When someone is injured or in need of medical assistance, it can be overwhelming and confusing. People may not know what to do in certain situations, and there may be certain protocols that vary from place to place. This can make someone who is helping not know what to do or say to help provide assistance effectively and appropriately.Standard first aid is a basic set of skills that can be applied to almost any injury or medical emergency. It is not a replacement for more specialized training; rather, it is a set of skills that can be applied in a variety of situations and environments. These skills are used to stabilize a patient until medical assistance arrives and are typically applicable to people of all ages and fitness levels. When implemented correctly, standard first aid can significantly improve outcomes and reduce the amount of time a patient is suffering before medical assistance can arrive.In this blog post, we explore some basic first aid tips that can be applied in any situation:

Check for Airway

The first thing to do when helping a friend or family member who has been injured is to check for an airway. This means making sure that the person can breathe. In most cases, this means making sure the person is not choking. If you notice that the person’s airway is blocked, you should immediately attempt to remove the blockage, such as a piece of food or a toy. If the blockage is a piece of food, try to get a piece of bread or another round object to push the food out of the person’s airway. If the blockage is a toy, try to remove the toy so that the person can breathe.

Check for Breathing

Next, you should check for breathing. To do this, you should use the person’s chest to feel for a rise and fall of the chest. A person who is breathing should have an even rise and fall of the chest. If you do not feel a rise and fall, the person may be in cardiac arrest and immediate medical assistance should be called. If the person has not been injured, you may not be able to tell if the person is breathing.

Check for Escape

You should also check to see if the person has an escape route. If the person is injured, it may be difficult to get to safety. This means that the person may not be able to escape if they are injured. You should look for things the person can use to escape, such as a window, stairs, a door, or an open space in which to run away.

Check for Bladder/Bowel Control

Another important aspect to check when helping a friend or family member who has been injured is to see if they have control of their bladder or bowels. If the person has control of their bladder or bowels, they should be given time to try to urinate or defecate. You should not attempt to clean out the person and you should not attempt to change a soiled garment. It is important that a person be undisturbed during these activities.

Check for Other Injuries

Finally, you should check for other injuries. This includes checking for other wounds, broken bones, and bruises. It is important to note that these injuries do not necessarily have to be visible. A person may have a broken arm or leg that is not visible and needs to be treated as soon as possible.

Conclusion

Standard first aid is a set of basic skills that can be applied to almost any injury or medical emergency. It is not a replacement for more specialized training; rather, it is a set of skills that can be applied in a variety of situations and environments. These skills are used to stabilize a patient until medical assistance arrives and are typically applicable to people of all ages and fitness levels. The sooner that a person receives medical assistance, the better their outcome will be.