Basic First Aid

Name: Princess German

Course: Practical nursing

Instructor: Miss Foster

Institution: Distinction College

Date: 2/10/2023

TABLE OF CONTENT

Introduction 1

Acknowledgement 2

Breathing Difficulties 3

Bleeding (Small Cut, Deeper Cut, Arterial Bleeding, and Nose Bleeding) 4-6

Choking 7

Shock and Fainting 8

Vomiting and Diarrhea 9

Burns and Scalds (Minor & Severe Burns, Clothing On Fire) 10

Electrocution 11

Seizure 12

Poisoning 13

Heart Attacks 14

Insect Bites and Stings 15

Heat Exhaustion and Heat Stroke 16

Stroke 17

Sprains 18

Dislocation 19

Bibliography 20

Glossary 21-22
 ACKOWNLEGDEMENT

I wish to express my special thanks to the staff and my teachers of Distinction College for
helping me to finalize this project with the warm welcome of my wonderful teacher Ms. Foster.
 INTRODUCTION
Basic first aid is being able to provide basic medical care to someone who is experiencing a
sudden injury or illness. It often comes in forms such as treatment to burns, cuts, or even insect
stings; but could also consist of providing support to someone in the middle of a medical
emergency.
 BREATHING DIFFICULTIES

Shortness of breath known medically as dyspionea is often described as an intense tightening in
the chest, air hunger, difficulty breathing, breathlessness or a feeling of suffocation. Very
strenuous exercise, extreme temperatures, obesity and higher altitude all can cause shortness of
breath in a healthy person.

How to perform first aid on someone with breathing difficulties:

 Loosen any tight clothing.

  Help the person use any prescribed medicine (such as an asthma inhaler or home
oxygen).
 Continue to monitor the person's breathing and pulse until medical help arrives.
 BLEEDING

Bleeding is the loss of blood. It can be external,( outside the body), like when you get a cut or
wound. It can also be internal,( inside the body), like when you have an injury to an internal
organ.

External Bleeding Internal Bleeding

Small cut is a tear or opening in the skin

caused by an injury, and need only minor
treatment at home.

Minor cuts and scrapes usually stop

bleeding on their own. If needed, 

 apply gentle pressure with a clean bandage or cloth and elevate the wound until bleeding
stops.
 Clean the wound by rinse the wound with water.
 Keeping the wound under running tap water will reduce the risk of infection.
Deeper cuts- A deep wound caused by a sharp,
stabbing object (i.e. a nail). May appear small
from the outside but may damage deep tissues.

Applying fist aid for deeper cuts:

 Rinse the cut or wound with water .

 apply pressure with sterile gauze, a bandage, or a clean cloth.
 If blood soaks through the bandage, put another bandage on top of the first and
 keep applying pressure.
 Raise the injured body part to slow bleeding.
 When bleeding stops, cover the person wound with a new clean bandage.

Arterial bleeding is the most severe and urgent type

of bleeding. It can result from a penetrating injury,
blunt trauma, or damage to organs or blood vessels.
Because the blood comes from the arteries, it is
distinctive from the other types of bleeding. For
example, the blood is bright red due to it containing
oxygen.

Applying fist aid for arterial bleeding:

 Apply direct pressure.

 If the patient is able, ask them to hold a thick pad or dressing in place while you secure it
with roller gauze.
 Do not lift the dressing to see if the bleeding has stopped.
Nosebleeds also called epistaxis (ep-ih-STAK-sis), are common. They happen when the tender
blood vessels in the nose break. Common nosebleed causes can include changes of season
dryness, scratching, some medicines and injuries.

Applying fist aid for nose bleeding:

 Use your thumb and index finger to pinch your nostrils shut.
 Breathe through your mouth.
 Continue to pinch for 10 to 15 minutes.
 If the bleeding doesn't stop, pinch the nose again for up to 15 minutes.
 CHOKING

Choking occurs when food or another foreign object becomes stuck in the airway it can cause
choking. Choking prevents oxygen from getting to the lungs and the brain.

How to perform first aid on someone who is choking:

 Strike five separate times between the person's shoulder blades with the heel of your
hand. Give five abdominal thrusts.
 If back blows don't remove the stuck object, give five abdominal thrusts, also known as
the Heimlich maneuver.
 Alternate between five blows and five thrusts until the blockage is dislodged.
 SHOCK AND FAINTING

Although most strokes do not cause fainting, a stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA) that
involves certain blood vessels at the base of the brain (posterior circulation stroke) can cause
fainting. Similarly, a migraine that involves these blood vessels sometimes causes fainting.

How to perform first aid on someone having stoked or faint:

 Lay the person down and elevate the legs and feet slightly, unless you think this may
cause pain or further injury.
 Keep the person still and don't move him or her unless necessary.
 Begin CPR if the person shows no signs of life, such as not breathing, coughing or
moving.
 VOMITING AND DIARRHEA

Vomiting and diarrhea can be caused by a number of things. These include viruses, bacteria,
parasites, certain medicines, or certain medical conditions. Foods that are hard to digest (such as
too many sweets) and undercooked (raw or partially raw) meat or fish can also cause vomiting
and diarrhea.

How to perform first aid on someone who is experiencing the following:

 Drinking water is the first step to rehydrating.

 create an oral rehydration solution by mixing 1 liter of water with half a teaspoon of salt
and 6 teaspoons of sugar.
 Consuming sugar and salt with water helps Give an oral rehydration solution (such as
Pedialyte, Enfalyte, or a store brand) to replace lost fluids. It has the right amount of
water, sugar, and salt.
 BURN AND SCALDS
Burns and scalds are damage to the skin usually cause by heat. Both are treated in the same way.
A burn is caused by dry heat for example an iron or fire. A scald is cause by something wet,such
as hot water are steam.

How to perform first aid on someone who has severed or minor burn/scald:
 Cool the burn with cool or lukewarm running water for 20 minutes as soon as possible
after the injury.
 Never use ice, iced water, or any creams or greasy substances like butter.
 Keep yourself or the person warm.
 Use a blanket or layers of clothing, but avoid putting them on the injured area.

How to perform first aid one someone who clothing is on fire:

If your clothes or someone else's clothes catch on fire, DO NOT run; stop, drop, and roll until the
fire goes out and then call 911. Never remove any clothing stuck to a person's body. Cover them
with a wet blanket until the burning stops then cover them with a dry blanket.
ELECTROCUTION
Electrocution is death or severe injury caused by electric shock from electric current passing
through the body. The danger from an electrical shock depends on the type of current, how high
the voltage is, how the current traveled through the body, the person's overall health and how
quickly the person is treated. An electrical shock may cause burns, or it may leave no visible mark
on the skin. In either case, an electrical current passing through the body can cause damage inside
the body, cardiac arrest or other injury. Under certain circumstances, even a small amount of
electricity can be fatal.

How to apply first aid:

 Turn off the source of electricity, if

possible. If not, use a dry, non-conducting
object made of cardboard, plastic or wood
to move the source away from you and
the injured
person.
 Begin CPR if the person shows no signs
of circulation, such as breathing,
coughing or movement.

SEIZURES
A seizure is a sudden, uncontrolled electrical disturbance in the brain. It can cause changes in
your behavior, movements or feelings, and in levels of consciousness.
Anything that interrupts the normal connections between nerve cells in the brain can cause a
seizure. This includes a high fever, high or low blood sugar, alcohol or drug withdrawal, or a
brain concussion. But when a person has 2 or more seizures with no known cause, this is
diagnosed as epilepsy

How to apply First aid on someone experiencing a seizure:

 Cushion their head if they're on the ground.

 Loosen any tight clothing around their neck, such as a collar or tie, to aid breathing.
 Turn them on to their side after their convulsions stop – read more about the recovery
position.
 Stay with them and talk to them calmly until they recover

POISONING

 Poison can be described as 'any substance which when introduced into or absorbed by a living
organism, destroys life or injures health.  Poison can be described as 'any substance which when
introduced into or absorbed by a living organism, destroys life or injures health
How to apply first aid:

 Get the person into fresh air as soon as possible.

 If the person vomits, turn his or her head to the side to prevent choking.
 Begin CPR if the person shows no signs of life, such as moving, breathing or coughing.

HEART ATTACT

A heart attack, also called a myocardial infarction, happens when a part of the heart muscle
doesn't get enough blood. The more time that passes without treatment to restore blood flow, the
 greater the damage to the heart muscle. Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the main cause of heart
attack.

Applying first aid:

 Call 911 or your local emergency number.

 Chew and swallow an aspirin while waiting for emergency help.
 Take nitroglycerin, if prescribed.
 Begin CPR if the person is unconscious.
INSECT BITE AND STING
A bite is when an insect (like a mosquito, flea, or bedbug) uses its mouth to break a person's
skin, usually so it can feed. Insect bites usually itch. A sting is when an insect uses another body
part, such as a barbed stinger at its tail end, to pierce the skin and inject venom (like a poison).

Applying first aid:

 Apply a cloth dampened with cold water or filled with ice to the area of the bite or sting
for 10 to 20 minutes.
 If the injury is on an arm or leg, raise it.
 Apply to the affected area calamine lotion, baking soda paste, or 0.5% or 1%
hydrocortisone cream.
 HEAT EXHAUSTION AND HEAT STROKE

Both heat exhaustion and heat stroke are serious conditions. Heat exhaustion begins with general
muscle weakness, sudden excessive sweating, nausea and vomiting, and possible fainting. A heat
stroke is when your body's internal temperature reaches over 103 degrees.

How to apply first aid for someone heat exhaustion and heat stroke:

 Cool the person using wet towels or a wet sheet with a fan directed across the surface.
 If ice packs are available, wrap them in towels and place them around the neck groin and
armpits. If shivering occurs reduce active cooling.
 If unresponsive or not alert, place in the recovery position.
 STROKE

A stroke, sometimes called a brain attack, occurs when something blocks blood supply to part of
the brain or when a blood vessel in the brain bursts. In either case, parts of the brain become
damaged or die. A stroke can cause lasting brain damage, long-term disability, or even death.

Appling first aid:

 Call 911 immediately.

 Note the time you first see symptoms.

 Perform CPR, if necessary.

 Do not let that person go to sleep or talk you out of calling 911.

 Do not give them medication, food, or drinks.

 Do not drive yourself or someone else to the emergency room.

 SPRAIN

A sprain is a stretching or tearing of ligaments, the tough bands of fibrous tissue that connect two
bones together in your joints. The most common location for a sprain is in your ankle. 

Appling first aid by following the R.I.C.E. method

1. Rest the injured limb.

2. Ice the area.
3. Compress the area with an elastic wrap or bandage.
4. Elevate the injured limb above your heart whenever possible to help prevent or limit swelling.
DISLOCATION

A dislocation is an injury in which the ends of your bones are forced from their normal positions.
The cause is usually trauma resulting from a fall, an auto accident, or a collision during contact
or high-speed sports. Dislocation usually involves the body's larger joints.

How to apply first aid:

1. RICE. This stands for rest, ice, compression, and elevation of the dislocated area.
2. Repositioning. Sometimes the bone ends may go back into place by themselves.
3. Splint or cast. This treatment keeps the dislocated area in place while it heals.
4. Medicine.
5. Traction.
6. Surgery.
 BIBLIOGRAPHY

https://en.wikipedia.org/

https://www.mayoclinic.org/

https://www.cancer.gov

https://medlineplus.gov
 GLOSSAARY

Air hunger-This feeling of starving for oxygen is also known as “air hunger.”

Absorb - take in or soak up energy or a liquid or other substance by chemical or physical action.

Brain -an organ of soft nervous tissue contained in the skull of vertebrates, functioning as
the coordinating centre of sensation and intellectual and nervous activity.

Coronaryartery disease -A disease in which there is a narrowing or blockage of the coronary

arteries blood vessels that carry blood and oxygen to the heart.

Convulsion -A conclusion is a statement based on experimental measurements and observations.

Dyspnea - Difficult, painful breathing or shortness of breath

Enfalyte - This product is used to replace fluids and minerals such as sodium, potassium lost due
to diarrhea and vomiting.

External - to be applied to the outside of a body, as a remedy: for external use only.

Foreign object - In medical terms, a foreign object is something that is in the body but doesn't
belong there.

Fibrous tissue - A type of tissue that is mostly made up of tough protein fibers called collagen
and cells called fibroblasts. 

Heimlich maneuver-is performed by wrapping your arms around a person, making a fist with
one hand and clasping it with the other.

Internal - Situated or occurring within or on the inside, many anatomical structures formerly
called internal are now correctly termed medial.

Injury – An injury is damage to your body.

Joint– In medicine, the place where two or more bones are connected.

Lateral - Lateral means to the side of, or away from, the middle of the body.

Ligament - A ligament is a fibrous connective tissue that attaches bone to bone, and usually
serves to hold structures together and keep them stable.

Migraine - A migraine is a headache that can cause severe throbbing pain or a pulsing sensation,
usually on one side of the head

Non- concluding- an incomplete or inadequate conclusion.

Nerve cells - A type of cell that receives and sends messages from the body to the brain and back
to the body

Pedialyte- Pedialyte is an OTC rehydration drink for both children and adults.

Patients- an individual awaiting or under medical care and treatment.

Rehydration- to restore fluid to something dehydratedespecially: to restore body fluid lost in

dehydration to

Septum - a dividing wall or membrane especially between bodily spaces or masses of soft tissue:

Sterile- free from living germs or microorganisms

Traction - Traction is the application of a pulling force to an injured part of the body or
extremity

Trauma- Injury to the body, or an event that causes long-lasting mental or emotional damage.

Unconscious - is when a person is unable to respond to people and activities.

Vessels- A tube through which the blood circulates in the body.

Victim– this is a person who is harmed, injured, or killed as a result of a crime, accident, or other
event or action.