“ IT IS BETTER TO LOSE ONE

MINUTE IN LIFE…THAN TO
LOSE LIFE IN A MINUTE.”

- ANONYMOUS
ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS :

1.Why should you be concerned with first aid

?
2.Why should you learn to do first aid ?
THREE KEY POINTS
OR 3P’S
1. PRESERVE LIFE

- this includes saving and

minimizing threats of death.
2. PREVENT FURTHER HARM

- this covers external factors such as

moving the patient away from harm and
applying first aid to alleviate the situation.
3. PROMOTE RECOVERY

- this involves the completion of

the treatment and healing process
of the patient.
BASIC FIRST AID
- Is the initial process of assessing and addressing
the needs of an injured person, or who is
physiological distress due to choking, heart
attack, allergic reaction, and other medical
emergencies .
- A professional medical help should be given as
soon as possible, but a correct-first aid
procedure can make the difference between life
and death.
1. CHECK THE SURROUNDING
- Check the situation and never rush into a situation
where you could end up as another victim. Assure that
you and the victim are safe from the following .
Toxic gasses
Unstable buildings
Live electrical wires
Other dangerous scenarios
2. CALL FOR HELP

- First, check and establish the breathing of

the person. After you have assessed that
someone is seriously injured, call for
emergency services immediately.
3. CARE FOR THE VICTIM

-Stay calm and focused. Ensure the victim

that help is coming.
-Provide physical assistance and emotional
support
 GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF
FIRST AID
1.Rescue and removal of the victim in the shortest
possible time without aggravating the situation
2.Confinement of first aid to essentials only
3.Immediate arrest of hemorrhage
4.Restoration of respiration and circulation
5. Prevention of impending shock and treatment of
shock if the victim is already in such a state
6. Immobilization of simple and compound fractures
and dislocations
7. Alleviation of pain by simple procedures and
medication
8. Assurance of getting well quickly to the victim and
morale boosting
-The ABC of first aid is a mnemonic used
by emergency or health professionals that
focuses on critical life-saving intervention.
-This must be rendered before treatment
of less serious injuries. It stands for
airway, breathing, and circulation.
1. AIRWAY

Give attention to
the airway
Ensure the
airway is clear and
unobstructed
2. BREATHING

Determine adequacy of
breathing
Provide rescue
breathing if necessary
3. CIRCULATION

Assess the circulation through

pulse checks for less serious patients
Go straight to check compression
to provide circulation(for trained
first aiders).
B. ROLES OF A FIRST AIDER
- The first aider must
reassure the patient to gain
his/her trust through the
ability to confidently
manage an accident or
situation through effective
and appropriate
communication.
ACCIDENT MANAGEMENT

- recording the details of the

scene and the casualty condition.
This information is to be given
to the professionals who will
arrive on scene.
IT ALSO SERVES THE
FOLLOWING :
1.It bridges the gap between victim and
the physician.
2.It ends when the services of the
professional physician arrives.
3.It is not intended to compete with nor
take the place of a physician
 C. RESPONSIBILITIES AND
CHARACTERISTICS OF A GOOD
FIRST AIDER

A first aider has various

responsibilities when dealing
with an emergency situation.
Among the responsibilities are
to:
Manage the incident and ensure
the continuing safety of
themselves,the bystanders, and
the casualties
Arrange for further medical
help or other emergency services
to attend.
Assess casualties ad find out the
nature and cause of their injuries .
Provide the appropriate first-aid
treatment.
Make notes or observations of
casualties if able
Provide a handover when further
medical help arrives
First Aid is more than just
the technical skills; it
includes the individual’s
skills, ability to work
under pressure, and
common sense.
 SOME OF THE
CHARACTERISTICS THAT
A FIRST AIDER SHOULD
POSSESS:
1. GOOD COMMUNICATION
SKILLS
- Communicate with the
sick or the injured. Give a
handover to the paramedic
when passing the casualty.
2. ABILITY TO WORK UNDER
TIME PRESSURE

- Keep your
“cool”under pressure
to manage your task
effectively .
 3. ABILITY TO WORK AS A
TEAM
- Work with other emergency or ambulance
services and paramedics. Being anxious and
panicky will worsen the situation.
 4. ABILITY TO KNOW THE
LIMITS

- Recognize when a person needs emergency

help. Call for further medical help if
necessary.
 5. LEADERSHIP

- Take command of an emergency situation.

Organize the bystanders, and ensure the
victim’s comfort despite his or her
condition.
D. VITAL SIGNS
- Assessing the vital signs of a victim is a key component
of good first aid.
- It consists of taking a series simple measurements that
provide data about a body’s functioning.
- These measurements can help reveal the situation of the
victim and can be helpful to the professional doctor or
health care provider who will eventually take care of
the victim.
 1. LEVEL OF
RESPONSIVENESS
The mental consciousness of a person is probably the most
important vital sign. To assess the patient’s level of
responsiveness, the first aider talks with the patient and asks the
following questions:
What is your name?
Where are we?
What time is it (Approximately)?
What happened?
Responses of the patient to these questions help
the first aider gauge a patient’s orientation. A
common scale used to describe a person’s mental
status is the :
Alert
Verbal
Painful
Unresponsive(AVPU) scale
 2. PULSE
- You feel the pulse firmly pressing on the arteries, which are
located close to the surface of the skin at certain points of the
body.
- The beats are produced as the heart forces blood through the
arteries.The pulse can be located on the side of the neck , on
the inside of the elbow, at the wrist , or in the groin .
- It is easiest to take the pulse at the wrist. When using the
peripheral pulses for unconscious patients, be sure that the
distal pulse has no proximal injury, which may give a false
low pulse rate.
-Otherwise , the heart can be taken using
stethoscope, if there is no obvious chest
injury to the victim.
-If you use the lower neck, be sure not to
press too hard , and never press on the pulse
on both sides of the lower neck at the same
time to prevent blocking blood flow to the
brain.
- When taking the pulse, use the first and second
fingertips , then press firmly but gently on the arteries
until you feel the beat.
- Count the pulse rate for 60 seconds , and you will get
the patient’s heart rate in beats per minute .
- Healthy people have a resting heart rate between 60
and 100 beats per minute.
- A person’s pulse may be elevated after an emergency,
but these stabilizers for those who are not seriously
injured.
3. RESPIRATION
- Once you have counted the heart rate shift to the
breathing, leave your finger on the wrist, and watch for
the rising of the chest.
- Watch the abdomen or the shoulders move. Respiration
is less frequent than heartbeats; count respiration for 60
seconds,
- An adult at rest typically breathes between 12 and 18
times per minute, regular ng unlabored.
4.SKIN CONDITION

- The skin is the largest organ of the

human body and utilized as an
excellent window into the body’s
functioning state .
WHEN ASSESSING THE SKIN, YOU SHOULD
TAKE NOTE OF THREE DIFFERENT
CHARACTERISTICS :

Color
Temperature
Moisture
 THE LEVEL OF
RESPONSIVENESS:
Pulse
Respiration, and skin condition are important and
easy to assess.
Use a watch, pen and paper when taking these
vital signs.