First Aid is the temporary help given to an injured or a sick person before professional medical treatment can be provided. This timely assistance, comprising of simple medical techniques, is most critical to the victims and is, often, life saving. Any layperson can be trained to administer first aid, which can be carried out using minimal equipment’s. Basic training in first aid skills should be taught in school, in work places and, in general, be learnt by all, as it is mandatory to our modern and stressful life.
What to do
If someone is injured in an accident stay calm and:
- first check that you and the casualty are not in any danger. If you are, make the situation safe.
- when it’s safe to do so, dial for an ambulance, if necessary.
- carry out basic first aid.
If you call for ambulance service mean you will be asked what service you require and also:
- your telephone number
- the address you are at – exact location of incident
- what is wrong with the casualty and are they unconscious, not breathing or bleeding
- type of incident (e.g. unconscious breathing patient or unconscious non breathing patient
- gravity of incident (e.g., CPR is in progress)
- details of condition from diagnosis (eg diabetic, person has a cardiac history) if known
- hazards i.e. chemical spill, stairs
You may be offered advice as to how to assist the casualty until help arrives.
If someone is unconscious and breathing
If a person is unconscious but is breathing and has no other life-threatening conditions, they should be placed in the recovery position and you can follow these steps:
- with the person lying on their back, kneel on the floor at their side
- place the arm nearest you at a right angle to their body with their hand upwards, towards the head
- tuck their other hand under the side of their head, so that the back of their hand is touching their cheek
- bend the knee farthest from you to a right angle
- carefully roll the person onto their side by pulling on the bent knee
- the top arm should be supporting the head and the bottom arm will stop you rolling them too far
- open their airway by gently tilting their head back and lifting their chin, and check that nothing is blocking their airway
- stay with the person and monitor their condition until help arrives.
If someone is unconscious and not breathing
If a person is not breathing normally after an incident, call for an ambulance and then, if you can, start CPR straight away. Use hands-only CPR if you are not trained to perform rescue breaths.
Spinal injury
If you think a person may have a spinal injury, don’t attempt to move them until the emergency services reach you.
If it’s necessary to open their airway, place your hands on either side of their head and gently lift their jaw with your fingertips to open the airway. Take care not to move their neck.
You should suspect a spinal injury if the person:
- has been involved in an incident that’s directly affected their spine, such as a fall from height or being struck directly in the back
- complains of severe pain in their neck or back
- won’t move their neck
- feels weak, numb or paralysed
- has lost control of their limbs, bladder or bowels
Disclaimer: The information on this page are for illustrative and educational purposes only. Use only as a guide.
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