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First Aid
First aid Immediate help - the care given before emergency medical help arrives - can literally mean the difference between life and death. But knowing the correct thing to do if someone has a nosebleed or cut is also important. It is usually performed by a lay person to a sick or injured casualty until definitive medical treatment can be accessed. Certain self-limiting illnesses or minor injuries may not require further medical care past the first aid intervention. It generally consists of a series of simple and in some cases, potentially life-saving techniques that an individual can be trained to perform with minimal equipment.
Much of first aid is common sense. Basic principles, such as knowing to use an adhesive bandage or applying direct pressure on a bleed, are often acquired passively through life experiences. However, to provide effective, life-saving first aid interventions requires instruction and practical training.
Being a first abider
First aid is based on knowledge, training and expertise. A first abider will have completed a practical training course under the supervision of a recognized first aid organization.
If you're present at the scene of an accident, or during a medical emergency, you need to go through the following stages:
Assess the situation
• Take control of your feelings, don't act impulsively
• Look for continuing danger, to the casualties and to yourself
• Decide whether to call for emergency help |
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