The primary goals of first aid are often known as the ‘Three Ps’ – preserve, prevent, and promote. However, the other two are almost as important.
The 5 Main Aims Of First Aid
First aid is a valuable, life-saving procedure that aims to provide compelling and urgent care for an injury or illness. It helps sustain the person’s condition and prevent deteriorating before emergency services arrive at the scene.
Many emergencies are preventable with the help of first aid, including severe injuries, excessive bleeding, casualty deteriorating, and even death.
Accidents and injuries do happen mostly without warning. First Aid is essential to mitigate the effects, prevent further complications and keep the victim stable.
A quick response is necessary for minor and major casualties, as the first few minutes can significantly affect the outcome.
Here, we have put together a detailed outline of the five main first aid principles.
Preserve Life
The first aid of first aid is to preserve life, which involves essential practices to ensure the victim’s safety. It may include performing CPR in extreme circumstances and calling triple zero (000) for further assistance.
A person who has first aid training should know how to check for vital signs to see if the injury or illness is life-threatening. Look for evidence of movement, breathing signs, responsiveness, or heart rate. Try to identify any bad injuries or external bleeding.
Prevent Deterioration
A delay of first aid on the scene can worsen the situation and cause further harm. Therefore, it is essential to identify the problem and take quick appropriate actions.
First, keep the casualty still to avoid aggravating the injury from any unseen issues. Examine the area and clear any immediate risk to the victim and the responder.
All efforts provided by the first aider should lean toward prolonging the victim’s life and stabilizing their condition until the ambulance arrives.
Promote Recovery
First aid application can help lessen the amount of time for a casualty to recover from an accident or injury. It also minimizes lasting damage and the appearance of scars.
One example is the treatment of burn as soon as possible. Cleaning the wound and covering it with a bandage can lower the change of long-term scarring and help speed up the healing process.
Relieve Pain
Pain and trauma are common following an accident.
There are different steps to relieve pain, one of which is applying RICE treatment.
RICE stands for:
- Rest the injury by ensuring it does not move
- Ice the affected area to cool down
- Compression by applying pressure or covering the area using a bandage
- Elevation to increase blood flow and help with the swelling.
Use of medication may also be applicable only if prescribed by a doctor. Some medicine may increase bleeding and cause other risks. Avoid using such if uncertain about the consequences.
Protect The Unconscious
Unconscious victims are the most vulnerable as they cannot communicate their feelings. The first task of the responder is to check for vital signs and perform CPR if necessary.
If the area is unsafe, it is best to move to somewhere better only if it is safe. Otherwise, remove the hazards and clear the area from any risks as much as possible.
If no spinal or neck injury is suspected, put the person in the recovery position. Put them onto their side, with arms and legs bent to prevent rolling.
The aim of protecting the unconscious is to ensure safety before medical help arrives.
Final Thoughts
The main aims of first aid are to protect the person, achieve less impact, and prevent future complications. Although it does not guarantee a complete cure from injury or illness, it does its job in containing the spread of the disease.
The good news is anyone can learn first aid. With proper training, everyone can know how to use a first aid kit and know the basics of wound care, bleeding control, and pain management.
Overall, these five first aid principles are vital to remember.
At First Aid Pro, we provide a wide range of courses from basic to advanced – suitable for different industries and workplace requirements.
Anyone completing first aid training in Tasmania or anywhere in Australia will equip themselves with the skills and knowledge needed to step up in an emergency.
Learn first aid and start saving lives.
