First AidLevel One

MODULE 1

Principles of First Aid, Safety and Emergency Scene Management

– How to apply principles of safety.– How to apply the principles of First

Aid.– How to apply the principles of

emergency scene management.– How to prioritize your casualties.– How to provide a casualty with

follow-up care

Five basic principles of safety

• Always assess risks.• Safe work practices.• Train for the job • Use Protective clothing and

equipment.• Make a Personal commitment to

Safety.

Objectives of the First Aider

• To treat the patient and his injuries.

• To prevent his condition from worsening.

• To assist the patient with his/ her recovery

Remember, the assistance you render as a First Aider can make all the difference

in the world when it comes to saving lives.

How to prioritize a patient

• P1 – Critical & needs hospitalization ASAP.

• P2 – Serious, but stable• P3 – Stable, not necessarily in need of

hospitalization.• P4 – Dead• N.B.!! Remember your safety

always comes first.

Emergency Scene Management

• Always approach the incident by looking up, down, left and right for any hazard that may injure you or the patient you are going to treat.

• There are three sources of help that you as a First Aider can utilize.– Bystanders.– Authorities i.e. traffic department or SAP.– Medical services i.e. a doctor or sister on

scene

Summary

• Step 1 Take charge• Step 2 Call for help• Step 3 Assess hazards• Step 4 Make the area safe for you and

others• Step 5 Identify yourself and offer help

MODULE 2

Basic Anatomy and Physiology

– Know the components of the body– Know where the different bones of the

body are– Know the Physiological system of the

body

The Cardiovascular system

• Blood carries oxygen around the body.• Oxygen sustains life within the body.

The Respiratory System

• Every time we breathe in, our body absorbs oxygen in the air to help maintain all life in our body.

Blood vessels

Skeleton

Spine

Spinal Cord

Lungs

THE HUMAN BODY

• THE HEAD (SKULL)• THE NECK AND SPINE (Vertebrae) • THE SHOULDERS • THE CHEST (THORAX ) • THE ABDOMEN AND PELVIC CAVITY • THE ARM • THE LEGS

PHYSIOLOGICAL SYSTEMS • The central nervous system (Brain and

spinal cord)• Circulatory system ( Heart and blood

vessels )• The respiratory system ( lungs )• The integumentry system ( skin )• The reproductive system ( Reproduction of

human life )• The Urinary system • The endocrine system ( Hormone function )• The gastro intestinal system• The skeletal system• The sensory system

Module 3

Medical Terminology

Module 4

Patient treatment and care

• How to asses and examine the casualty• How to manage and treat the casualty

Steps for treatment

• The Primary Survey• The Secondary Survey• The Head to Toe Examination

NB!! Always treat the areas that the patient complains about first unless it

is life threatening !!!

History, Signs and Symptoms

• "History" is what caused the accident or led to the incident.

• "Signs" are the things that you can see on the casualty that indicate illness or injury i.e. sweating and pale color skin.

• "Symptoms" is what the casualty tells you he feels i.e. dizzy, nausea and pain.

Vital Signs

• There are three vital signs you as a First Aider should know. These are– Temperature,– Pulse– Breathing.

Follow up Care

• Shelter and keep the casualty warm• Continuously monitor the patient’s

condition• Hand all of the casualty’s belongings

to the officials.• Document all of the patient’s

particulars.• Treat the casualty to the best of your

ability until the Medical services arrive.

Module 5

Artificial Respiration

NB!! If for any reason our body goes without oxygen for more than five minutes, brain damage will occur.

How to assess the level of consciousness

• Call out to the casualty and ask if the person is all right.

• Gently shake the person by the shoulders.

– Alert– Verbal response– Pain response– Unconsciousness

Respiratory Emergencies

• Obstruction of the airway • Lack of oxygen in the atmosphere • Heart and lung dysfunction • Other examples include; smoke

filled areas, car fumes, LPG, grain silo's, underground tunnels, sewers and even allergic reactions can cause oxygen deficiency

Common causes of airway obstructions

• The tongue • Food and toys • Near Drowning

Three common techniques to ventilate a non-

breathing person

• Mouth-To-Mouth ventilation.• Mouth-To-Nose ventilation.• Bag Valve Mask or Barrier Device

ventilation

ARTIFICIAL RESPIRATION

• Make the area safe.• Check for Responsiveness • Check for Breathing • Check for a Pulse. • Open the airway. • Give one breath every five seconds if

pulse is present.• After twelve times, re-check for a pulse

Module 6

CARDIO-PULMONARY RESUSCITATION

• A patient that is not breathing and has No pulse needs C.P.R.

• The sooner C.P.R. is started, the better the chances of recovery

Module 7Choking

What you will learn from this module

• Steps to prevent Choking.• How to recognize the signs of choking.• How to provide First Aid for choking • “Choking” is when your airway

becomes partially or completely obstructed.

• This is an emergency. The tongue, food, fluid, toys and even allergic reactions can cause an airway obstruction.

Preventing Choking

• Be careful when you eat and drink. Cut your food into small pieces and chew before you swallow.

• Do not gulp down drinks when there is food in your mouth.

• Supervise children when they are eating, drinking and playing with toys.

• Never run while you are eating

Signs of Choking

• The most common sign of choking is grabbing of the throat

• The casualty may cough, wheeze or stop breathing suddenly.

• A choking casualty may get up and leave the table suddenly because of embarrassment. Always check up.

• The patient may start to go blue in the face, become confused

First Aid For Choking

• The aim is to dislodge the foreign body from the upper airway.

• You as a First Aider can use abdominal thrusts, Chest thrusts and Finger sweep for foreign bodies

When to give First Aid

• Do not treat the casualty if there is good air exchange.

• Give First Aid if air exchange is poor or completely blocked.

ABDOMINAL THRUSTS

• An abdominal thrust (The Heimlich Maneuver) is basically an artificial cough. Pressure is applied in an inward and upward motion just above the navel to increase the pressure within the lung. The result is an explosion of air from within the lungs hopefully forcing the lodged object out.

Caution!! Abdominal thrusts can cause serious internal damage,

consult a doctor afterwards

Module 8Wounds

What you will learn from this module

• How to use dressings, bandages and slings.

• How to prevent contaminating and infecting the wound further.

• How to identify and manage internal and external bleeding.

• Manage embedded objects• How to check for adequate circulation

below the injury• How to control bleeding from the nose,

ear and scalp• How to treat internal bleeding

Dressings, Bandages and Slings

•Bandages and dressings are used to stop bleeding, support soft tissue injuries and provide protection from infection.•Slings are used for support of the injured limb.

Module 9

Bleeding

What you will learn from this module

• As a First Aider, you will have to deal with wounds that are bleeding.

• A wound is damage to the tissues of the body. Bleeding is the result of wounds.

• Bleeding is the escape of blood from the vessels. The blood may escape into the tissues around the wound (internal bleeding), or outside the body (external bleeding).

Remember!! Wounds open the door to germs and infection.

Types of Wounds

• Incision• Laceration• Puncture Wound• Graze/ Abrasions • Gunshot Wound• Contused Wound

Types of Bleeding

• Internal bleeding • External bleeding• Bleeding falls into the following three

categories– Arterial Bleeding– Venous Bleeding– Capillary Bleeding

Preventing Wounds and Bleeding

• Wounds are normally caused by an external force that damages the tissues. Because of this, wounds are often caused by unsafe acts, especially in the workplace. Machinery and tools can easily cause wounds if they are not used safely. Normal safety precautions and a personal commitment to safety can help to prevent wounds.

Contamination and Infection

• As a First Aider, it is a part of your responsibility to try and prevent wounds from becoming contaminated and infected. All wounds are contaminated to some extent. This is unavoidable, but you can prevent further contamination by taking proper precautions

Severe Bleeding

• Severe external bleeding occurs after a deep wound and requires urgent attention.

Remember!! First comes SAFETY, then AIRWAY, then BREATHING, then CIRCULATION and finally comes

SEVERE BLEEDING

Suspected Internal Bleeding

• Here are some pointers that may indicate internal bleeding– The history of the accident– The casualty’s medical history i.e.

ulcers– Swelling and Rigidity in the injury area– Bleeding from the mouth, nose and

ears.

First Aid for External Bleeding

• Apply direct pressure to the wound.

• Elevate the limb to slow circulation

• Apply In-direct pressure on a pulse to slow circulation.

NB!! These patients go into shock as they have a shortage of blood to carry oxygen around the body.

First Aid for Nose Bleeds

• Get the casualty to sit and lean forward.

• Pinch the nostrils closed and apply gentle pressure.

• If bleeding persists, apply a cold pack to help slow circulation and call for backup

First Aid for the Bleeding Ear

• Never plug or block the ears.• If blood or cerebral spinal fluid is

oozing from the ear, apply a loose dressing over the area and immediately suspect a skull fracture.

• Monitor the casualty’s vital signs and call for backup.

First Aid for Internal Bleeding

• There is very little we can do for internal bleeding

• Treat for shock, monitor vitals and call the Emergency Services

• If the patient falls unconscious, immediately place the casualty into the recovery position.

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Module 10

Fractures and Immobilization

How to identify and immobilize fractured limbs.

Fractures

Treatment of Fractures• Stop the bleeding• Dress all open wounds• Immobilize and give support to the limb• Splint and elevate the limb• Avoid rough handling and use slow

movements• Splint in most comfortable position• Test for circulation by looking at

capillary refill and skin temperature.• If there is no pulse below the fracture

site or the skin becomes blue in color and cold, give a little bit of traction along the length of the limb.

Lower Leg Fractures

• The two bones (The tibia and Fibula) found in the lower legs are commonly fractured when they are involved in pedestrian accidents. These fractures bleed very badly and the chances of infection are very high.

First-Aid for Open Fractures

• The treatment for open fractures with protruding bone ends is similar to that of imbedded objects.– We use a ring pad and a dressing to

stabilize the wound before we splint the injury.

– Raise the limb slightly to reduce pain and reassure and comfort the casualty.

Module 11Burns

•How to measure burns•How to recognize the type•How to treat burns

Burns

• A burn is the result of tissue damage caused by dry or wet heat, chemicals, electricity or radiation.

• Most of the time burns occur at home i.e. children that pull a pot of burning oil or water over him or her.

Severity Of Burns

• Superficial Burns• Moderate Burns• Deep Burns

Seek Medical Assistance when

• Large areas of the body are burned.• There are deep burns• Burns have occurred to the face,

mouth, hands, genitals, throat and feet.

• Burns were caused by electricity or chemicals

Signs and Symptoms of burns

• Redness of the skin associated with severe pain

• Swelling and numbness• Blisters• Charred skin• Peeling of the skin and blisters.

Complications of burns

• Shock• Infection• Breathing complications• Swelling of the tissue• Dehydration of the tissue due to

the loss of skin

Module 12

Shock, Unconsciousness and Fainting

• Shock is a condition where there is not enough Perfused blood flow to the tissues of the body.

• This means that the brain and other important organs are not receiving enough Oxygen. Shock is a very serious condition as it may lead to death if not treated correctly.

Causes of Shock• Severe Bleeding. Both internal and

external bleeding will cause shock.• Loss of body fluids from major burns.• Dehydration due to burns, vomiting and

diarrhea.• Trauma to the spinal cord and attached

nerves.• Cardiac complications.• Severe pain, fear and fright.NB!! Any injury or illness can cause some

degree of shock.If shock is not treated, it will develop into

severe shock.

UNCONSCIOUSNESS • There are ten well-known causes

– Major loss of blood– Depriving the brain of Oxygen– Tumors and growths on the brain– Infections such as meningitis, malaria– Severe change in body core

temperature– Either very high blood sugar levels or

blood sugar levels that are too low– Epileptic seizures or convulsions– Very high or very low blood pressure– Excessive alcohol abuse– Poisoning

Levels of consciousness

• Conscious Person• Semi-conscious Person• Unconscious Person

FAINTING

• Fainting is a brief loss of consciousness, caused by a temporary shortage of oxygenated blood flow to the brain. These casualties usually recover quickly and fully.

Causes of Fainting

• The four most common ones are– Standing or sitting in one position for

extremely long periods. Blood pools in the legs.

– Fatigue, hunger or lack of a well ventilated area.

– Fear, anxiety and emotional stress. Some people faint at the sight of blood.

– Illness, injury or severe pain.

Module 13Poisons, Bites and

Stings

Insect bite

Spider bite

Poisons, Bites and Stings

• Poisons can be inhaled, ingested or absorbed through the skin and may have a wide range of effects on different types of individuals.

• Those most at risk are children under the ages of 12 and adults over the age of 50 years

Signs and Symptoms

• Nausea• Vomiting• Shock• Confusion, restlessness,

unconsciousness• Swelling at the site of the injection• Swelling around the airways• Restlessness, weak and rapid pulse

Module 14

Medico Legal Aspects• Standards imposed by local custom• Negligence• Abandonment• Consent