First aid principles and implementation plan

The article was written by Specialist Doctor I Trinh Ngoc Duy - Emergency Doctor, Emergency Department - Vinmec Times City International General Hospital.

According to the International Red Cross, first aid is defined as “providing immediate assistance to a sick person or victim until they are cared for by qualified medical personnel. It's not just about trauma or illness, but also other primary care such as providing psychological reassurance to patients or witnesses of the traumatic event."

1.First Aid Overview First aid is seen as a part of emergency care, increasing survival and reducing the effects of illness, injury, natural disaster, accident... First-aiders are the people who come into contact with the victim in the first place. If they have basic first aid training, knowledge and skills, it will be an important step in providing effective help to the victim.
This is especially necessary anywhere; because there are situations that need to conduct first aid right from the very beginning; The victim could not go to the hospital immediately.
2. First aid principles There are 04 main principles to follow:
Stay calm and don't risk your own safety, the safety of the victim; or by the people around. (Prevents more victims). Monitor the situation to make sure the scene is safe. Perform first aid (preserving life and promoting recovery). Follow each step, to avoid omissions, to avoid being overwhelmed by anxiety, to avoid missing important information.

3. First Aid Plan There are 4 main steps in a first aid plan:

Those are important steps to follow in order to take good care of yourself, the victim and those around you. It also helps us not to forget important information or steps in first aid.
Step 1: Make a judgment The first is a statement. You need to assess the situation to make sure the environment is safe for you and the victim. You also need to assess the victim's condition to determine what type of first aid is most needed for them.
Assess the situation:
Need to make sure the situation, the scene is safe for you and the victim:
Are there any other signs of danger from the accident? Has a new danger arisen? If there are multiple victims; identify the victim you need help with first Identify the victim:

Is the victim still breathing? If not proceed to open airway. Is the victim awake? If not, immediately give life support (separate instructions are available) What body part does the victim suffer from? Is there a spinal injury? If possible, patient movement should be limited. Did the victim suffer from psychological shock after the trauma? You need psychological support.

If there are multiple victims, make sure you do a quick assessment of their condition and determine who needs to get help first based on the condition.
If you focus on one victim with no life-threatening signs, the other victims will not be identified; You may end up forgetting another serious injury that needs immediate attention. Make sure to open the airway first.
Step 2: Make a plan
The next step is planning. You need to have an action plan. If needed, plan to call in outside support.

Call for medical help (emergency 115, hospital, medical center) or call for help from people around. Plan what you intend to do based on your initial assessment of the victim's condition (review Step 1: Identify). Perform first aid until someone comes to help or has transported the patient to the hospital. If there are multiple victims:
First: Call for help
Then: First aid in sequence:
Check if the airway is clear or not, is it still breathing? Control bleeding. Note that some victims are bleeding profusely; can die in minutes Patient is not breathing (basic cardiopulmonary resuscitation - CPR) Head trauma Control minor bleeding injuries Splinting broken bones and cleaning minor injuries Be sure to take care to your safety in this plan
Step 3: Implementation The third step is to execute, or execute, your plan.
Immediate first aid if necessary (life support by CPR-CPR or CPR only. There is a separate tutorial on CPR-CPR) First aid is based on the priority of the injury. injury has been assessed Support victim, family members and neighbors, if needed.
This includes keeping patients and families informed about what you are doing and what your plans are, so they feel you are on board in helping them.
Prepare to transport the victim to the hospital, if necessary.

Step 4: Evaluation The fourth step is to reassess your first aid actions:
If you need outside help, check back to make sure they are on their way. Make sure the scene is safe. If the scene becomes unsafe, move the victim to a safe location. Continue to assess the victim's condition: review the initial assessment (step 1), to see if the injury has changed and new problems have emerged. Recheck for bleeding, compression bandages, splints, etc. Inform family of any changes in the initial first aid plan. Vinmec International General Hospital is one of the hospitals that not only ensures professional quality with a team of leading doctors, modern equipment and technology, but also stands out for its examination and consulting services. and comprehensive, professional medical treatment; civilized, polite, safe and sterile medical examination and treatment space. Customers when choosing to perform tests here can be completely assured of the accuracy of test results.