first aid - Training, Wilderness first aid, Conditions that often require first aid, Providing first aid

The treatment and management of a victim at the site of an accident or collapse. In conscious individuals, important steps include the arrest of bleeding by the application of pressure (dressing, plastic bags, or paper) and by laying the victim flat. Injured parts must be handled gently. Unskilled extrication of victims who have suffered neck injury can cause serious damage. Otherwise the individual should be lifted on a flat board or by hands in such a way as to maintain the normal curvature of the spine, which should never be flexed. A simple splint to a leg is obtained by bandaging the injured leg to the uninjured one, or an arm to the trunk. Tea, alcohol, or other fluids should not be given. In unconscious individuals, all of these points should be carried out, but cardiac and respiratory resuscitation should also be given to those whose breathing or heart has stopped.

First Aid is the immediate and temporary proper aid provided to a sick or injured person or animal until medical treatment can be provided. It generally consists of series of simple, life-saving medical techniques that a non-doctor or lay person can be trained to perform with minimal equipment. St. John Ambulance was formed in 1877 to teach first aid (a term devised by the order) in large railway centres and mining districts. Developments in first aid and many other medical techniques have been fueled in large by wars: the American Civil War prompted Clara Barton to organize the American Red Cross. Today, there are several groups that promote first aid, such as the military and the Scouting movement. New techniques and equipment have helped make today's first aid simple and effective.

Training

One needs hands-on training by experts to perform first aid safely. Such training is more useful if it occurs before an actual emergency. Training in first aid is often available through community organizations such as the Red Cross and St. John Ambulance. In many countries in the Commonwealth of Nations, St. John Ambulance provides first aid training and in some countries operates ambulance services. In Scotland, St. Andrew's Ambulance Association provides first aid training. In the United States, the American Heart Association the American CPR Training and Medic First Aid Organization also offer first aid training.

In the United Kingdom, there are two main types of first aid courses offered. An "Emergency Aid for Appointed Persons" course typically lasts one day, and covers the basics, focusing on critical interventions for conditions such as cardiac arrest and severe bleeding, and is usually not formally assessed. A "First Aid at Work" course is a four-day course (two days for a requalification) that covers the full spectrum of first aid, and is formally assessed. Certificates for the "First Aid at Work" course are issued by the training organisation and are valid for a period of three years from the date the delegate passes the course. Other courses offered by training organisations such as St John Ambulance, Medic First Aid Organization, St. Andrew's Ambulance Association or the British Red Cross include Baby & Child Courses, manual handling, people moving, and courses geared towards more advanced life support, such as defibrillation and administration of medical gases (oxygen &

Wilderness first aid

Wilderness first aid is the provision of first aid under conditions where the arrival of emergency responders or the evacuation of an injured person may be delayed due to constraints of terrain, weather, and available persons or equipment.

In the United States, Wilderness First Aid (WFA) is the name of a certification in wilderness medicine that covers wilderness first aid; For instance, the practicing of certain rules of WFA, by someone certified in the usual "street" First Aid discipline but not in WFA (or a higher Wilderness Medicine qualification), could result in civil liability or perhaps even criminal prosecution.

Conditions that often require first aid

Also see medical emergency

Altitude sickness, which can begin in susceptible people at altitudes as low as 5,000 feet, can cause potentially fatal swelling of the brain or lungs. Battlefield First aid - After the 9-11 terrorist attack, this protocol refers to treating shrapnel, gunshot wounds, burns, bone fractures, etc. First aid for a mildly hypothermic patient includes rewarming, but rewarming a severely hypothermic person could result in a fatal arrhythmia, an irregular heart rhythm. Sucking chest wound, a life threatening hole in the chest which can cause the chest cavity to fill with air and prevent the lung from filling, treated by covering with an occlusive dressing to let air out but not in.

Providing first aid

Emergency Action Principles Wilderness emergency medical technician Emergency medical service Good Samaritan law Emergency medical technician Rescue squad First aid kit

Techniques and procedures of first aid

Artificial respiration Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) Occlusive dressing Oxygen first aid Triage Tourniquet Sub-abdominal thrusts

Red Cross symbol

Although commonly associated with first aid, the symbol of a red cross is an official symbol of the Red Cross. According to the Geneva Conventions and other international law, the use of this symbol is reserved for official agencies of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent, and as a protective emblem for medical personnel and facilities in combat situations. Other color or symbols, such as the Star of Life can be used as indicators for "first aid".