Vital material. How to provide first aid correctly?

2024 Author: Seth Attwood | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 15:55

Over the years, we have been given numerous tips for survival, but what if you really ended up with a person who urgently needs your help (for example, the person fainted or suffocates). Let's find out what still needs to be done if the victim is on the verge of life and death.

First of all, we must remind you that the very first thing you should do is call an ambulance. Then decide how you can help the victim and make sure your own life is out of danger.

When a flight attendant gives a pre-flight briefing, they emphasize the need to help themselves first, otherwise you won't be able to help anyone else.

You don't have to be a healthcare professional to be able to save a human life; all you need to do is memorize basic first aid guidelines.

How to do artificial respiration correctly

When we talk about first aid skills, the first thing that comes to mind is cardiopulmonary resuscitation or artificial respiration - a method that can save a person if they have a heart attack. Of course, taking a training course would be useful, but even without training, you can save someone's life. This one-minute video on CPR technique can prepare you for life-saving surgery.

Artificial heart massage can be done to everyone (except babies) whose heart has stopped beating. The massage technique is performed by shallow pressure on the chest with a frequency of about 100 times per minute and continues until the arrival of doctors.

First aid for a heart attack (heart attack)

One in seven deaths is due to heart disease, so it is very important to know the signs, as well as the rules of first aid for a heart attack. It happens that in some cases the symptoms indicate cardiac arrest (which also requires cardiopulmonary resuscitation), in other cases everything is not so dramatic, and it may turn out that the person has ordinary heartburn.

After you called the ambulance, give the patient an aspirin pill, but make sure that he is not allergic, he is over 16 years old, and also that he does not take medications that do not work with aspirin.

If a person suffocates

Sometimes in restaurants they hang posters illustrating Heimlich's tricks - a plan of action for helping a choking person when his airway is blocked by a piece of food or other object. The chances that we will see such posters in our daily life are small, so the following video clearly demonstrates the application of this technique in practice.

For infants and children whose small trachea and a tendency to swallow random objects instill constant fear in parents, there are other methods of first aid.

How to save a drowning man

It is one of the most common accidental deaths, especially among children. If you are an inexperienced swimmer, then remember that swimming to the person to save him is the last thing you can do for him. The Family Doctor website offers you the following formula for rescuing a drowning man: “Reach, drop, row, swim”

1. Get it out. If a person is drowning near the edge of a pool or pier, lie flat on the ground and try to reach the drowning person. Use a tree branch, paddle, towel, or poker in case you cannot reach the person. If necessary, dive in and, holding onto the edge of the pool or pier, try to reach the drowning man.
2. Give it up. Throw a lifebuoy (if available).
3. Row. Swim up to the drowning person in a boat (again, if there is one).
4. Swim. Swimming on your own is a last resort. Bring a lifebuoy, towel or shirt with you to tow a drowning person.

How to stop bleeding

There are various types of bleeding, ranging from a small scratch to severe arterial bleeding. In this case, your task is to stop the bleeding as soon as possible. Wash your hands and put on medical gloves (if available, a plastic bag may also work), then:

1. Lay down the victim and cover him with a blanket. Lift the bleeding site.
2. Remove obvious dirt and debris from the wound, but do not attempt to remove large or deeply embedded objects yourself.
3. Apply a bandage or clean cloth for 20 minutes and keep the bandage on the wound to see if the bleeding has stopped.
4. Apply cheesecloth if necessary.
5. If the bleeding does not stop, apply pressure directly to the artery: the pain points on the arm are on the inside of the arm, just above the elbow and just below the armpit. Pain points on the leg are located behind the knee and in the groin. Compress the main artery in these areas against the bone. Keep your fingers straight. With your other hand, continue to apply pressure to the wound.
6. Once the bleeding has stopped, leave the bandage in place and try to immobilize the injured body part.

How to treat a burn

Large and serious burns should of course be treated by a doctor, but Dr. Matthew Hoffman at WebMD gives the following advice: “Immediately rinse the burn area with cool water for 10 minutes. Then cool the skin with a damp compress. Never apply ice or oil to the burn area. Cleanse skin gently with mild soap and water. You can take acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Motrin) to relieve pain. Light burns on the skin surface do not need to be bandaged."

The BBC, however, recommends rinsing the burn for 20 minutes with cold running water (this will keep the pain at bay for 3 hours), and advises to remove clothing and jewelry from the burn site.

By the way, the fact that oil helps with burns is a myth. People treat burns with yogurt, tomato paste, raw egg whites, chopped potatoes, and vegetable oil. The oil can help you if you get hot resin on your skin, but leave other food items to eat.

How to deliver in a car (or other place)

It is believed that one of the fears of a pregnant woman and her partner is the fear of giving birth on their own. And if you are not often in the company of a pregnant woman, then the ability to give birth is not the most important skill for you, but you never know what situation you may find yourself in. Therefore, the following tips, taken from the Adversarial Survival Handbook, will help you cope with this situation (by the way, it also says that in principle, a child can be born on his own - he just needs a little help).

1. Calculate the time it takes for the uterus to contract. So you will understand whether labor has really begun: the time between contractions is from 3 to 5 minutes, and then from 40 to 90 seconds, and the frequency and strength of the contractions increase over the course of an hour. This applies to women who have never given birth.
2. Support the baby's head and body as it moves out of the womb.
3. Dry your newborn and keep him warm. Do not slap the child on the bottom, but be sure to wipe the accumulated liquid from the mouth with your fingers if necessary.
4. Tie the cord (or string) in a knot a few centimeters from the baby.
5. You do not have to cut the umbilical cord yourself if you are near the hospital. If you still have to wait longer for medical attention, then carefully cut the umbilical cord, bandaging it a few centimeters closer to the mother, then cut it between the resulting knots.

If the child begins to appear feet first, then follow the same instructions.

How to transfer a person

It is often best to leave the victim in place until an ambulance arrives. Never try to move someone with head, neck, or spinal injuries. But there are times when you need to move the victim to a safe place. If you are not very strong, and the person is too heavy for you, then the following recommendations will help you cope with this task without harming you or the victim.

1. Make sure the person is facing you. Take his hand and throw it over your shoulder.
2. Kneel or sit down so that the middle of the victim's torso is opposite your shoulder.
3. Stand up, pushing off with your legs and hips, do not bend forward, otherwise you can injure your back.
4. This way the person will hang on your shoulder and you can walk.

We recommend that you practice with children or small people. I hope you never have to resort to first aid, but now you know what you can do depending on the situation.