How To Do Basic First Aid

Basic first aid is an essential set of skills that every person should possess. You never know when circumstances will require you to revive an individual from unconsciousness, assuage someone's pain, or save a life. Basic first aid training is definitely a worthwhile endeavor.

Keep the following courses of action in mind when caught in the middle of situations that require basic first aid:

1. First, it is always helpful to keep complete emergency kits and a basic first aid manual within reach in your house or in the trunk of your car. You must have easy access to these tools.
2. During an emergency, it is important to determine whether the patient is conscious or unconscious. If the patient is no longer conscious, make sure that his airway is unhampered.  Check if the position of his tongue above the throat is preventing him from inhaling air. There is a huge possibility of death when the entry of oxygen is blocked. If the patient is still conscious, all you need to do is to put him in the recovery position for easy breathing. If he stops breathing, you should continuously supply him with oxygen, by squeezing his nose closed then breathing into his mouth--this is part of the process called CPR. Do this continuously until the patient is able to breathe on his own. Aside from CPR, you can also try reviving the victim by pressing your interlocked hands against his chest--applying pressure as you repeatedly push down in order to restart his heart or at least pump some blood through his body. 
3. When the patient is suffering from a burn, flush the afflicted skin area with water immediately. This will cool the burn and ease the pain. Keep the burn in water for 20 to 30 minutes. Aside from clean water, do not apply any other substance such as liniments, creams, balms, ointments, or gels for these could add to the severity of the burn. Ensure that the burn-causing chemicals and materials are at a safe distance away from the patient. Moreover, refrain from feeding the patient any kind of food.
4. When the patient is wounded and bleeding, use your hands to apply pressure to the wound. Secure the wound with a bandage immediately. A piece of cloth, as long as it is clean and large enough to cover the wound, can pass for a bandage. It also helps to raise the wounded body part, especially when the bleeding is relentless and uncontrollable.
5. Remember that it is necessary to call the hospital and other emergency services such as the Red Cross to ensure the patient's safety and treatment. Have someone else contact the emergency services and health professionals while you perform the basic first aid procedure. If you are alone with the patient, dial the emergency hotline as soon as possible
6. Basic first aid is not limited to the above-mentioned circumstances. Other cases of food poisoning, strokes, broken bones and fractures, etc. require basic first aid as well. Therefore, it is imperative to enroll in a first aid class or a medical training course. Organizations such as the Red Cross and other health and emergency institutions offer these kinds of trainings and classes to anyone who is willing to help and eager to save lives.

When performing basic first aid, always prioritize the patient's health and safety by remaining calm. A first aider that panics does not help and even adds to the burden. An alert mind and solid first aid skills are still the most significant emergency kits in times of crisis.