First Aid: Importance & golden rules of first aid

Having a basic knowledge of first aid is helpful for both the individual and the society. First Aid helps you sustain those who are eventually injured in an accident or some tragic situation until the necessary help is received. First aid skills can be administered at homes, workplaces or public places, so the more first aid skilled peoples in a society, the safer the society.

What is Definition of First Aid?

Whatever we can do to save the life of any injured or sick person before taking him to the hospital is called first aid. To save the life of the person lying in that emergency situation, we can use any type of Vastu nearby so that he can get relief as soon as possible while taking him to the hospital.

Knowing what not to do in an emergency is more important, because wrong treatment can increase the risk of death of that person.

First aid may be given in the following emergency situations - suffocation (due to drowning, hanging or foreign object stuck in the respiratory tract), cardiac arrest - heart attack, bleeding, toxic effects to the body, burns, heat stroke (excessive heat) due to lack of water in the body), fainting or coma, sprains, fractures and animal bites. 

Aim of First Aid

• Save the life of an injured person
• Get out of trouble
• Promote health improvement

Golden Rules of First Aid

Some golden rules of first aid are as follows -

• Arrive at the accident site as soon as possible.
• Don't waste time asking stupid questions.
• Find out the cause of the injury quickly.
• Separate the injured object from the patient. Such as falling machinery, fire, electric wires, poisonous insects or any other object.
• Find out if the patient is dead, alive or unconscious.
• Prioritize the first aid measures to be adopted. To restore cardiac function, help breathing; stop bleeding from the injury site, in that order.
• Arrange for medical help as soon as possible.
• Keep patient records and event details.
• Keep the patient warm and comfortable as far as possible.
• Make improvements instead of waiting for specific tools.
• If the patient is conscious, reassure him.

Principle of First Aid

• Check your breath and follow the ABC.
• If bruising and bleeding occurs, stop bleeding as soon as possible.
• If the injured person is in shock, explain and console them.
• If the person is unconscious, try to regain consciousness.
• If a bone is broken, straighten it and reduce the pain.
• Take the injured person to the nearest hospital or hospital as soon as possible.

How to protect yourself from infection during giving First Aid?

During first aid, you should also take full care that you do not get any kind of infection from the injured person and that the injured person should not get any kind of infection from you.

Therefore, wash hands thoroughly and use gloves so that there is no cross infection. Open hands are more likely to cause blood-borne infections such as hepatitis B or C and HIV or AIDS. These viral diseases are caused by mixing one person's blood with another person's blood.

10 reason why First aid is Important?

1. It keeps children safe

Children are often the victims of medical emergencies. They run a lot, are not as coordinated, and like to experiment with the world around them. It doesn't take long for an accident to happen even if a person is a very attentive parent. Children are also very vulnerable and can suffer from things like seizures. 

Seizures in babies are actually quite common and often have no obvious cause. Knowing basic first aid helps parents deal with situations ranging from minor scratches and scrapes (no hydrogen peroxide!) to more scary situations like seizures.

2. It helps your peace of mind

Knowing about first aid can reduce your fear of medical emergencies to a great extent. Life is full of unexpected events completely out of your control. For many people, their biggest fear is something happening to themselves or their loved ones. First aid can reduce that anxiety by preparing you for a variety of frightening scenarios.

3. It opens up more job opportunities

Knowing first aid greatly increases the number of jobs you can apply for. As mentioned earlier, some jobs require that you know first aid, so if you want to work as a lifeguard, flight attendant, social worker or childcare provider, you need to know first aid. Will be would be required. Getting up-to-date training in first aid is also a good idea if you are applying for jobs where you work with the public, such as in the retail sector.

4. It saves money

First aid not only saves lives but also saves money. How? If you know how to properly deal with a wound or minor burn, you won't accidentally make it worse, cause an infection, and won't need to go to the doctor. First aid also prevents more serious conditions from progressing, so while a trip to the hospital may still be necessary, treatment will not cost as much. Proper first aid training also saves businesses money because the workplace is a safe place.

5. It reduces recovery time

If a person is not given first aid, he may die, but even if alive, he can take a long time to recover. For example, if a wound is bleeding and no one can stop it before emergency services arrive, the person will have the onset of excessive blood loss, low blood pressure, and organ failure. Knowing how to stop the bleeding and heal the wound makes recovery easier and faster.

6. It makes workplaces safer

The more people in the workplace know about first aid, the safer it is. Medical emergencies can happen at any time and if only one person knows first aid, what if they are the emergency victims? Many workplaces also deal with the public, so knowing first aid helps a business keep its customers safe as well. 

You can customize your first aid training based on the most likely emergencies. For example, if you work in a restaurant, someone could burn themselves, cut themselves, or suffocate. If you work outside in construction, the chances of dehydration and heatstroke are higher, especially in hot weather.

7. It can prevent infection

When someone is injured, what they do to treat that injury may increase or decrease the chance of infection. Without proper training, it is easy to make things worse. As an example, many people think that using hydrogen peroxide to sterilize cuts is acceptable. 

The reality is that this strong chemical damages the cells trying to heal the wound. With the right training and supplies (clean bandages, clean water, soap, petroleum jelly, etc.), you can promote healing and avoid infection.

8. It relieves pain

Most medical emergencies involve pain. Even non-life-threatening events can be painful because of the pain they cause. Someone who knows first aid can provide immediate pain relief. 

This may include giving the person pain medication from a first aid kit, preparing an instant activating cold pack, pouring cold water on the burn, etc. Someone trained in first aid will know the appropriate pain relief methods for specific situations.

9. It can save a person’s life

First aid is important because it can save a life. There are many medical emergencies where timing is paramount. A sick or injured person may not be able to walk for long periods of time until a professional arrives, especially if it is difficult for personnel to reach them. If there is someone out there who knows first aid, they can save that person's life by providing assistance like CPR.

10. You can better communicate to professionals what happened

If you know first aid and someone has an emergency, you can be with them and provide immediate help. When professionals arrive, you're also better equipped to explain what happened. The person with the emergency may not be in a position to communicate, but you can provide essential information about what caused the emergency and what it looked like. This communication helps professionals make the right decisions for their patient.