a comfortable position (usually sitting)
2. Assist the patient to take their asthma relieving medicine
3. Call 999 for an ambulance if they are not improving
....................................................................................................................................
1ST AID STEPS
1. Gently flood the burnt area with any cool clean fluid (e.g. juice, soft drink etc) for 20 minutes. Do not use ice.
2. Call 999 for an ambulance if the patient is badly injured, or the burn is: causing significant pain, or involves the face, hands, joints or genitals, eyes, or is larger than half the patient’s arm.
3. Remove clothing and jewellery from the burnt area, but do not remove clothing stuck to the skin.
4. Lightly cover the burn with a clean dressing.
....................................................................................................................................
DIABETIC EMERGENCIES - the most common emergency affecting a patient with diabetes is "low blood sugar".
SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS
1. Confusion, slurring of words
2. Falling level of consciousness
3. Sweating
4. Tremor or shakiness
1ST AID STEPS
1. If unconscious – put the patient in recovery position
2. Call 999 for an ambulance if they are unconscious
....................................................................................................................................
SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS
1. Deformity, swelling and pain
2. Altered sensation (e.g. pins and needles)
3. Inability to move the limb normally
1ST AID STEPS
1. Control any external bleeding using direct pressure over the wound
2. Dial 999 for an ambulance if the patient is in severe pain, or if the bone is sticking through the skin, or if they cannot walk
3. Assist the patient into a comfortable position
4. Support the limb e.g. with a pillow, but do not move the limb unnecessarily
....................................................................................................................................
HEAD INJURIES - involve injury to the brains, skull or face.
SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS
1. Loss of consciousness or altered state of awareness (groggy)
2. Confusion and memory loss
3. Nausea and vomiting
4. Any bleeding from the head that is more than minor
1ST AID STEPS
1. Dial 999 for an ambulance if they are unconscious or bleeding heavily
2. Assist them to rest in a comfortable position. Place them on their side if they are unconscious.
3. Control external bleeding with direct pressure.
....................................................................................................................................
1ST AID STEPS
1. Sit the person down.
2. Get them to breathe through their mouth, with their head tilted forward.
3. Firmly pinch the entire soft part of the nose for 10 - 20 minutes. Repeat this if the bleeding does not stop.
4. Dial 999 for an ambulance if the bleeding is very heavy.
5. When the bleeding stops, inform the person not to blow their nose for a few hours, this may restart the bleeding.
....................................................................................................................................
SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS
1. Altered level of consciousness (not fully awake)
2. Burns around or in the mouth
3. Stomach or abdominal pain
4. Vomiting
1ST AID STEPS
1. DO NOT induce vomiting
2. Do not give the patient anything to drink
3. If they are unconscious, place them in the recovery position
4. Call 999 for an ambulance if they are unconscious or if they are very unwell
5. Keep the container of the poison
....................................................................................................................................
SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS
The patient may:
1. Still be connected to an electrical cable or appliance
2. Be unconscious
3. Have stopped breathing
4. Have burns where the electrical current entered and exited their body
1ST AID STEPS
1. Ensure safety – turn the electricity off. DO NOT approach a patient if they may still be connected to electricity
2. Dial 999 for an ambulance if they are unconscious, injured or unwell
3. If they are unconscious and not breathing, place them on their back and start CPR
4. If they are unconscious and breathing place them in the recovery position
5. If conscious, check for injuries or burns
....................................................................................................................................
1ST AID STEPS
1. Remove the patient from the water safely
2. If not breathing, commence CPR
3. Dial 999 and ask for ambulance
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SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS
1. Pain
2. Watering and redness
3. Bleeding
4. Altered vision
1ST AID STEPS
1. If you can see the particle, gently try to remove it with water or a clean cloth. Do not persist if it is hard to remove.
2. Prevent the patient from rubbing the eye as this may result in scratching.
3. If symptoms persist or you cannot remove the particle, see a Doctor.
4. Dial 999 for an ambulance if there is severe pain or bleeding.
....................................................................................................................................
1ST AID STEPS
1. Perform CPR
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HEAT EXHAUSTION - usually caused by exposure to extreme temperature or not replacing fluid being lost by sweating.
SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS
1. Weakness
2. Loss of appetite
3. Fainting
4. Dizziness
5. Sweating
6. Nausea/vomiting
1ST AID STEPS
1. Rest patient in a cool place
2. Give patient fluid to drink. Most patients will respond well with water, fruit juice, or their soft drink of choice
3. Arrange medical attention, or dial 999 for an ambulance, if the patient’s condition gets worse or if they are unable to drink fluids
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HYPOTHERMIA - results from excessive cooling of the body core. Prevention is the best cure for hypothermia. For outdoor activities, adequate clothing, frequent rests for drinks/snacks are important.
SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS
1. Patient feels cold to touch and may be shivering violently
2. Cold environment
3. Patient feels cold to touch and may be shivering violently
4. Cold environment
5. Tiredness – patient may fall behind others in outdoor activities
6. Clumsy, uncoordinated, may fall over and appear drunk
7. Changes in mood with irritability, irrational behaviour
8. Patient may resist help
9. Slow to respond to questions
10. Shivering may decrease and stop
11. Loss of consciousness
12. Pale or blueish skin colour
1st AID STEPS
1. Provide immediate shelter out of the wind, and dry clothing
2. If fully conscious, give warm drinks, sweets, chocolates etc
3. Use body contact to reduce heat loss and slowly warm patient – e.g. huddle around the patient in a sleeping bag
4. If hypothermia is mild, and rest, warmth, drinks etc. allow recovery, there is no need for further medical assistance. But monitor the patient and any others in the group
5. If hypothermia has reached the stage where the patient is becoming drowsy, urgent medical assistance is required.
....................................................................................................................................
SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS
1. In the majority of cases, symptoms first appear within 24 hours of eating contaminated food
2. The patient has abdominal cramps with diarrhoea
3. There may be vomiting and nausea
4. There is usually a loss of appetite
5. There may be fever
1st AID STEPS
1. Ensure the patient rests
2. The patient can suck ice to provide a small amount of cooling fluid
3. Give fluids such as flat lemonade to replace body fluids
4. Medical assistance should be obtained if any of the following occurs:
- Severe vomiting in a child under 1 year
- Considerable and constant diarrhoea
- Persistent vomiting
- Signs of dehydration – dry mouth, skin and thirst
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HOW TO PERFORM CPR
1. Dial 999 for an ambulance
2. Lie the person on their back
3. Push on the chest hard and fast 30 times at a rate of approximately twice a second. Keep your arms straight and push in the middle of the chest. This is the most important part of CPR
4. Tilt the head back, pinch the nose and blow twice in the mouth
5. Continue to alternate 30 pushes on the chest with 2 blows in the mouth until an ambulance arrives
6. Any CPR is better than no CPR. If you do not want to do the breaths, just continue with the chest pushes
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HOW TO PUT SOMEONE IN THE RECOVERY POSITION
