Rescue is in our hands: the rules of first aid
Being able to help yourself and those around you in an emergency is one of the basic skills that every Ukrainian should master. Today, when russia commits terrorist acts every day, you can’t be sure that you won’t become the next victim.
Vasyl Kashuba, an instructor at the European Resuscitation Council, reminds us of the simple and effective rules of first aid.
There are several factors you should consider when choosing how to provide first aid.
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Bleeding
Modern medicine divides bleeding into two types: massive and non-massive.
Massive bleeding is when a person loses blood quickly, and it literally fountains out of the wound. If you don’t help, the wounded person can bleed out in 2-3 minutes. That is why first aid is primarily provided to victims with massive bleeding.
How to stop it? Press hard on the wound. This should be done with gloves on: put a towel (for example) on the wound itself and press hard until the blood stops. If this doesn’t work, put a haemostatic bandage in the wound.
Massive bleeding can also be stopped with a tourniquet, but it can’t be “tightened” for more than 1 hour!
If the bleeding is not massive, it is enough to apply a harness, bandage or cover and wait for the arrival of medics or drive to the nearest medical facility.
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Unconsciousness
If a person is unconscious, there are only two options: they are alive or dead. To determine this, try to see if they are breathing. To do this, lean over to the victim and listen for breathing, see if the chest rises and feel for breathing.
If the person is unconscious but breathing, simply turn them over, control their breathing and wait for help. You should not hit the victim on the cheeks or otherwise bring them to consciousness, for example, by pouring water on them.
If the person is not breathing, start indirect heart massage as soon as possible. You need to press the base (heel) of your palm on the sternum, on the bone in the middle. Your hands should be straight while pressing, the depth of these presses should be 5-6 cm, and the intensity should be 2 times per second.
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Burns
A burn must be cooled immediately. The best way to do this is with cold running water. The burned area can also be immersed in cold water. The use of sour cream, oils, vodka or panthenol can only do harm.
And one more important rule of first aid. You must rescue someone in a safe place. Otherwise, you will not only fail to help, but you may also endanger your own life.
