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Free First Aid Course |
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First Aid
Please accept this First Aid mini-courses as a free gift form The School
Of Natural Health Sciences (SNHS Ltd.). Should you require details of our other
courses, please visit our website: http://www.naturalhealthcourses.com
Statistics tells us that a large number of accidents occur indoors. A
basic knowledge of First Aid can be very helpful in equipping one with
the necessary 'know-how' for dealing with the unfortunate casualty,
should an accident occur.
Please Note: This course is written for the international community
and my not agree with any one country's national guidelines. |
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FIRST AID KIT
First of all, let us make sure that we have the basic supplies required
in a good first aid kit. Keep your kit separate from other everyday
requirements, so that everything will be handy if needed. Always keep it
beyond the reach of small children, but don't lock it, you could
waste valuable time hunting for the key.
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SUPPLIES NEEDED
1. Sterile gauze and lint dressings (preferably 4 inches by 4 inches in
size) or cleaning and covering wounds.
2. Bandages: 1 inch and 3 inches, linen. Also some crepe
bandages and triangular bandages.
3. Assorted adhesive dressings.
4. Cotton Wool.
5. Adhesive tape.
6. Mild antiseptic
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THE COLLAPSED PATIENT
Probably the commonest situation that will be met is when someone
collapses. A faint may be the reason, but equally the cause could be a
heart attack, a stroke or some other medical emergency. It is important,
therefore, to assess the patient as fully as possible before attempting
any procedure.
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THE VITAL SIGNS
In the case of a collapsed person the two most important assessments are
respiration and circulation.
1. Respiration
It is essential to make sure that the individual is breathing and that
the airway is clear. If the brain is starved of oxygen for more than a
few minutes then irreversible brain damage can occur.
· look for evidence of movement of the chest or abdomen;
· listen near the mouth and chest to hear whether there are breath
sounds;
· it should be possible to feel the breath on the cheek.
Breathing can be obstructed by blood, saliva, vomit, food residues or
dentures. If the breathing seems to be obstructed then two fingers
should be placed in the mouth above the tongue and swept round to remove
any such obstruction.
If having done all these things there is still no sign of breathing then
artificial respiration should be started at once.
2. Circulation
The pulses should be checked. First check for the radial then the
carotid.
If there is no breathing and no pulse, then cardio-pulmonary
resuscitation (CPR) should be started.
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CARDIO-PULMONARY RESUSCITATION
This technique can be life-saving. Ideally, the student should
have practical tuition, either at a first aid class or on a CPR training
course. These are offered by various groups and are well worth
attending.
We will firstly assume that the individual is alone.
Two points have to be reiterated:
1. The airway must be clear, otherwise there is a risk of blowing a
foreign body further down the airway. (Remember that the individual
could have collapsed after choking on something).
2. External chest compression must not be done if there is a pulse or
heartbeat. The danger is that a weakly beating heart could
actually be stopped.
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ARTIFICIAL VENTILATION
The first thing to do is make sure that the individual is lying on a
firm surface. However, if the patient is a casualty case and a neck or
spinal problem is suspected try to move as little as possible.
Next, tilt the head back slightly, in order to open the airway.
Check immediately for a pulse. If there is no pulse, then chest
compression must be begun. If there is a pulse then chest compression
should not be performed.
A handkerchief may be placed over the patient's mouth. Then with a full
breath in, open the mouth fully and seal it round the patient's mouth.
Blow, watching for the rise of the chest. As it rises, stop blowing,
physically turn and watch it go down again as you take another breath to
fill your lungs. Give 4 quick breaths like this then check the pulse. If
the pulse is present then you should do 16 ventilations per minute.
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CHEST COMPRESSION
Again, it has to be said that there is no substitute for being shown how
to do this in person.
Kneel beside the patient. If and only if there is no pulse should this
be done.
Feel for the angle at the bottom of the rib cage at the top of the
abdomen. Place the heel of the hand on the sternum, two
finger-breadths above the angle. Then place the palm of the other
hand above it. Keep the elbows straight and lean forward to compress the
chest. An adult's chest wall should be compressed by about 1 inch; a
child's by half this.
15 compressions at a rate of 80 bpm should be given. This is slightly
more than one compression per second.
After the 15 compressions the patient should be given two ventilations.
Check the pulse.
Repeat the cycle until heartbeat and respiration start, or until help
and relief arrive.
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RECOVERY SIGNS
The patient starts to lose the cyanosis. This means that oxygen is
reaching the tissues.
The pulse returns.
The breathing restarts, often preceded by a groan.
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RECOVERY POSITION
Once recovery signs have been found, the patient should be placed in the
recovery position.
Kneel beside the patient and gently turn their head towards you. Then
straighten and tuck the nearest arm under their body. Draw the farther
arm across the chest and cross the farther ankle over the one nearest to
you. Gently roll the patient towards you, taking care to avoid injury to
their head. Once they are over, tilt the head to ensure that the airway
remains open. Then bend the arm and knee nearest to you at 90 degrees so
that they will not roll over.
The patient should not be left alone.
If there are two people present, then 5 compressions at 60 bpm or one
every second should be done to every 1 ventilation.
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FAINTS
Faints are extremely common. The above checks should be done to ensure
that a cardiac arrest has not occurred.
Fear, pain, prolonged standing or straining can all cause a faint.
Characteristically, there is pallor, sweating, preceding dizziness and
loss of consciousness. Incontinence may also occur.
The patient should not be lifted or supported. They should lie down or
be helped to lie. The legs should be raised and tight clothing should be
loosened.
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EPILEPTIC FITS
There are several types of epilepsy. Grand Mal is the name given to the
major form.
Different stages are recognised. First, the individual may experience an
aura, a set of symptoms which forewarn him/her that an attack is about
to come. This may take the form of peculiar tastes, smells or visual
disturbance.
The tonic phase follows. Here the individual falls, becomes stiff and
the face goes red or purple.
The clonic phase occurs when the individual starts to shake, often
violently. The face may grimace, breathing will be slow, there may be
salivation from the mouth, and there may be incontinence.
The relaxation phase follows as the convulsion passes over. The patient
drifts into sleep. This may last for a few minutes or several hours.
The postictal phase follows the return to consciousness. It may
amount to momentary confusion, or it may cause bizarre behaviour for
several hours.
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THE MANAGEMENT
The first thing is to clear things away from the surrounding area so
that the patient does not injure him/herself. A cushion or some sort of
pad should be placed under the head.
The individual may be carrying an epilepsy card which will inform you of
the type of problem they suffer from, and who to contact.
If the attack goes on for more than two minutes an ambulance should be
contacted.
You should not attempt to put anything into the mouth. The individual is
not likely to swallow their own tongue, so you are more likely to cause
injury to their mouth.
After the attack, place the individual in the recovery position.
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CHOKING
This usually occurs when some foreign body, be that a sweet or piece of
food, is inhaled into the larynx. Laughing or sneezing with something in
the mouth is the likeliest cause.
The individual should be encouraged to cough.
They should be bent over and slapped between the shoulder blades. This
should be done up to 4 times.
Check the mouth again for the foreign object.
The abdominal thrust method should be used if this fails. This should
only be used if the other methods have failed. Stand behind the
individual and put an arm round him/her. Clench the fist and place it in
the middle of the abdomen, above the umbilicus. The closed fist should
be so positioned that the thumb knuckle is against the individual's
abdominal wall. The fist is grasped with the other hand and both are
pulled in a sudden thrust. This could be done up to 4 times.
Clear out the mouth after each attempted procedure.
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ASTHMATIC ATTACKS
The asthma sufferer will almost certainly have an inhaler upon them.
They should be asked to take it themselves. Quite simply, if there is no
improvement, then medical help should be sought instantly. People still
do die from asthma so treatment should not be delayed.
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TRAUMA
After ensuring that the individual can breathe and that they have a
pulse, the next thing to check on is blood loss.
Pulsing blood flow implies arterial damage and is an emergency. Apply
firm pressure to the bleeding point. Do not attempt to put on a
tourniquet. This may end up more hazardous to the individual than the
blood loss.
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NOSEBLEEDS
There is a lot of different ideas about stopping nose-bleeds. The nose
must be pinched on the fleshy part below the bony part of the nose. The
individual should be allowed to sit forward over a basin and the
pressure should be maintained for at least ten minutes. The pressure
should then be gradually released.
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CHEST PAIN
Central chest pain, especially with radiation into the neck or down the
arms must be assumed to be due to myocardial ischaemia until proved
otherwise. The patient must be allowed into the halfsitting
position with the head, knees and shoulders supported by cushions. They
should be encouraged to try to relax while help is obtained urgently.
Tight clothing should be released.
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LOSS OF CONSCIOUSNESS
If the individual loses consciousness, do the checks outlined in the
first part of this lesson. If they are still breathing with a good
pulse, then put them into the recovery position. If not, then be
prepared to start artificial ventilation, or possibly CPR.
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Self Assessment Questions
You may, if you wish, use these questions to test your own
understanding. Please DO NOT send your answers it to the school. Thank
you.
1. Describe how you would treat a collapsed patient.
2. A patient is having convulsions. Would you try to restrain his
movements? Answer Yes or No.
3. Describe cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
4. You are alone with a casualty who is in urgent need of artificial
respiration. What would you do first summon a doctor or carry
out artificial respiration?
5. What is the cause of fainting?
6. Why should a soft pad be put between the jaws of a patient who is
suffering an epileptic fit?
7. A patient is having a heart attack. What is the first thing you
should do?
8. In less that a total of 60 words, describe two ways of arresting a
nosebleed?
9. How do you help a patient who is choking?
10. A patient has severe chest pains. What do you do to help them?
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We hope you have enjoyed this mini First Aid course form The School Of
Natural Health Sciences. Should you require details of our other
courses, please visit our website: http://www.naturalhealthcourses.com
We offer over thirty different fully comprehensive, accredited Natural
Health Care courses for
you to choose from.
If you wish to contact us you can write to:
The School of Natural Health Sciences,
International Office,
PO Box 42, Fuengirola, 29640 (Malaga), Spain.
Or you can email us at:
info@naturalhealthcourses.com
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