The Benefits Of First Aid

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Every day there are medical emergencies all over the world. A good portion of these emergencies can end with positive results with the help of First Aid. First Aid is help that you can give to someone until proper medical assistance arrives. For example, knowing when to call 911, having the basic skills of CPR, or knowing how to perform the Heimlich maneuver would be considered First Aid. Also, knowing how to dress wounds or deal with broken bones may become a very helpful skill when you least expect it. A very common form of First Aid would be the Heimlich maneuver. You use this method when you notice someone choking. To perform this method you are going to position yourself behind the standing adult. Place one of your legs between theirs so that if they become unconscious you can easily lay them down. After you have positioned yourself behind the victim, wrap your arms around their body and make a fist with the hand closest to the body and close your other hand over top of it. Abdominal thrusts should be delivered with a firm thrust into the patient’s abdomen with an upward movement (Beaman, 2011). A seizure can be something else very scary to deal with but with proper training and knowledge, you can handle things properly and efficiently. Seizures are produced by disorganized electrical activity in the brain and are characterized by involuntary muscle contractions that alternate between the contraction and relaxation of muscles (Beaman, 2011). It is important for you to remember to keep the patient safe while they seize. Make sure that they are lying down so that it prevents the head from any injuries. You may want to roll the patient onto their left side to prevent the tongue from sliding back into the throat and obstructing ... ... middle of paper ... ...autions as with an adult, and if there is no fear of head or neck injury use the head-tilt chin lift and give two breaths. You only need enough breath to see the chest rise. Continue compressions and breaths until EMS arrives and then the same steps apply as with an adult, except that you will now be taking turns of fifteen compressions instead of thirty. You will also give compressions by placing your hands around the baby’s sides and placing your thumbs in the middle of the chest, right below the nipple line. Taking the time to learn the steps required and materials needed to handle these injuries may benefit someone in the long run. You never know when an accident may happen and it is always wise to be prepared. You hear about these “heroes” all the time on the news and through friends and family and one day, when you least expect it, you may just save a life.

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