Medical First Aid
First Aid Training could help you save a life. Knowing First Aid could make all the difference.
Imagine: Whilst having lunch, a colleague clutches his throat and appears unable to breathe. Someone has tried slapping him firmly between the shoulder blades, but with no success. He seems close to losing consciousness; his lips are turning a definite shade of blue.
People rarely give first aid a thought, until the day they need it. The above incident is the sort of everyday occurrence that could so easily lead to tragedy.
With correct first aid training anyone could, in the short term (until the arrival of the emergency services) save a life.
Are you fit enough to save your own life?
Do you have the strength, endurance and agility to escape from any emergencies, natural disaster, fight a fire on board or pull your friend out from a wrecked situation?
Fitness is not about working out at the gym or running a marathon but it is important for coping with life’s emergencies, big and small, whether it is running to make an airport connection or fleeing a burning building.
Fitness is at the heart of the Marine Industry and there are also many reasons why it is important that ship board personnel maintain a high level of fitness as it:
· Improved fitness to fight and ability to cope with the physical demands of life at sea
· Improved confidence in own capabilities and in the physical robustness and determination of other members of the team
· Improved physical ability, which in turn maximises resistance to injury and extremes of heat; fitter people are also likely to recover more quickly from injury and physical stress
· Improved alertness and reduced levels of psychological stress
· Improved good health, now and in later life
Taking immediate action is the essential principle in first aid. Bystanders or relatives may not recognise the basic symptoms of an injury or illness and may wait hours before calling for help. Often people are worried about "doing the wrong thing", so don't attempt any first aid at all. If a person is sick or injured, then they need help, and they need it immediately.
A casualty who is not breathing effectively, or is bleeding heavily, requires immediate aid. Prompt effective first aid gives the casualty a much better chance of a good recovery.
It is important that prompt action does not lead to panic, and the first aider should form a plan of action. Careful and deliberate action undertaken without too much delay is most beneficial to the casualty. Try to remain calm and think your actions through. A calm and controlled first aider will give everyone confidence that the event is being handled efficiently and effectively.
Each emergency is different, so it is impossible to provide you with a precise list of things you need to do for every emergency. However, if you follow the ‘principles of first aid' as outlined, you should deliver appropriate care, even if you are not sure of what the underlying problem is.
REMEMBER - The aims are:
· To save life
· To protect the casualty from getting more harm
· To reduce pain and priorities of casualty treatment
The care given before emergency medical help arrives can literally mean the difference between life and death. But knowing the correct thing to do if someone has a nosebleed or cut is also important. Accidents happen anywhere and anytime. The first response to an accident is the most important. Often times, first aid given at the scene can improve the victim’s chances of survival and a good recovery.
The right response is better than an incorrect quick one. Any response, even if it is wrong, is better than none at all.
Certain self-limiting illnesses or minor injuries may not require further medical care past the first aid intervention. It generally consists of a series of simple and in some cases potentially life-saving techniques that an individual can be trained to perform with minimal equipment.
The key aims of first aid can be summarised in three key points:
·
· Promote recovery - first aid also involves trying to start the recovery process from the illness or injury and in some cases might involve completing a treatment, such as in the case of applying a plaster to a small wound.
· Prevent further harm - also sometimes called prevent the condition from worsening, this covers both external factors, such as moving a patient away from any cause of harm and applying first aid techniques to prevent worsening of the condition, such as applying pressure to stop a bleed from becoming dangerous.
These aims can be met with simple skills that require little or no special equipment, but you must always put your own safety first. If you become a victim yourself, you will not be able to help the person and will make the situation worse.
This book gives detailed information on how to practice first aid quickly, calmly and effectively. Reading this book gives you the underpinning knowledge to carry out first aid. However the term first aider is generally applied to somebody who has completed a set standard of training with an accredited training provider.
Taking a practical course in first aid is the best preparation for dealing with an emergency. However, even if you are untrained there are simple measures that you can take at an emergency scene that can save lives.
This First Aid would describe how to assess a casualty so that appropriate treatment can be given while you wait for professional medical help to arrive. There are also practical discussions of emergency procedures, including checking for breathing and circulation, placing a person in the recovery position, and life-saving techniques such as giving rescue breaths (mouth-to-mouth resuscitation) if breathing has stopped, and chest compression if both breathing and circulation have ceased. Using these techniques will ensure that vital organs, such as the brain, to receive enough oxygen to keep the person alive until medical help is at hand.
Specific injuries such as head and eye injuries, broken bones and spinal injuries are also covered in this book. Although these may not be immediately life- threatening, first aid may help someone recover more quickly and avoid permanent damage.
Most first aid situations will involve no more than minor cuts and bruises, but you should be equipped to deal with major accidents or emergencies, and you will need to understand and practice the techniques detailed in this book to give first aid effectively.
· The 3 Ps
P - PRESERVE - Precious Life
P - PREVENT - Things becoming worse
P - PROMOTE - Recovery
· DTD
D - DIAGNOSIS - to know the problem - Look, Listen, Feel & Smell
T - TREATMENT - before taking to the doctor
D - DISPOSAL - to the hospital
· The 4 Ls
During diagnosis check for
LACK OF BREATHING (15 - 20 per minute)
LACK OF HEART BEAT (60 - 80 per minute)
LACK OF BLOOD (4 to 5 litres)
LACK OF CONSCIOUSNESS (shakes & shouts)
· ABC
Keep brain supplied with oxygen by following ABC of Resuscitation:
AIRWAY - Open the airway
BREATHING - Maintain Breathing
CIRCULATION - Maintain Circulation
Adapted from 'Medical First Aid' by Capt Muhammad Ismail Mohd Noor
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