General Principles of First Aid

Rules of first aid. Whenever you are called upon to perform first aid, you should keep in mind all of the follow­ing principles.

1. First aid is emergency treatment which is given before medical treat­ment can be obtained. It is not medical treatment; therefore the first-aider should always call a doctor as soon as possible. It is the time between the accident and the doctor’s arrival that most concerns the first-aider.

2. Critical emergencies demand im­mediate attention. In these cases immediate first aid is the difference between life and death. Always check for severe bleeding, stoppage of breathing, and poisoning. Treat each of these conditions immediately. Do not call a doctor first. If there is an­other person present, send him for the doctor.

3. Keep the victim lying down, warm, and comfortable. Move him only to avoid danger, and do that gently. Remember that broken bones and in­ternal injuries may have occurred.

4. Check for all injuries. Do not give first aid for a cut toe and neglect a broken leg.

5. Never give liquids to an unconscious person or to one you suspect has internal injuries.

6. Encourage the victim. Do not talk to him about his injuries or allow him to examine them. Try to keep his spirits high.

These are the most important rules of first aid. There are other rules, but you will discover them as you are studying each of the first-aid tech­niques described in this chapter.

The importance of first aid. You may wonder why you are studying first aid when many adults are certainly well prepared to give it. The answer is simple. You may be the only person available to give first aid.

You are now spending more and more of your free time away from home. You may take long hikes in the woods. You may go swimming or ice-skating with groups of your friends. You may spend part of your time baby-sitting. Certainly, there are many times when you might be re­quired to give first aid to yourself or a friend.

In any accident that occurs far from adequate adult medical help, you would have to provide all the first-aid treatment. Then you would need all the knowledge of first aid you could obtain.

Your knowledge of first aid will not, of course, make you a doctor. You can use your knowledge only to help an accident victim who has no other medical help. If adults are nearby at the time of an accident, they may be able to offer good first aid. In a situation where there are adults who know first aid, you may not be needed. You may still be able to offer advice on the newest and most effective first-aid techniques, however.

Your knowledge of new and effective first-aid methods can be of great value to you when you are far from medical help. It can also make you a more valuable and responsible babysitter and family member.