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First Aid Tips That Everyone Needs to Know

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First Aid Tips That Everyone Needs to Know

Every year, thousands of deaths happen in the UK that could be prevented if the people around them at the time knew first aid. In this article, we’re going to give you a basic overview of what to do in a select few emergency scenarios, so you can get a better idea of how you should react.

What is first aid?

Let’s start with the basics. First aid is essentially the first response to someone who is suffering from any kind of minor or major injury or illness. You don’t necessarily need to have any medical experience to administer first aid, you are simply there to mitigate as much damage as possible before the emergency services arrive. In less serious situations, you are just making sure that any wounds are treated and the person who has suffered the injury is suitably comfortable.

Let’s take a look at some different scenarios and the best responses to them.

Unconsciousness

If you encounter someone who is unconscious, the best thing to do is place that person in the recovery position until help arrives. This will make sure that their airways aren’t blocked and they can breathe comfortably. The only reason you wouldn’t do this, is if the person in question was suffering from injuries that would render them unable to be moved.

Once you have put the person in the recovery position, monitor them carefully until the emergency services arrive.

Anaphylaxis

Anaphylactic shock is caused by a severe allergic reaction. It can be caused by insect stings, particularly wasp and bee stings, as well as the consumption of certain foods.

Anaphylaxis can occur almost immediately after encountering the allergen, causing swelling of the tongue and throat, blocking the airways.

If you think someone is experiencing anaphylactic shock, the first thing you need to do is call 999 immediately. Secondly, once the emergency services are on their way, you need to check if the person suffering the shock is carrying medication on them. Sometimes, people who are predisposed to anaphylaxis will carry an adrenaline shot with them (often known by the brand name EpiPen). If you find one of these on the person, you can help them administer the shot, or if you have been medically trained to do so, you can do it yourself.

Once the shot has been administered, stay with the person and make sure they’re as comfortable as possible until the emergency services arrive.

Bleeding

If you encounter someone who is bleeding heavily, the primary responsibility of the person administering first aid is to reduce the bleeding as much as possible, as well as limiting the effects of shock.

Like with the other scenarios, the first thing that you want to do is dial 999 as quickly as possible. 

Before inspecting the wound, put on disposable gloves if you have them to minimise the chances of infections being transmitted. If you don’t have any disposable gloves, we would recommend washing your hands using anti-bacterial hand wash. 

When inspecting the wound, make sure that there aren’t any objects embedded in there. If there are, don’t press down, as this could cause further injury and severe pain. Instead, put pressure on either side of the object before applying a bandage. This will minimise force on the object itself.

If there isn’t anything embedded in the wound, then the first thing you want to do is apply pressure to the wound with a clean hand to minimise bleeding. While doing this, bandage the wound firmly. If the wound still continues to bleed through the bandage, apply further pressure and another bandage until the bleeding stops.

First Aid Training

Remember: while reading about first aid online can be a good way of picking up some basic knowledge, if you want to have a real in-depth understanding of how to react to different emergency situations, we would recommend taking a first aid course. Led by trained professionals, a first aid course will go through a variety of scenarios and show you the best responses to them. You will also be able to properly experience how to use certain equipment and techniques, which can prove invaluable if a situation arises when you really need to use them.

Health & Safety Training is the leading provider of health and safety courses in the North East of England. We’ve helped all kinds of people develop their skills over the years, so if you want to learn vital life skills in a positive environment, all you have to do is get in touch and book your course today.

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