In the UK every year, thousands of people are seriously injured or die in accidents which could possibly have been prevented if more people knew first aid. It is often the case that people are nervous to provide first aid when they haven't been trained properly in case they get it 'wrong'. However, many deaths could be prevented if first aid was carried out on the scene rather than waiting for the emergency services.
There are a number of first aid courses available from different providers, however if you don't have time to undertake a course then you may find these first aid tips useful.
If you are first on the scene of an accident, you may find yourself having to carry out basic first aid. After assessing the situation and calling the emergency services, NHS Direct recommend you follow the A,B,C procedure when carrying out first aid:
Airways – if your casualty is unresponsive, you need to make sure their airways are clear. You can open their airways by placing one hand on the casualty's forehead and gently tilting their head back. You should then lift the chin up using two fingers, this ensures that the tongue is moved away from the back of the mouth.
Breathing – Initially, you should look to see if the victims chest is moving up and down. If you can't tell, see if you can feel their breath against your cheek. If they are breathing, put them into the recovery position so the airway remains clear of obstacles.
Circulation – If the victims heart stops beating you can help to maintain circulation by performing CPR either through 'rescue breaths', chest compressions or both.
The Recovery Position is another area which is considered important in first aid. A person should be placed in the recovery position if they are unconscious but breathing. To do this, you should follow these basic steps:
Roll the victim onto their side, with their lower arm and upper leg at a right angle to support them.
Tuck the upper hand underneath their head to protect their face from the floor
Open their airway by gently tilting their head back and using two fingers to lift up their chin
Monitor their breathing and pulse continuously
In the UK, emergency services work to a tight schedule. Where an incident is deemed immediately life threatening, 75% of ambulances will reach their destination within eight minutes. Where transport onwards is required, 95% of calls will receive an ambulance within nineteen minutes of the request being made. These statistics show that whilst it's vital to understand basic first aid, there is help on the way!
Of course, these tips are helpful for emergency first aid, but there are lots of other tips you could learn on a first aid course. Have you ever found yourself in this situation, or have given emergency first aid in the past? We'd love to hear from you!