We do not know when an 4.
4. To train people to do the proper  Lie the victim on his back and kneel
emergency may occur and therefore, we need thing at the right time
to know how to react quickly to such a 5. To provide proper treatment when
situation. Knowing how to react is essential emergency occurs
in applying first aid which is very crucial. 9 GENERAL DIRECTIONS FOR FIRST
First Aid AIDERS
-The skilled application of treatment, using 1. Adjust the proper position of the
facilities or materials available at the time, victim
that any trained individual gives an ill or 2. Examine the victim. Check for
injured person while waiting for medical injuries
assistance to arrive. 3. Give immediately needed first aid
-An immediate and temporary care given to a 4. Maintain the victim’s body
person who suffers from sudden illness or an temperature
accident until the doctor arrives. 5. Call a doctor
-Getting or giving a proper first aid on time, 6. Keep curious people away
lessens the suffering of the victim and make 7. Make the victim happy and
the doctor’s work easier when he takes over. comfortable
FIRST AID STRIVES TO 8. Proper and comfortable
-Preserve the victim’s life transportation should be given to the
-Prevent complications or keep the condition victim together with tender loving care
from worsening 9. Don’t give any liquid to an
-Aid recovery unconscious victim
-Assure the victim by comforting him and
relieving pain 3 DETAILS TO SAY WHEN CALL FOR
Anyone who gives first aid must know A DOCTOR
exactly what to do in different 1. Say your name clearly and tell
situations, as the wrong treatment directly your needed assistance
could aggravate a victim’s condition 2. Exact place where the accident
instead of improving it. happened, give the landmarks so
that the place can be located easily
THE QUALITIES OF A GOOD FIRST 3. Explain exactly what happened
AIDER
1. Gentle. He should not cause pain WHERE DOES THE DUTY OF THE
in handling the victim. FIRST AIDER START AND END?
2. Observant. He should notice all The duty starts the movement an
signs in the body of the victim. accident happens and ends when the service
3. Resourceful. He should make the of the doctor begins, but he should stand by,
best use of things at hand. making his report to the physician about the
4. Sympathetic. He should know accident that occurred, the nature of the
how to comfort the victim. injury, and the first aid and treatment given
5. Tactful. He should not alarm the to the victim.
patient as it may cause a nervous THE RECOVERY POSITION
breakdown. -While waiting for help to arrive, the
recovery position is the correct position in
THE NEED FOR FIRST AID which to place a victim who is breathing.
1. To prevent accidents -Do not put a person in the recovery position
2. To prevent added injury or danger if you suspect that he has a spinal injury or
3. To prevent suffering or death sever fractions.
not blow as hard as you would for an
beside him. Tilt the head back and tilt the
chin to open the airway. Remove the
eyeglasses and loosen his shirt, belt and
pants.
 Straighten both legs and place the arm
nearest to you at right angles to the
victim’s body, elbow bent, with the palm
of the hand uppermost.
 Hold the hand against the victim’s cheek,
palm outwards and bring the far arm
across his chest.
 Grasp the furthermost thigh with the other
hand and pull the knee up, keeping the
foot on the ground.
 Roll him towards you with the other hand
holding the bent knee of the farthermost
leg, and support the victim’s head by
keeping the hand pressed against the
cheek with one hand.
 Tilt the head back to open the airway,
adjust the hand to support the head.
 Adjust the uppermost leg so that the hip
and knee are at right angles.
 Check that the victim’s breathing and
pulse are regular.
MOUTH-TO-MOUTH RESUCITATION
This is an effective method in
saving the life of a person through
introducing air to the victim’s lungs. If the
victim has stopped breathing but still has a
pulse, you have to take note of the following;
 Place the victim on his back. Loosen
his shirt around the neck.
 Open his mouth and sweep a hooked
finger deep inside to remove any debris.
 Hold the back of the neck with one
hand. Place the heel of your other hand
on his forehead and tilt his head as far
back as you can.
 Using the hand on his forehead,
pinch his nostrils; take a deep breath,
open your mouth, and blow. His chest
will rise as the air is forced into his lungs.
 If the victim is a child, cover his
nose and mouth with your mouth but do
adult. This is also known as mouth-to-
nose resuscitation.
 Repeat the procedure 4 times in
quick, succession.
 Continue mouth-to-mouth
resuscitation steadily at the rate of 10
breaths per minute until the victim starts
breathing on his own or medical help
comes.
 Once the victim is breathing
normally, put the victim in the recovery
position, once the victim is breathing
normally. If there has been or if you
suspect a spinal injury, and breathing
and/or pulse are absent then you still need
to resuscitate the casualty and maintain
the airway.
CARDIOPULMONARY
RESUSCITATION (CPR)
This is a life-support technique that is used
in a medical emergency when the victim is
not breathing and when he no longer has
pulse.
 There is a need for formal training to be
able to administer CPR properly.
However, if the victim’s life depends on
CPR and nobody else is qualified, you
have to apply it yourself.
 Put your ear to his chest and listen for a
heartbeat, so that you can get the pulse
rate. If there is none, proceed to
administer CPR.
FIRST AID FOR COMMON ACCIDENTS
1. SEVERE BLEEDING
Simply apply pressure on the area
in order to stop bleeding from shallow
wounds. If bleeding is due to large or deep
wounds, apply pressure on it with your
finger until a clot is formed, because it could
be fatal if too much blood is lost.
If there is no obvious bleeding
after an accident but the victim goes into
shock, there may be internal bleeding. The
signs of shocks are;
 Paleness,Rapid breathing,Cold sweat,
Clammy skin,Drowsiness,Rapid pulse rate,
Loss of consciousness
2. CHOKING
Happens when a piece of food or
foreign object blocks the windpipe and the
person is unable to breath. If the obstruction
is only partial, the victim can usually breathe
in enough air to cough and dislodge the
object. Immediate action is needed when the
airway is totally blocked.
WHAT SHOULD BE DONE
-Open the victim’s mouth and sweep a
hooked finger deep inside in order to remove
the obstruction.
-Slap the victim hard between the shoulder
blades four times with the heel of your hand,
if nothing is found.
-If the victim is a small child, raise your leg
and hold him face down over your thigh,
with his head lower than his chest while
slapping.
-If the victim is a bigger child or an adult,
hold his head lower than his chest.
-If you fail to remove the obstruction,
perform the Heimlich maneuver until such
time that the object is removed
-If this fails, do mouth-to-mouth
resuscitation
HEIMLICH MANEUVER
WHAT SHOULD BE DONE
-Let the person stand and support him from
behind. Clench a fist and put it right under
the breastbone, with the angle of the thumb
against the abdomen.
-Grasp the fist firmly with the other hand.
-If the blockage remains, do the Heimlich
maneuver up to five times more, or a s often
as necessary.
3. DROWNING
This is an accident in which
anybody can be a victim especially those
who don’t know how to swim. If you have
seen someone drowning, bear this in mind;
1. Immediately pull the victim out of the
water.
2. If the victim is still coughing, it means
that the is still breathing.
3. Immediately put him in the recovery
position. So that the water from his lungs
and airways will be drained.
4. Immediately conduct mouth-to-mouth
resuscitation if he is not breathing. If
there is no pulse, do cardiopulmonary
resuscitation.
4. ELECTRIC SHOCK
It is the state of the body wherein
person organs stop working properly because
of an electric shock.
WHAT SHOULD BE DONE
-Don’t get in direct contact with the source
of electric power or with the victim if he is
not yet detached from the source of the shock.
-Immediately cut off the electrical current by
pulling out the plug or switching off the
power main.
-If the person’s shock is brought about by
high voltage source, stay away from him at
least 18 meters and immediately call for help.
-Use a wooden or rubber-coated object in
pushing away the person from the electric
current.
-Put the person in the recovery position if he
is still breathing and still has a pulse, and
perform mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.
-If breathing and pulse are no longer present,
do cardio-pulmonary resuscitation.
5. FRACTURE (broken bone) and
DISLOCATION
These could happen when a person
falls hard. There is dislocation when the
bones that make up a joint are wrenched out
of place.
WHAT SHOULD BE DONE
-It is very important for a first aider to know
how to handle a simple fracture properly.
-The first aider who is careful should avoid
handling the injured part and moving the
injured person until a splint is applied.
-Place two strong sticks on each side of the
broken part.
-Place padding made of soft material
between the sticks and the injured part.
-Tie the sticks firmly above and below the
injury.
-If the victim is not breathing but there is a
pulse, do not mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.
-If he is not breathing and there is no pulse,
do cardio-pulmonary resuscitation.
-Try to stop bleeding. Cover open wounds
with a clean cloth or sterile dressing.
-If you have to move the victim before
medical help arrives, immobilize the broken
part to prevent further injury.
6. POISONING
- Often occurs among children in home
- Take extra care in storing poisons or
chemicals, keep them out of reach for
children.
- Always store liquids, medications,
cleaning agents, etc. in their original
containers to avoid confusions.
COMMON SIGNS OF POISONING
-The victim is vomiting
-There are burns or redness around the
mouth of the victim
-The victim is suffering from abdominal pain,
nausea, and diarrhea
-Get a sample for poison identification if the
victim has vomited.
CALL AN AMBULANCE AND HELP
THE VICTIM
1. Conscious victims.
Ask him what he took. Flush the mouth with
water or milk in order to remove the poison
from the mouth.
2. Unconscious victims.
Put him in a recovery position if he still is
breathing. If there is no pule and he is still
breathing, conduct artificial resuscitation. If
the victim is no longer breathing and there is
no more pulse, perform CPR.
7. SPLINTERS IN THE SKIN
If the person being careless,
splinters in the skin could happen.
Immediately remove the foreign material
using a needle or tweezers if the puncture is
superficial.
If the foreign material is deeply
embedded in the skin, immediately bring the
victim to the doctor.
8. FISH HOOK IN THE SKIN
Removing embedded fishhooks is
not easy because of the barbs. Attempt to
remove it only if medical aid is not
immediately available, if the hook is not
deeply embedded or if the barb is visible.
Removal of fishhooks is best left to a doctor.
9. FOREIGN BODIES IN THE NOSE
Sometimes children may push
objects into their noses. This act can damage
the inner lining. Blocking the nose with any
object can cause an infection. Seek medical
attention when this happens. Do not attempt
to remove the object yourself. Observe that
the patient does not do so and advise him to
breathe through the mouth.
SIGNS OF A FOREIGN BODY IN THE
NOSE
-Difficulty or noisy breathing through the
nose
-Swelling of the nose
-Smelly or bloodstained nasal discharge
indicating that an object has been inside the
nose for some time.
10. FOREIGN BODIES IN THE EAR
Children may also puss objects
into their ears. Insects may also crawl or fly
into the ear and get stuck. Cotton may
sometimes be left in the ear after cleaning.
These objects can block the ear canal,
causing temporary deafness or damage to the
eardrum.
WHAT SHOULD BE DONE
-For insects that get in accidentally, let the
patient sit down
-Tilt the affected ear downward to let the
insect fall out of its own
-If these measures do not work, bring the
patient to the hospital
-Do not attempt to remove a deeply lodged
object/insect, you may push it further into
the ear, immediate help is necessary to
prevent damaging the ear.