Acquire first aid skills for rescue during emergencies

Accidents and emergencies are part of the everyday life of small children. Therefore, parents need to take precaution to guard the little ones against unnecessary injuries.

According to George Kirubi, an Emergency Medical Trainer at AAR Emergency Rescue Services, ‘First Aid is the provision of emergency treatment and life support for people who are ill or injured, including dispensing of medication, before they get professional medical help.” ‘First Aid entails the initial assistance given to a casualty using available materials before further medical attention,’ adds Bethuel Aliwa, an Emergency Service Instructor at the Emergency Medical Trainers Limited.

History
According to Kirubi, the first recorded history of First Aid dates back to 1099, when a religious order of the Knights, trained to administer medical treatment, was formed. The Order of St John specialised in the treatment of battlefield injuries during crusades and is the first recorded example of people trained to administer First Aid.

Kenyan history
‘In 1985, the Government encouraged all its personnel to teach or train in First Aid. In 2007, the Occupational Health and Safety Act mandated teaching of first aid to all staff,’ shares Aliwa.

Objectives
First Aid has three key aims:

  • Preserving life – The aim of all medical care, including First Aid, is to save lives.
  • Prevent further harm – Prevent the condition from worsening or danger of further injury.
  •  Promote recovery-Involves trying to start the recovery process from the illness or injury.

Conditions that require First Aid
According to Kirubi, conditions that require immediate intervention comprise:

  • Altitude sickness.
  • Asthmatic attacks.
  • Body reaction/Anaphylaxis.
  • Bone fracture.
  • Falls.
  • Burns.
  • Cardiac arrest.
  • Choking (blockage of the airway) and drowning.
  • Childbirth.
  • Heart attack (inadequate blood flow to the blood vessels supplying the heart muscle).
  • Altered blood sugar levels.
  • Exposure to extreme temperatures.
  • Insect and animal bites and stings.
  • Poisoning.
  • Seizures (or a malfunction in the electrical activity in the Muscle strains, cramps and sprains.
  • Stroke (temporary loss of blood supply to the brain).
  • Wounds and bleeding.

Requirements
In order to ensure safety of your children, getting First Aid knowledge is paramount. But is this training reserved only for parents and caregivers? ‘No. It is critical for nannies, parents and other caregivers like teachers learn basic First Aid as they mainly care for children. However, First Aid training is a must for everyone and not just the main caregivers,’ emphasises Aliwa. ‘Everybody should be trained because the incidents that require intervention happen during our daily activities. Even medical personnel have to take up more detailed courses in emergency incident management,’ shares Kirubi.

Basic First Aid tips
According to Aliwa, one should do the following in case of an emergency:

  1. Check calmly – Check for any further danger and determine the appropriate assistance required. If the casualty is conscious, keep him or her comfortable and warm in case he or she is shivering from shock.
  2. Listen – Pay attention to the casualty and find out from witnesses what happened. Try to find out the likely causes – a previous history of a recurrent condition like asthma, or an allergic drug reaction.
  3. Think – Identify which casualty to treat first. Avoid unnecessary movement of the casualty to prevent the condition from deteriorating, especially in case of broken bones. For a vomiting child, turn the head sideways to emit the vomit off the mouth and to prevent chocking.
  4. Act – Apply necessary intervention actions to safeguard the casualty.

‘The basic rule for a first aider is to keep calm, because panicking could lead to making the situation worse. Also keep contacts of your nearest ambulance services and call any for help without limiting yourself to the one that your insurance company has contracted to serve you,’ advises Aliwa.

‘Make friends with the ambulance personnel as they will guide you on what to do in case of a crisis. Ensure to keep a First Aid Kit in the house and know how to use it. Ensure that two to three people in your household are trained in first aid,’ he says.

‘Safety at home is paramount to ensure children are protected. Ensure there are no naked electrical wires and that all sockets are covered. Keep away electric appliances such as kettles, iron boxes et cetera when not in use. Avoid overloading extension cables and switch the power off when not in use,’ cautions Aliwa.

Benefits of First Aid training
’First Aid saves lives and ordinary people should acquire First Aid to help save lives. A simple action like opening the airway or containing bleeding minimises further complications,’ reiterates Aliwa.

Other advantages of First Aid training include:

  • Safety – Ensures that both your children are safe and the home remains a safe zone.
  • Awareness – Spotting a young child in trouble protects him or her as he or she cannot express himself or herself properly.
  • Preparedness – Equips one with skills to handle the unexpected.
  • Prevention – Controls a situation from getting worse by containing the casualty.
  • Safe surrounding – One can step in an emergency anywhere in case of an injured or ill person.

First Aid Options
Dealing with infants is a delicate affair thus the need to acquire skills to handle any arising emergencies. Training on infant First Aid will enable you handle the situations.
The following courses can equip you with the skills:

  • Government or occupational First Aid training – required at every work place.
  • Basic life support – for medical personnel to provide resuscitation support.
  • Disaster response course – used within an incident.
  • Drivers – for injuries associated with road or traffic accidents.

Other courses include:

  • Occupational First Aid Course.
  • First Aid for Infants and Children.
  • Occupational Safety and Management.
  • Fire Marshal Training.
  • Basic Life Support and AED use.

First Aid Kit
Invest in a good First Aid Kit that comes with a manual. You can choose from car, travel, home, marine or sports kits. Purchase the First Aid kit that best suits your needs and immediately replace any item you use. First Aid kits items change regularly, so make sure you keep it up-to-date. A regular First Aid Kit should contain these items:
Cotton balls and swabs.

  • Gauze.
  • Antiseptic wash.
  • Alcohol wipes.
  • Antibiotic ointment.
  • Medical tape.
  • Scissors.
  • Thermometer.
  • Waterproof bandages.
  • Hot or cold pack.
  • Pain relief medication.
  • Sterile water.
  • Sterile gloves.
  • Band-aids.
  • Slings.
  • Allergy medication.

Common mistakes
‘There are errors that if avoided, could minimise emergencies or further harm to children,’ states Aliwa.
These include:

  • Grandmother’s myths – avoid using ritualistic methods passed down by relatives or friends to deal with an ill or injured child. This could further harm your child. Instead, look for the current medical trends or methods of intervention.
  • Over-medicating – before you prescribe any medication for your child, find out the cause of the ailment. Sometimes a child may get a headache due to over-stimulation or a stomach ache because of overeating.
  • Seek medical advice –see a pediatrician in case of a medical problem; more so when dealing with infants or young children as they have immature systems incapable of handling too much medication.

END: BL 42 / 22-23

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