30. First aid

First aid

First aid is about helping people on the spot when accidents or fits of illness occur.

Knowing how to give basic first aid to others is an important life skill. There may come a time when you hurt yourself or someone else around you needs help.

The ability to give first aid is one of the basic foundations of a safe lifestyle. It is also every citizen's duty. Everyone has the right to get help when they are hurt. 

You can practice first aid skills by yourself. They are also taught on various first aid courses. 

 

Wounds

The most basic and widely-used first aid skill is knowing how to treat small wounds.

A wound is treated by making sure that it is clean, preventing blood flow into the wound, and protecting it from dirt and bacteria. 

If a wound is small and does not leak a lot of blood, it can be taken care of without the help of medical professionals. The wound and its surroundings should be disinfected with an antiseptic solution and covered with an adhesive plaster or bandage. 



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Emergency first aid

Emergy first aid is done after an emergency. It comprises of making sure the injured person's breathing, blood circulation and consciousness remain in good condition while waiting for medical professionals to arrive on the scene. The most important forms of emergency first aid is preventing blood flow from wounds, removing foreign objects from the respiratory tract and rescuscitation. 

Bleeding

If a person is bleeding, you should place them lying down and raise the point of bleeding. The bleeding can be slowed down by pressing the wound strongly with your hands and applying a pressure bandage. Call for help immediately.

wellphoto_shutterstock_139719037_ensiapu_p.jpgUnconsciousness

  • If you see an uncoscious person, you should first try to wake them up by shaking them and talking to them. If the person does not wake up, call for help or call the emergency number 112.
  • Make sure that the person is breathing.
  • Make sure that there are no extra objects in the person's respiratory tract.
  • Open the respiratory tract by raising the person's neck and pulling their chin backwards.
  • If the patient is breathing, turn the person on their side, so that they can breathe easily. 
  • Monitor the person's breathing until help arrives.

Resuscitation

Knowing how to rescuscitate is an important first aid skill, but it is too difficult for children. If an uncoscious person does not wake up, you should notify an adult and call the emergency number 112 right away. 

Sprains

Ankle and wrist sprains can occur from time to time, especially when playing sports. 

When this happens, remember the following instructions:

  • Cool down the sprained wrist or ankle with ice, a cooling bag or a bag of vegetables from the freezer, for example

  • Raise the injured hand or foot above the rest of your body. This helps to reduce the amount of blood pressure that concentrates on the injured spot.
  • Apply compression to the injured hand or foot. This can be done by applying a bandage on the injured spot. Compression reduces the amount of movement in the damaged joints, making them heal faster.





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Terminology

FIRST Aid
Term Explanation
first aid Things you should do when an accident, injury or a fit of illness occurs.
unconsciousness A state where a person does not react when spoken to. Different from sleep.