First Aid is the Best Aid!

First aid is the first and immediate aid given to anyone who has had an illness or injury, small or serious. This is protection offered to save, prevent deterioration of the condition, or to encourage revival. This also includes acts like administering Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) while waiting for the ambulance, and dressing a wound with plaster.

We have been advocating the importance of First Aid, however it is very important that any aid should not turn into a nuisance. We must be careful not to turn a simple bone fracture into a complicated one. Therefore, we must equip ourselves with the basic first aid practices. Everything that we do as part of this will help protect their body and save their life.

For example…when a person is injured in a road accident, even his helmet must be removed very carefully, because it must be a steady move and not injure his neck. When someone falls off from a height, he must be carried carefully taking care to protect his neck.

Any emergency situation involves three people…the Victim, You – who rushes to help the victim, and the person next to you. We must take care to see that none of us get into trouble. We must remain calm, and act swiftly and intelligently. We must know how to help, with the facilities available in the immediate vicinity. Let us look at some basic first aid practices.

Cuts and wounds

It is common to find children fall down, get hurt and start bleeding while playing or walking. The injured area should be washed under running water.

If the injured area starts bleeding it must be covered and tied tightly with a clean cloth. Do not apply powder, sandalwood, turmeric, coffee powder etc. on the wound.

Since children are vulnerable, they cannot withstand any accidents like cut wounds or insect bites for long periods of time. So they must be taken to a hospital immediately following first aid, do not ignore this.

Bleeding

Regardless of the cause of bleeding – small wound, cuts, injury due to falling down – we must first identify where the bleeding occurs and try to stop it. Regardless of whichever part is bleeding – mouth, nose, hand, leg, forehead – press it down with a clean cloth and try to control the bleeding.

If a person is bleeding through the nose, make him gently bend forward, hold the soft front part of the nose with fingers, and make him breathe through the mouth. He must not swallow the blood that comes out of the nose.

Do not tilt his head backwards, there is a danger of blood entering his mouth and getting into the lungs, so never lift the head upwards.

He must not blow his nose either. If he bleeds through his ear, try to stop the bleeding with a clean cloth, and do not put anything into the ear.

If you place a clean cloth on the bleeding area or wound, leave it on and do not open and close it repeatedly to see if the bleeding has stopped. This causes the clot to start bleeding again. If the cloth is completely soaked in blood, place another clean cloth or dressing cotton over it.

Amputation

If a body part like arm or toe or finger gets amputated in an accident, wrap the amputated organ in clean, damp cloth, and put it in a polythene cover, and place that in a box filled with ice cubes and rush it to the hospital immediately along with the victim.

Do not place the amputated organ directly into the ice cubes. Place it in a bag surrounded by ice cubes and rush it to the hospital as soon as possible.

Any object inside the ear or nose…

If an object accidentally enters your ear, do not try to take it out. If you try to take it out using buds or a stick, there is a danger of the ear drum getting injured. Visit the ENT specialist immediately.

If an insect enters the ear, putting a few drops of turpentine oil inside the ear will help, this will kill the insect. If the insect does not come out and fall off on its own, visit a doctor to get it removed.

Children may accidentally put small objects like beads into their nose, while playing. Women may accidentally let the screw fall off into the nose while removing their nose-pin. Do not try to take it out by yourself, lest you push it further deep inside…see a doctor immediately. Do not blow your nose either.

When children accidentally swallow something…

When children swallow something accidentally, or when food gets stuck in the throat while eating, do not try to force it out by putting your finger or hand inside. When an object gets stuck in the throat, we use a method called “Heimlich Maneuver” to remove it. Persons trained in this first aid method can use it to remove the object, otherwise see a doctor immediately, and do not delay in removing the swallowed object. If the oxygen supply to the brain gets obstructed, it could lead to complications. People interested in First Aid methods should learn these essential techniques from experts.

Let us understand First Aid…Get trained in it…Act swiftly…and help save a life!

Kauvery Hospital is globally known for its multidisciplinary services at all its Centers of Excellence, and for its comprehensive, Avant-Grade technology, especially in diagnostics and remedial care in heart diseases, transplantation, vascular and neurosciences medicine. Located in the heart of Trichy (Tennur, Royal Road and Alexandria Road (Cantonment), Chennai, Hosur, Salem, Tirunelveli and Bengaluru, the hospital also renders adult and pediatric trauma care.

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