FIRST AIDS/ HYGIENE

First aid is the assistance given to any person suffering a sudden illness or injury, with
care provided to preserve life, prevent the condition from worsening, and/or promote
recovery. It includes initial intervention in a serious condition prior to professional
medical help being available, such as performing CPR while awaiting an ambulance, as
well as the complete treatment of minor conditions, such as applying a plaster to a cut.
First aid is generally performed by the layperson, with many people trained in providing
basic levels of first aid, and others willing to do so from acquired knowledge.

The key aims of first aid can be summarised in three key points, sometimes known as 'the
three P's':

 Preserve life: The overriding aim of all medical care which includes first aid, is to
save lives and minimize the threat of death.
 Prevent further harm: Prevent further harm also sometimes called prevent the
condition from worsening, or danger of further injury, this covers both external
factors, such as moving a patient away from any cause of harm, and applying first
aid techniques to prevent worsening of the condition, such as applying pressure to
stop a bleed becoming dangerous.
 Promote recovery: First aid also involves trying to start the recovery process from
the illness or injury, and in some cases might involve completing a treatment,
such as in the case of applying a plaster to a small wound.

Preserving life

In order to stay alive, all persons need to have an open airway—a clear passage where air
can move in through the mouth or nose through the pharynx and down into the lungs,
without obstruction. Conscious people will maintain their own airway automatically, but
those who are unconscious (with a GCS of less than 8) may be unable to maintain a
patent airway, as the part of the brain which automatically controls breathing in normal
situations may not be functioning.

If the patient was breathing, a first aider would normally then place them in the recovery
position, with the patient leant over on their side, which also has the effect of clearing the
tongue from the pharynx. It also avoids a common cause of death in unconscious patients,
which is choking on regurgitated stomach contents. The airway can also become blocked
through a foreign object becoming lodged in the pharynx or larynx, commonly called
choking. The first aider will be taught to deal with this through a combination of ‘back
slaps’ and ‘abdominal thrusts’.

Once the airway has been opened, the first aider would assess to see if the patient is
breathing. If there is no breathing, or the patient is not breathing normally, such as agonal
breathing, the first aider would undertake what is probably the most recognized first aid
procedure—cardiopulmonary resuscitation or CPR, which involves breathing for the
patient, and manually massaging the heart to promote blood flow around the body.

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Promoting recovery

The first aider is also likely to be trained in dealing with injuries such as cuts, grazes or
bone fracture. They may be able to deal with the situation in its entirety (a small adhesive
bandage on a paper cut), or may be required to maintain the condition of something like a
broken bone, until the next stage of definitive care (usually an ambulance) arrives

Key skills
Certain skills are considered essential to the provision of first aid and are taught
ubiquitously. Particularly the "ABC"s of first aid, which focus on critical life-saving
intervention, must be rendered before treatment of less serious injuries. ABC stands for
Airway, Breathing, and Circulation. The same mnemonic is used by all emergency health
professionals. Attention must first be brought to the airway to ensure it is clear.
Obstruction (choking) is a life-threatening emergency. Following evaluation of the
airway, a first aid attendant would determine adequacy of breathing and provide rescue
breathing if necessary. Assessment of circulation is now not usually carried out for
patients who are not breathing, with first aiders now trained to go straight to chest
compressions (and thus providing artificial circulation) but pulse checks may be done on
less serious patients.

Some organizations add a fourth step of "D" for Deadly bleeding or Defibrillation, while
others consider this as part of the Circulation step. Variations on techniques to evaluate
and maintain the ABCs depend on the skill level of the first aider. Once the ABCs are
secured, first aiders can begin additional treatments, as required. Some organizations
teach the same order of priority using the "3Bs": Breathing, Bleeding, and Bones (or
"4Bs": Breathing, Bleeding, Burns, and Bones). While the ABCs and 3Bs are taught to be
performed sequentially, certain conditions may require the consideration of two steps
simultaneously. This includes the provision of both artificial respiration and chest
compressions to someone who is not breathing and has no pulse, and the consideration of
cervical spine injuries when ensuring an open airway.

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation, commonly known as CPR, is an emergency procedure

that combines chest compression often with artificial ventilation in an effort to manually
preserve intact brain function until further measures are taken to restore spontaneous
blood circulation and breathing in a person who is in cardiac arrest. It is indicated in
those who are unresponsive with no breathing or abnormal breathing, for example, agonal
respirations. According to the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation
guidelines, CPR involves chest compressions for adults between 5 cm (2.0 in) and 6 cm
(2.4 in) deep and at a rate of at least 100 to 120 per minute. The rescuer may also provide
artificial ventilation by either exhaling air into the subject's mouth or nose (mouth-to-
mouth resuscitation) or using a device that pushes air into the subject's lungs (mechanical
ventilation). Current recommendations place emphasis on high-quality chest
compressions over artificial ventilation; a simplified CPR method involving chest

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compressions only is recommended for untrained rescuers. In children only doing
compressions may result in worse outcomes.

CPR alone is unlikely to restart the heart; Its main purpose is to restore partial flow of
oxygenated blood to the brain and heart. The objective is to delay tissue death and to
extend the brief window of opportunity for a successful resuscitation without permanent
brain damage. Administration of an electric shock to the subject's heart, termed
defibrillation, is usually needed in order to restore a viable or "perfusing" heart rhythm.
Defibrillation is effective only for certain heart rhythms, namely ventricular fibrillation or
pulseless ventricular tachycardia, rather than asystole or pulseless electrical activity. CPR
may succeed in inducing a heart rhythm that may be shockable. In general, CPR is
continued until the person has a return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) or is declared
dead

First Aid Essentials:

 First Aid Manual. Every first aid kit should contain a first aid manual. ...
 Tweezers. Tweezers are an important tool to have in any first aid kit regardless of
how basic your kit is. ...
 Alcohol Swabs. ...
 Antibiotic Ointment. ...
 Bandages. ...
 Gauze Pads. ...
 Medical Tape. ...
 Elastic Bandages.

A First Aid Box should have the following contents;

 first-aid manual
 sterile gauze pads of different sizes
 adhesive tape
 adhesive bandages in several sizes
 elastic bandage
 a splint
 antiseptic wipes
 soap
 antibiotic ointment
 antiseptic solution (like hydrogen peroxide)
 hydrocortisone cream (1%)
 acetaminophen and ibuprofen
 extra prescription medications (if the family is going on vacation)
 tweezers
 sharp scissors
 safety pins
 disposable instant cold packs
 calamine lotion

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  alcohol wipes or ethyl alcohol
 thermometer
 tooth preservation kit

 plastic non-latex gloves(at least 2 pairs)

 flashlight and extra batteries
 a blanket
 mouthpiece for administering CPR (can be obtained from your local Red Cross)
 blanket (stored nearby)
 First Aid Card containing emergency personal information, phone numbers,
medications, manual,

What are the three P's of first aid?

One set of goals of first aid is called the "Three P's": Preserve life – stop the person
from dying. Prevent further injury – stop the person from being injured even more. ...
Promote recovery – try to help the person heal his injuries.

Hygiene is a set of practices performed for the preservation of health. According to the
World Health Organization (WHO), “Hygiene refers to conditions and practices
that help to maintain health and prevent the spread of diseases.”

Hygiene is a concept related to cleanliness, health and medicine, as well as to personal

and professional care practices related to most aspects of living. In medicine and in home
(domestic) and everyday life settings, hygiene practices are employed as preventative
measures to reduce the incidence and spreading of disease. In the manufacture of food,
pharmaceutical, cosmetic and other products, good hygiene is a key part of quality
assurance i.e. ensuring that the product complies with microbial specifications
appropriate to its use. The terms cleanliness (or cleaning) and hygiene are often used
interchangeably, which can cause confusion. In general, hygiene mostly means practices
that prevent spread of disease-causing organisms. Since cleaning processes (e.g., hand
washing) remove infectious microbes as well as dirt and soil, they are often the means to
achieve hygiene. Other uses of the term appear in phrases including: body hygiene,
personal hygiene, sleep hygiene, mental hygiene, dental hygiene, and occupational
hygiene, used in connection with public health. Hygiene is also the name of a branch of
science that deals with the promotion and preservation of health, also called hygienic.
Hygiene practices vary widely, and what is considered acceptable in one culture might
not be acceptable in another.

Medical hygiene
Medical hygiene pertains to the hygiene practices related to the administration of
medicine, and medical care, that prevents or minimizes disease and the spreading of
disease. Medical hygiene practices include:

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  Isolation or quarantine of infectious persons or materials to prevent spread of
infection.
 Sterilization of instruments used in surgical procedures.
 Use of protective clothing and barriers, such as masks, gowns, caps, eyewear and
gloves.
 Proper bandaging and dressing of injuries.
 Safe disposal of medical waste.
 Disinfection of reusables (i.e. linen, pads, uniforms)
 Scrubbing up, hand-washing, especially in an operating room, but in more general
health-care settings as well, where diseases can be transmitted

Hand hygiene
Hand hygiene is defined as hand washing or washing hands and nails with soap and water
or using a waterless hand sanitizer. Hand hygiene is central to preventing spread of
infectious diseases in home and everyday life settings. To be effective, alcohol hand gels
should contain not less than 60%v/v alcohol.

The World Health Organization recommends hand washing with ash if soap is not
available in emergencies, schools without access to soap and other difficult situations like
post-emergencies where use of (clean) sand is recommended too. Use of ash is common
and has in experiments been shown at least as effective as soap for removing bacteria.

Methods for treatment of drinking water, include:

1. Chemical disinfection using chlorine or iodine

2. Boiling
3. Filtration using ceramic filters
4. Solar disinfection - Solar disinfection is an effective method, especially when no
chemical disinfectants are available.
5. UV irradiation - community or household UV systems may be batch or flow-though.
The lamps can be suspended above the water channel or submerged in the water flow.
6. Combined flocculation/disinfection systems – available as sachets of powder that act
by coagulating and flocculating sediments in water followed by release of chlorine.
7. Multibarrier methods – Some systems use two or more of the above treatments in
combination or in succession to optimize efficacy

Personal service hygiene

Personal service hygiene pertains to the practices related to the care and use of
instruments used in the administration of personal care services to people:
Personal hygiene practices include:
 Sterilization of instruments used by service providers including hairdressers,
aestheticians, and other service providers.
 Sterilization by autoclave of instruments used in body piercing and tattoo
marking.
 Cleaning hands.

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Hygiene refers to conditions and practices that help to maintain health and prevent the
spread of diseases. Medical hygiene therefore includes a specific set of practices
associated with this preservation of health, for example environmental cleaning,
sterilization of equipment, hand hygiene, water and sanitation and safe disposal of
medical waste.

BASIC HYGIENE PROCEDURES FOR FIRST AID SITUATIONS

The following measures which are necessary for Hepatitis B (and C) are sufficient to
avoid transmitting the HI virus:-
1. Avoid contact with blood. Use disposable gloves or, in an emergency, cover hands
with cloth or paper.
2. Wipe away any blood from the patient's mouth before giving mouth-to-mouth
resuscitation.
3. After any contact with blood, thoroughly wash your hands and lower arms with soap
and water even if you wear gloves.
4. Place any cotton wool, gauze, etc that has had contact with blood in a sealable plastic
bag for disposal or incineration.
5. Clean up blood or urine with one part household bleach (Janola) to nine parts water.
6. Wash any scissors or other items thoroughly in cold water and sterilize by boiling for
at least 10 minutes or by soaking for 30 minutes in household bleach diluted 1 part to 10.
7. As a simple precaution any cuts or grazes on your own arms and hands should be
covered, whether you give first aid or not. Students and staff should be encouraged to
deal with their own minor blood involved injuries.
8. Blood tests in biology classes: "... the use of any human blood samples in biology
classes must be avoided. This applies to the use of blood from teachers and students and
from alternative sources. Prepared slides of blood or filmstrips should be used instead -
care must also be taken with dissections and the wearing of gloves is recommended."
Education Gazette 1 July 1986.