First Aid

Fateh Ahmed
Basic first aid principles (1)

Basic first aid is to provide to a person who is

injured or ill. It can be in the form of insect
stings,cuts or burns.It may also consist
someone in a medical emergency. It is
important to keep calm in these scenarios and
try to stabilize the person.

https://learn.servicesanitation.com/basic-first-aid
DRSABCD Acronym’s (2)
● D = DANGER (Check for any danger in the immediate vicinity)
● R =RESPONSE (Check if the casualty is responsive)
● S =SEND (Call 000 for an ambulance, or ask someone else to
make the call.)
● A = AIRWAY Clear any obstruction of the airways and place casualty in
the recovery position.
● B = BREATHING
Check for breathing. If they are not breathing normally (less than 2
breaths in 10 seconds), start CPR
● C = CPR 30 chest compressions followed by 2 breaths. Continue this
until help arrives or the casualty recovers.
● D = DEFIBRILLATION Attach an AED as soon as possible if there is
one available.
D = DANGER (2)
● This is first and foremost. Danger needs to be dealt with before anything else.
● There is often a physical threat present at first aid situations that involve injuries or illnesses. The potential
danger can be a threat to you, to bystanders, as well as to the person already in need of attention.
● This danger can be present in many forms, including live wires, overflowing liquids, gases, moving
vehicles, dangerous animals and people, sharp objects, falling objects, and more.
● The first step in DRSABCD is to make sure you are not at risk from such a hazard. Then try to ensure that
no one else is.
● If more victims were to be added, first aid quickly becomes unmanageable.
R =RESPONSE (2)
● Seek a response to find out if the person needing attention is conscious or not.
● The C.O.W.S. method is an effective way to assess whether the casualty is responsive. It’s
easy to remember and involves, talking to, touching the casualty, and using both questions
and commands.
● Can you hear me?
Ask, can you hear me? Are you hurt or sick? Also, ask if you can help
the casualty. This has the added advantage of gaining consent, or not, as well as eliciting a
response.
● Open your eyes.
Instructing the casualty to open their eyes is the most instinctive action the
casualty will take, if they are able to. If their eyes are open, are they able to 'look left', 'look right'
etc.
● What is your name?
Asking their name is also instinctive. It does not matter if they give the correct
name, so long as they respond to your question.
● Squeeze my hands.
Squeeze the casualty's hand to see if they squeeze you back. A casualty that
cannot hear you, may feel your squeeze and respond accordingly. There’s no need to
aggressively shake a casualty to gain a response. Definitely don’t shake a child or infant.
S = SEND (2)
● First aid treatment is not a substitute for professional medical
care. In a medical emergency, you should waste no time
calling for an ambulance or emergency services.
● In order to stay focused on the casualty, have someone else in
your vicinity make the call for help on your behalf.
● It’s important to send for help as early as possible.
A = AIRWAY (2)
● The casualty’s airway should be checked. This takes priority over any injuries.
● Obstructions to the pathway to the lungs will restrict breathing. If possible, check the
airway without moving the casualty.
● If it appears there are obstructions in the casualty’s mouth, you may need to roll the person
onto their side — carefully, with their spine, neck and head aligned. This is known as the
Recovery Position.
● See our guide to placing a person in the Recovery Position.
● Open the casualty’s airway by lifting the chin and tilting their head back. Look into the
back of the throat to check obstructions, especially:
• The casualty’s own tongue, as it can fall back into the airway
• Regurgitation – stomach content rising into the esophagus but not being vomited
• Foodstuffs
• Loose dentures, mouth-guards
• Fluids, such as saliva, blood, mucus
• Foreign items
B = BREATHING (2)
● Check that the person is breathing.
• Look to see if the chest rises and falls
• Listen at the mouth for sounds of normal breath
• Feel for air against your cheek
● Look, listen and feel for no more than 10 seconds to assess whether breathing is ‘normal’.
● In the first few minutes following a cardiac arrest, the casualty may be taking infrequent, slow and noisy gasps, gurgles or
sighs. This type of breathing is ineffective and should be treated as ‘not breathing’.
● When the casualty is deemed as not breathing, you should immediately move to the next step C and send someone to find and
fetch an AED.
● If the casualty is breathing, place them in the Recovery Position and continue to monitor respirations until paramedics arrive.
● Having made sure an ambulance has been called, continue to check the casualty’s condition. Observe and re-assess the casualty
for continued breathing every 60 seconds.
● While waiting for medical help to arrive, assess for injuries and treat accordingly.
C = CPR (2)
● CPR should be performed straight away when a person is unconscious and not
breathing.
● With the person face-up, laying on their back, place the heel of your hand on the
center of their chest, your other hand across the top of it.
● Press down firmly to about a third the depth of their chest — about 5cm, or 4cm in
the case of an infant.
● Following 30 chest compressions, give 2 rescue breaths if you’re comfortable with
mouth-to-mouth. To administer, tilt the person’s head back and lift their chin, pinch
their nose and place your mouth over theirs.
● The compression ratio is 30:2 (30 compressions to 2 rescue breaths), which is
approximately 100-120 compressions per minute.
● Adults receive full breaths, shallow breaths for children, and just 2 puffs for infants.
● Breaths are optional. If you’re not comfortable with mouth-to-mouth, stick to
compressions.
● Continue CPR until the casualty responds or until paramedics arrive to take over.
D = DEFIBRILLATION (2)
● A defibrillator or AED (automated external defibrillator) is the
next step if the person is still unconscious and not breathing.
● This portable, compact, lightweight machine can ‘jump start’ the
heart. When appropriate, it will automatically deliver an
electrical shock aimed at restoring muscle contractions and
returning the heart its normal rhythms.
● AED units come with pad electrodes, a battery and adapter, if
applicable. Verbal instructions are inbuilt with most modern
AEDs, making it straightforward to use the device correctly.
● Often an AED will be located close by. They are to be found not
just in hospitals, clinics, and ambulances, but also in many public
places, including schools, shopping malls, libraries, airports and
offices.
● At the scene of the emergency, you would probably need to ask a
bystander to try to locate and fetch the AED.
bleeding
Bleeding

● Causes ● Signs and Symptoms

● Bleeding is the loss of blood from the
circulatory .It ranges from small cuts to deep
cuts and amputations. injuries to the body can
also result in internal bleeding range from
minor (seen as superficial bruising to massive
bleeds.
Burns
shock
Astham
References

1. https://learn.servicesanitation.com/basic-first-aid
2. https://www.australiawidefirstaid.com.au/resources/what-is-drsabcd#:~:text=D%20is%20for%20Danger&
text=The%20potential%20danger%20can%20be,%2C%20falling%20objects%2C%20and%20more.
3. https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/bleeding