Why is first aid so important? 

First aid skills are extremely important. We never know when we might need it, and given correctly it can save someone's life. The most important thing is to do it correctly, because poorly administered first aid can put lives in even greater danger than they were at the start. Calmness, composure and a head on your shoulders is what counts.  

What is first aid?  

what is first aid 

It is the appropriate action carried out in the event of an accident, injury or sudden attack of illness to protect the life or health of the victim. It also helps to minimise adverse sequelae before specialist medical attention is provided.  

There are 3 types of first aid:  

  • First aid, the actions performed by those on the scene;  
  • Qualified first aid, an activity carried out by a team of rescuers who have the appropriate equipment; 
  • Emergency medical activities, activities performed by a doctor, paramedic or nurse.  

What is a rescue chain?  

It is a set of rescue actions that give the injured person a better chance of survival.  

  • Prevention - teaching the principles of first aid, both at a theoretical and practical level;  
  • Early recognition and a call for help - a very important step that increases the victim's chance of survival and recovery; 
  • Early initiation of CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) - start immediately if you see the casualty is breathless;  
  • Early defibrillation - defibrillation machines are located in metro stations, for example;  
  • Post-resuscitation care - a series of activities already carried out in hospital, help to restore the injured person to health and a rapid return to normal life and function.  

A correct rescue chain allows smooth transitions from one action to another, thus reducing the risk of life. This is very important in first aid.  

Scope of first aid - what exactly does first aid cover?  

What do you do to be able to talk about first aid? These are very simple actions that anyone can perform. It is enough to have a minimum of knowledge in this area to contribute to saving someone's life. Very often, their life and health depend on our behaviour towards the injured person.  

Securing the scene  

The Latin of life

Such action is intended to protect not only the injured person, but also ourselves, passers-by and the rescuers who are about to arrive. This could be stopping traffic (setting up a warning triangle), removing hard objects to limit injuries or even evacuating people in the vicinity of the hazard. What action we take depends on the situation the casualty is in and the type of hazard. We need to come out of situations well and behave appropriately in the event of a fire, accident or bereavement.  

Checking the condition of the casualty, basic vital functions, checking that they are breathing and aware of what is happening, locating the site of injury.  

If the casualty is conscious, then you can interview them, ask if they are OK, if they can hear you. If you don't see any reaction to your questions, you can gently shake the victim by the arm, if you still don't see any reaction it is a sign that you are dealing with an unconscious person. The most important thing is to check if the casualty is breathing, because our next steps depend on this information. This can be checked in several ways, but the most common is to put your cheek against the casualty's mouth and observe if the chest rises.  

Provision of assistance - call for an ambulance 

Most often the ambulance service is called (999), but depending on the situation also the fire brigade (998) or the police (997). At such times, it is very common to forget which is the correct number, which is why there is a general emergency number - 112 - so that we can be sure that the appropriate service is notified. When reporting a situation that has happened, remember to say where you are, what has happened, how many are injured and how they are feeling, as well as your name and contact number. It is very important to choose a specific person for this task.  

Life and health-saving measures until the ambulance arrives - stopping bleeding, resuscitation, caring for the casualty.  

In these situations, we must take every precaution for our own health and safety. Protective gloves or a simple plastic bag in which we can wrap our hands will protect us from possible infection. Of course, after helping someone, it is important to wash our hands immediately so as not to spread germs to other places.  

Place the casualty in a safe position, but only if they are unconscious.

The safe position should be stable so that it does not put pressure on the chest and allows free breathing. 

scope of first aid

How and where to learn first aid?  

Our first contact with first aid is already at school. In safety education classes, we learn how to behave and what steps to take if we see a person who needs help. In addition, there are many first aid courses that we can enrol in. In addition to legal issues and information about emergency numbers, we can learn how to evacuate people safely and how to act in a life-threatening situation.  

The theoretical part is always only one side of the coin, which is why first aid courses also have a practical part. With the help of a dummy, we can learn how to put an injured person in a safe position, how to allow them to breathe freely and how to perform CPR.  

Let's remember that our skills can save someone's life, even in a situation where we least expect it.