First Aid Training Course Overview
This article presents an overview of the first aid training course and its vital role in the emergency preparedness of people in the home, the school and the office. This kind of program is sometimes provided with CPR courses by various organizations including the American Heart Association and the American Red Cross. In first aid, the rescuer provides the initial care for an injury or disease until medical help arrives. In some cases, such as minor injuries and self-limiting diseases, first aid treatment would be sufficient and the patient will no longer need further medical care. In the first aid training course, participants will learn that the primary goals of basic first aid is to promote recovery, prevent the worsening of the condition, and to preserve life.
Because first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) are interrelated, CPR and first aid training is often provided as a single course. CPR is a method that is used to possibly save the life of a person who has gone into cardiac arrest, which is also known as circulatory arrest or cardiopulmonary arrest. This is different from a heart attack or myocardial infarction, where the blood supply to heart is blocked. A cardiac arrest results in loss of consciousness, which is followed by abnormal or absent breathing. The goal of the rescuer is to help in the delivery of oxygenated blood to the brain and the heart so that the vital organs will continue to function until the ambulance arrives. Basically, the lay rescuer has to check the airway, breathing and circulation when conducting CPR. In the latest guidelines of the American Heart Association, focus is made on the use of uninterrupted chest compressions as the best way to revive the patient.
Meanwhile, in the first aid training course, the participants will learn key principles such as utilizing universal precautions while caring for the victims. For example, when you see the victim of a traffic accident, it is important to avoid the tendency to rush to the rescue of that person because you yourself might become a victim if that is a busy street. Common sense is a vital component of first aid. Another important aspect is being ready with the various tools and supplies, such as antibiotic ointment, petroleum jelly, safety pins, soap, antiseptic, scissors, face masks, gloves, thermometer, tongue blades, splits, bandages, tweezers and needle. Some of the conditions that course participants need to learn to treat are choking, burns, electric shock, nosebleed, head injury, puncture wounds, scrapes, cuts, fractures, bite wounds and bruises.
The first aid training course should also include a special section on treating senior citizens. The usual injuries of the elderly are scrapes and minor cuts but these can become serious if they are not treated because infection occurs faster in older people. Caregivers need to be vigilant about this because sometimes the elderly may not even be aware that they have these minor cuts and wounds. The prompt and timely care of injuries suffered by the elderly will go a long way into improving the quality of their lives.
