The first person on an accident scene is usually not a trained healthcare provider, and what they do impacts the severity of the situation. That’s why the Ready Response – CPR & First Aid Training team recommends that people should learn first aid. These essential skills come in handy when someone faces a life-threatening medical crisis. But they are particularly important for parents and people who work in hazardous environments.
Step #1: Identify and Mitigate Potential Dangers
Before rushing to help a patient, you want to make sure the scene is safe to enter. For example, you don’t want to work on a patient outside during hurricane season. You want to bring them somewhere safe where you can prevent further injuries to you and the patient. If it is a road accident and the weather is okay, have a bystander stop the traffic while you access the situation.
At this point, you also want to know how many patients you’re dealing with. This headcount helps you decide which one needs urgent attention. And the goal is to save all lives, but it’s not always possible.
Step #2: Obtain Consent Whenever Possible
If you’re looking at a conscious and responsive person, ask for permission to help them with their injuries. Start with your name, the level of training you have, then tell them what you think the problem is. Knowing this, the patient might calm down, reducing the possibility of shock.
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After obtaining consent, wear gloves then conduct a head-to-toe check. You are looking for any sign of injury so you can take the necessary action. During this exam, ask about the symptoms, allergy, medication, patient history, and any food or drink used before the incident. This interaction helps maintain consciousness and possibly get the victim’s mind off the injury for a while.
Step #3: Check for Vitals if the Patient Is Unresponsive
Unconscious people are trickier to handle because you don’t really know the extent of the situation. But you want to start with checking responsiveness and breathing within 5 to 10 seconds of arriving at the scene.
Start by shouting or taping the person on the shoulder to grab their attention. You can also try tapping the bottom of the feet while checking for normal breathing. This method works if there are no serious head injuries and when the person has not lost too much blood.
Step #4: Send Someone to Call 911
By now, you’ve known the severity of the injury and have enough information to brief the paramedics when the ambulance arrives. However, don’t leave the patient’s side when making the 911 call. You would rather use the inbuilt speakerphone or ask someone else to make the call. This is especially important when dealing with an unresponsive person.
This is also a good time to send the bystanders to bring the available tools and instruments. Usually, that includes an AED and first aid kit.
Step #5: Begin CPR
Steps one through four should not take more than a couple of seconds to complete if the person is unconscious. That means you should get to this step as soon as possible.
First, ensure the person is lying chest-up on the ground, then begin compressions. You can also use an AED, but don’t wait until the bystander comes back to start this life-saving procedure.
Continue to administer CPR until the person shows signs of life like breathing or coughing, then put them in the recovery position.
Does First Aid Guarantee 100% Success Rate?
Like most things in life, first aid and any other life-saving procedures do not guarantee success. But CPR alone increases the survival rate by two to three times, not to mention the peace of mind that comes with having a trained first responder on site.
Besides saving lives, a person trained in first aid can also help people avoid further injuries. For example, if a person falls from the upper floor on a construction site. A first aid caregiver can help prevent further spine damage by maintaining the correct position before the paramedics arrive. That increases their chances of recovery by a considerable margin.
Everything considered first aid is a skill that everyone needs to acquire. So, if you have children or plan to have some, please consider taking a first aid course as soon as possible. It might look like a waste of time in the beginning, but you’ll thank your younger self when you finally save a person or pet that desperately needed help.
