First Aid

Immediate help First aid - 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.

Saving lives In the time it takes to read this page, you could learn enough first aid to save a life. A blocked airway can kill someone in three to four minutes, but it can take more than eight minutes for an ambulance to arrive. So a simple procedure such as opening someone's airway can save their life while they're waiting for emergency medical help. The latest government figures, from 2002, estimate 2.7 million people in the UK went to A&E because of an accident in their home. Of these, 910,000 were aged under 16. Sadly, almost 4,000 people in England and Wales died because of accidents in or around their home in 2004, according to the Office for National Statistics. This means you're more likely to give first aid to someone you know than a stranger. Knowing what to do will allow you to react rapidly if an accident does happen. Top ten home accidents and injuries Falls (1,248,000) Strikes and collisions (530,000) Cuts and tears (230,000) Foreign bodies (128,000) Acute overexertion, for example moving furniture (90,000) Burns, scalds (84,000) Pinching or crushing injuries (79,000) Bites, stings (72,000) Puncture wounds (54,000) Suspected poisonings (33,000) What not to do There are many misconceptions surrounding first aid, some of which can cause serious harm. Top ten first aid misconceptions You should put butter or cream on a burn. The only thing you should put on a burn is cold water - keep the butter for cooking. If you can't move a limb, it must be broken/If you can move a limb, it can't be broken. The only accurate way to diagnose a broken limb is to x-ray it. The best way to treat bleeding is to put the wound under a tap. If you put a bleeding wound under a tap you wash away the body's clotting agents and make it bleed more. Nosebleeds are best treated by putting the head back. If you put the head back during a nosebleed, all the blood goes down the back of the airway. A tourniquet is the best way to treat serious bleeding. It's harmful to stop the blood flow to a limb for more than 10-15 minutes. If someone has swallowed a poison you should make them sick. If you make someone sick by putting your fingers in their mouth, the vomit may block their airway. If you perform CPR on someone who has a pulse you can damage their heart. The evidence is that it isn't dangerous to do chest compressions on a casualty with a pulse. You need lots of training to do first aid. You don't - what you mostly need is common sense. You can learn enough first aid in ten minutes to save someone's life. You need lots of expensive equipment to do first aid. You don't need any equipment to do first aid, there are lots of ways to improvise anything you need.

You and the casualty Giving first aid isn't always easy and you need to understand the emotional issues involved. Controlling your feelings Try to project a confident attitude to the casualty, and act calmly and logically. Explain what you're doing, calm the casualty's fears and be honest if you can't answer questions. Ask about next of kin, and whether you can pass a message to anyone. Coping with your feelings Don't blame yourself for feelings of distaste when dealing with messy or unpleasant circumstances. Expect to feel some form of delayed reaction after theemergency Expect to feel some form of delayed reaction after the emergency and don't reproach yourself for any perceived inadequacies. Protection against cross-infection The risks from HIV or hepatitis B are small and can be minimised: Wash your hands Wear plastic gloves and an apron where possible Cover any wounds on your own skin with plasters Be careful where there are needles present If, after an incident, you have any fears about infection, contact your doctor Offering assistance Don't worry that by offering first aid you're exposing yourself to the risk of legal action. If you do your best, apply your training and don't go beyond the accepted boundaries, you needn't be anxious about the consequences.