What are the basic first aid skills?

After doing community first aid training for 6 years, I can clearly say that basic first aid skills essentially cover the three core directions of risk prediction, on-site treatment, and follow-up connection. It is not just about dressing wounds and doing cardiopulmonary resuscitation as everyone thinks.

I was doing science popularization in a community square a while ago, and I met an aunt who pulled me and asked me if it was my fault that I stuffed steamed buns into my neighbor to treat stuck fish bones a few days ago, and ended up stabbing him to the hospital for surgery. I told her that this was because I didn't understand the core of first aid - in many cases, not blindly operating is much more useful than blindly helping.

Of course, the skills that everyone is most familiar with are on-site practical skills, such as cardiopulmonary resuscitation for cardiac arrest, the Heimlich maneuver for foreign objects stuck in the throat, compression and hemostasis for trauma, the principle of "rinsing off the bubble cap and delivering it" for burns and scalds, and temporary fixation after fractures. These are all hard skills that need to be mastered. Last month when our hiking team was walking on a wild trail, a young man fell in the air and fell on his calf. At that time, the people next to him subconsciously wanted to pull him up and carry him to the clinic at the bottom of the mountain. Fortunately, a travel friend who had learned first aid held down his leg and touched it. There was an abnormal bend. He quickly found two trekking poles and backpack straps to fix the leg, and then called the rescue and waited for a stretcher. If he had moved it at will, it would have been a closed fracture. The broken bone might have punctured the blood vessels and nerves, and subsequent recovery would have been many times more troublesome.

What many people don’t know is that the prerequisite for all first aid operations is always to first determine the safety of the environment. This is also the most easily overlooked aspect of basic first aid. For example, if you encounter someone getting electrocuted, your first reaction is definitely not to rush to rescue the person. Instead, you should first pull the switch or use a dry wooden stick to spread the wires. Otherwise, you won't be able to save the person and you will get caught in it. ； Last year, there was a fire in the electric carport in the community. A young man wanted to rush in to rescue the trapped children, but he was grabbed by a retired policeman nearby. He first found a wet quilt to cover his mouth and nose before letting him in. His face was still blackened when he came out. Without this step, he would have been fainted by the toxic smoke halfway through.

Another thing that people don’t pay much attention to is the connection between on-site treatment and professional medical care. This is also part of basic first aid. For example, if you performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation for ten minutes before waiting for 120, you should remember to clearly state how long the compressions were performed, whether the patient recovered spontaneous breathing and heartbeat, and whether there was vomiting or other reactions. ； If you encounter a stranger who faints, don't just give him water, sugar or medicine. An office worker at the subway station fainted before, and a passerby kindly gave him a piece of chocolate. After he was sent to the doctor, he found out that it was hyperglycemic ketoacidosis, which almost made his condition worse. What you can do is help him turn sideways to avoid choking on vomit, write down whether he has any medicines and medical history cards in his bag, and wait until the medical staff comes to hand over the information. It has already been a big help.

There are debates online now about whether non-professionals should provide first aid to strangers. Some people are afraid of breaking ribs and being blackmailed. Some people feel sorry for not saving someone. In fact, the "Good Person Law" of the Civil Code has now been clarified. As long as the first aid is performed voluntarily, there is no liability for unintentional injuries. When we do training, we often say that if you are really unsure, call 120 first and follow the step-by-step instructions of the dispatcher on the phone. This not only helps people, but also avoids unnecessary trouble.

I have been training for so long, and my biggest feeling is that basic first aid is really not a test question that requires high scores. It is better than anything else for ordinary people to be able to stabilize themselves when encountering an accident, not to cause trouble first, and then do the correct operation to the best of their ability.