What is first aid ?

First aid is the first assistance, or help given to a casualty until a medical personnel and service become available.  Aid is the assistance, or help given to somebody in a difficult situation. The difficult situations may result due to an accident, injury or any sort of sudden harm. Therefore, fist said should be understood as the assistance, or help given to a casualty until a medical personnel and service become available. 

The objectives of first aid are: 

1. To save the life of the casualty before appropriate medical care becomes available. 
2. To manage medical care for the casualty as soon as possible. 
3. To manage proper rest and provide consolation to the casualty. 

First aid can save life in different situations. There is a proverb, 'accidents occur accidently', through some accidents occur due to negligence and lack of knowledge of safety education. In any sort of situation, first aid can be a milestone in the minimization of harm and continuation of life. The importance of first aid can be listed as :

1. It helps in reduction of physical and mental harm to the casualty.
2. It helps in quick-management of proper health care to the  casualty.
3. The casualty can get psychological comforts.
4. First aid can be the main source of proper information about accidents and probable harms.

Availability of medical personnel and services can be made available by two ways:

1. By taking the casualty to a medical center.
2. By calling an ambulance or doctor to visit the casualty.

First aid is given by any person near the casualty. There may not be an expert at the time of accident or injury. Therefore, everybody must have the knowledge of first aid. Education about first aid brings knowledge to students about the needs to help the wounded, injured, fainted, drowned and other people having similar sudden health problems in different situations.

First Aid on the Basis of Time, Place and Nature of Casualty: 

Things to be Considered by the First Aider

Methods and procedures of first aid are not the same in different situation. They differ according to time, place and nature of the casualty. Accidents may occur at any time. It is very difficult to provide first aid at night time. Accidents and injuries may happen in remote places as well. Similarly, the intensity of the injury and risks differs according to the nature of the casualty. The first aider should be conscious enough to determine the level and quick steps to be taken with preference.

The casualty should be provided with basic and life saving aid like stopping the bleeding, removal of obstructions in the respiratory tract etc. In the towns, we can call an ambulance or any other motor vehicle to take the victim to the nearest health center. In rural areas, we have to manage convenient carrying tool. If the victim is out of danger and recovering with rest, we should let him/her remain calm.

It is the first aid aider, who should take the right decision with reference to the time, place and nature of the casualty.

First Aid Box

A first aid box is also called a first aid kit. It is a small box with essential materials and equipment required for providing first aid. It is generally used among students of schools. It is also kept at police stations, sports clubs, playground, vehicles, fairs, etc. Some of the common materials and devices kept in the first aid box are given below:

First Aid primary care guide	Rehydration agent
Small diary book	(e.g. Jeevan Jal)
Crepe and woven bandages	Thermometer
Triangular bandage	Thread and rubbers
Tincture Iodine	Torch light
Gauze swabs	Scissors
Medium dressing	Soap and handkerchief
Pencil	Safety pins
Cotton swab	Sterile info card
Wound closure strips	Scalpel
Vinyl gloves	Syringes
Antiseptic wipes (e.g Dettol)	Sterile pieces of cloth
Aspirin tablets	Paracetamol tablets
Micropore tape	Ibuprofen tablets

Major Techniques of First Aid

First aid techniques may differ according to the nature of the casualty, place of accident, and availability of resources. There are some common techniques of first aid.

a) ABC Method of First Aid 

ABC method stand for Airway, Breathing and Circulation Method of First Aid. According to this method, airway organs like the mouth, nose, pharynx are checked carefully so that there is no obstacle in the path. Any foreign bodies like stone, straw, coin, pencil or other materials, if stuck along the airway, should be taken out safely. Breathing can be clearly examined in any casualty. If breathing stops, the casualty dies. It must continue even in an unconscious casualty. After examining, if there is any problem, the first aider should provide artificial respiration to resume normal breathing.

Circulation is essential for survival. It is examined by listening to the heartbeat or feeling the pulses at different pulse points of the casualty. If there is a problem in the heartbeat or  blood circulation, cardiac massage should be given to the casualty.

b)Artificial Respiration

Artificial respiration is a process of providing air with oxygen when one's respiratory organs come to rest. This process can save the life of the casualty by maintaining the amount of oxygen needed for all the parts of body. It should be done immediately after cessation. If there is no supply of oxygen for a long time , the casualty dies. In most of the cases, the sudden stoppage of respiration occurs due to some accidents. In such situations, the casualty needs immediate first aid. The following steps should be followed for artificial respiration:

1. Remove obstruction (if any) from mouth and nose.
2. Place the casualty in supine position, i.e. ventral part facing upward.
3. Raise the level of the head slightly up with the support of a pillow, thigh or any other soft thing so that the tongue does not obstruct the airway.
4. Close nostrils with the thumb and forefinger of one hand and grasp the chin with the other hand to open the mouth.
5. If the mouth is strongly closed, pinch at the nostrils.
6. Grasp the chin to make the mouth open.
7. Seal your lips around the mouth and blow one breath every 3 to 4 seconds.
8. Observe the chest rise carefully. Give gentle chest compression for air to exhale.
9. If there is no heartbeat and pulse,  heart massage is needed immediately.

Cardiac Massage

Cardiac cessation is the stoppage, or pause, or interruption of the heart movement. It should not last for more than five minutes for the survival of  the casualty. There is need of immediate first aid to save the life of the casualty  in such a situation. The heart is a vital and most busy organ of the human body. It is an ever-working muscular organ that never takes rest during the whole life. In most of the cases, death is first noticed and confirmed by learning about the stoppage of the heartbeat and heart movements. But, we should not confirm the death of a casualty if there is no heartbeat for a very short period of time.

Do not forget that short cessation of the heartbeat can be restored with cardiac message. It is the rhythmic compression of somebody's heart in order to restore the heartbeat and blood circulation after the person has had a sudden stoppage of heartbeat. 

Method of giving cardiac message;

1. Place the casualty in supine position (i.e., ventral part facing upward) 
2. Place both the palms on the chest of the casualty one atop the other 
3. Give rapid four compressions and make a pause for 4 to 5 seconds 
4. Give one breath using mouth-to-mouth ventilation 
5. Continue compressions, pause and mouth-to-mouth ventilation until the heartbeat and normal respiration are stored. 
6. Manage medical care as soon as possible. 

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR): It is the process of providing first aid by providing artificial respiration and cardiac message simultaneously to a casualty who is suffering with difficulty in heartbeat and respiration.