As emergencies and accidents continue to happen daily on roads, in homes, and public gatherings, the importance of basic first aid knowledge cannot be ignored.
Providing immediate care to an injured or sick person before the arrival of medical services can mean the difference between life and death.
What Is First Aid?
First aid is the emergency care given to someone who is injured or ill before professional medical help arrives.
Whether it’s a road accident or a sudden collapse, prompt and appropriate action can stabilize the victim and prevent the situation from worsening.
Key First Aid Priorities
When faced with an emergency, the responder should quickly assess and act on the following life-threatening conditions:
1. Breathing – Ensure the person is breathing. A lack of oxygen can cause brain damage or death in just a few minutes.
2. Bleeding – Uncontrolled bleeding must be stopped to maintain enough blood circulation.
3. Shock – Shock, if left untreated, can lead to organ failure and death—even when the original injury isn’t fatal.
Universal Precautions
Before giving aid, it is important to protect both the injured person and you. The following basic hygiene steps should be followed:
- Ensure you wear gloves or improvise with plastic bags
- Treat all bodily fluids as potentially infectious
- Wash your hands before and after giving care
- Safely dispose of any contaminated materials
- Maintain cleanliness throughout the process
Also Read: 4 Confirmed Dead, Several Injured as Gold Mine Collapses
Emergency Action Steps
1. Survey the Scene
Ensure it is safe for you and the injured person. Identify what caused the injury and check if others need help.
2. Call for Help
Alert emergency services as soon as possible. If you’re alone and dealing with an adult, call first before giving aid. For children or infants, provide immediate aid for about two minutes before making the call.
3. Quickly check for responsiveness (Is the person conscious?), airway (Is the airway blocked?), breathing (Is the person breathing normally?) and circulation (Signs of pulse or movement).
4. Do a Secondary Survey by checking if the person is stable. You can achieve this by asking questions to the injured person to understand what happened.
Additionally, check vital signs (breathing rate, pulse) and later examine the body, head-to-toe for other injuries
Also Read: Fire Brigade & Other Red Cross Emergency Contact Numbers in Each County
Airway and Breathing Management
In unconscious individuals, the tongue can fall back and block the airway. To prevent this:
- Lay the person on their back
- Tilt the head back gently while lifting the chin
- Open the mouth and check for any visible obstruction
Maintaining an open airway takes precedence over all other injuries, including suspected neck or spinal injuries.
If you can check for signs of breathing problems by looking for unusual chest movements, Gapping or wheezing, pale or bluish skin, Anxiety or restlessness.
Make sure you look for chest movement, listen for air from the mouth or nose and feel for breath on your cheek. This check should take no more than 10 seconds.
If the person is unresponsive and not breathing:
- Maintain the open airway
- Pinch the nose shut
- Give a breath lasting one second while watching for chest rise
- If the chest does not rise, adjust the head and seal, then try again
- Avoid over-inflating the lungs and ensure each breath is effective.
Preventing Further Harm
All wounds should be treated as contaminated and cover the injury with a clean cloth or dressing to prevent infection.
Avoid giving anything by mouth to unconscious individuals and never attempt to induce vomiting.
In any emergency, staying calm, thinking clearly, and acting quickly can help save a life. First aid is not just a skill it’s a critical first step in helping others during their most vulnerable moments.
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