As mentioned in our introduction to first aid blogpost, the most important first aid principles include preserving life, preventing complications, and promoting recovery. It is as important however to mention that in the case of danger to self, first aid may just be about calling for further assistance. You should avoid ending up a casualty yourself!
Hereunder we are going to cover some of the most common scenarios where first aid principles can be applied…
Unresponsive but Breathing Casualty
A person can become unresponsive when there is an interruption of normal brain activity. This leads to loss of awareness. Common conditions that may cause unresponsiveness include:
- ABC compromise that leads to hypoxia
- hypoglycaemia which leads to neuroglycopaenia (lack of glucose in the brain)
- trauma to the head (brain)
- poisoning (self-inflicted poisoning, drug use, or poisoning through bites)
- infections leading to life-threatening situations such as sepsis
- illnesses/conditions such as a suffering a Myocardial Infarction
- certain neurological disorders such as meningitis
First Aid Principles
- open airway
- check breathing
- deal with any visible bleeding rapidly
- perform a rapid head-to-toe assessment
- remove any restrictive clothing whilst maintaining dignity where possible
- place in the recovery position
- attempt to maintain normal body temperature
- attempt a secondary assessment based on what you can see and information you can gather from bystanders or present relatives
- call emergency 112
Casualty Experiencing a Fainting Episode a.k.a. Brief Loss of Consciousness
Fainting a.k.a. syncopal episode or syncope is typically triggered by a sudden loss of blood flow to the brain, leading to loss of consciousness and loss of muscle control. Fainting is characterised by:
- pale, cold, clammy skin (signalling lack of blood circulation)
- slow pulse
- usually regains consciousness again after a couple of seconds
First Aid Principles
Once casualty regains consciousness following a fainting episode:
- remove tight clothing
- elevate casualty’s legs to ensure better circulation and promote blood flow and oxygen to the brain
- ensure that the area is ventilated well
- identify possible cause
- maintain casualty’s body temperature
- provide reassurance
- monitor ABCs
- call for medical assistance as required
NOTE: following a fainting episode, tell the casualty to stand up very slowly so as to avoid recurrence.
Casualty Experiencing a Seizure
While seizures can result due to a disorder, they can be triggered by issues affecting the brain’s normal activity, such as in cerebral hypoxia (lack of oxygen in the brain), fever, and head trauma. Signs of a seizure include:
- face twitching
- lip smacking
- staring spells
- drooling / frothing at the mouth
- producing abnormal sounds such as snoring and grunting
- spasms that usually affect an individual limb
- uncontrollable muscle spasms
- convulsions
First Aid Principles
- start timing the seizure
- protect the casualty’s head by cushioning it
- provide protection from any possible danger
- remove any restrictive clothing if possible, maintaining patient dignity
- DO NOT RESTRAIN CASUALTY
- DO NOT ATTEMPT TO PUT ANYTHING IN THE CASUALTY’S MOUTH
- note time when seizure stops
- provide first aid as mentioned further above in the Unresponsive but Breathing Casualty section after seizure stops
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