ESSENTIAL FIRST AID TIPS FOR EVERY PROFESSIONAL

First aid skills are important for everyone, but they are especially valuable for professionals who may be called upon to help in an emergency.?

Here are some essential first aid tips that every professional should know.

Remember the “Three P’s.”

The "three P's" are primary goals are the primary goals of first aid. They are:

• Preserve life
• Prevent further injury
• Promote recovery

When someone is injured, it’s all-too-easy to panic and forget what you need to do to provide assistance. The Three P’s remind you of the very basics.

Assess the Scene for Danger

Before you provide help to an injured person, it’s important that you assess the scene for danger. You don’t want to get yourself injured, too.

Ensure to take a moment to analyze the area and spot anything that could injure you.

Once you’ve assessed these dangers, you can better strategize how to reach and rescue the injured person.

Treating Cuts, Scrapes and controling bleeding

When someone is bleeding, you want to prevent as much blood from leaving their body as possible.

Try and find a clean cloth or bandage. Then:

• Apply gentle pressure for 20 to 30 minutes.
• Clean the wound by gently running over it. Avoid using soap on an open wound.
• Apply antibiotic to the wound, like Neosporin.
• Cover the wound with a bandage.
• If someone has a nosebleed, have the person lean forward. Press a cloth against the nostrils until the blood flow stops.

Seek medical attention as soon as possible.

Treating Burns

To treat burns, determine the burn type and severity.

There are four kinds of burns:

• First-degree burn: Only the outer layers of skin are burnt. The skin is red and swollen, and looks similar to a sunburn.
• Second-degree burn: Some of the inner layer of skin is burnt. Look for blistering skin and swelling. This is usually a very painful type of burn.

• Third-degree burn: All of the inner layer of skin is burnt. The wound has a whitish or blackened color. Some third-degree burns are so deep, there might not be any pain because the nerve endings are destroyed.
• Fourth-degree burn: A burn that has penetrated all tissues up to the tendons and bones.

Minor burns don’t usually need extensive treatment, but you could:

• Run cool water over the afflicted area (avoid icy or very cold water).
• Don’t break any blisters.
• Apply moisturizer over the area, like aloe vera.
• Keep the burned person out of sunlight.
• Have the burned person take ibuprofen or acetaminophen for pain relief.

Major burns are very serious injuries that require medical assistance. To help someone who has suffered from a major burn:

• Do not apply ointments.
• Cover wound with loose materials to prevent contaminants from infecting it.

Treating Hypothermia

Hypothermia is caused by prolonged exposure to cold temperatures. It occurs when your body temperature drops below 95 degrees Fahrenheit.

Symptoms of hypothermia include:

• Slurred speech or mumbling
• Weak coordination
• Shivering
• Week pulse
• Confusion
• Red, cold skin
• Loss of consciousness

To treat hypothermia:

Be gentle with the afflicted person. Don’t rub their body and don’t move their body in too jarring of a way; this could trigger cardiac arrest.

• Move the person out of the cold, and remove any wet clothing.
• Cover the person with blankets and use heat packs. Don’t apply heat directly to the skin because this could cause major skin damage.
• Give the person warm fluids.

If you set the person on the ground, be aware that the ground may also be a cold source. Place warm materials on the ground that the person is going to lay on.

Treating Sprains

Sprains are usually an unalarming injury, and most of the time they’ll heal on their own. But there are steps you can take to ease the swelling. Swelling is caused by blood flow to an injured area. You can reduce swelling by applying ice. Ice restricts the blood vessels, which reduces blood flow.

• Keep the injured limb elevated.
• Apply ice to the injured area. Don’t apply ice directly to the skin. Wrap it in a cloth or put ice in a plastic bag.
• Keep the injured area compressed. Put it in a brace or tightly wrap it. Don’t wrap it so tight that it’ll cut off circulation.
• Ice for a while. Then compress. Repeat at intervals.
• Make sure the injured person avoids putting weight on the injured limb.

Performing CPR

CPR stands for cardiopulmonary resuscitation. CPR is used to restore breathing and blood circulation to an unresponsive person. CPR is an incredibly important procedure that can save lives. But learning CPR is an intensive procedure that requires some training. Go to?Redcross.org ?for more information.

Treating Fractures

Sometimes it’s very easy to tell if someone has suffered a fractured bone. But sometimes it’s not. If you suspect someone of having a fracture:

• Don’t try to straighten a fractured limb.
• Use a splint or padding to stabilize the area and keep it from moving.
• Apply a cold pack to the area. Don’t apply it directly to the skin. Wrap it in a cloth or put it in a plastic bag.
• Keep the area elevated, if possible.
• Give the person an anti-inflammatory drug, like ibuprofen.

The methods listed above are not very difficult to do and they don’t require medical training—but they can save someone’s life or prevent an injured person from sustaining serious injuries or infections.

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