The Importance Of First Aid

Before identifying the common injuries and illnesses in the outdoors, let us first have a common understanding of what first aid is. The term first aid refers to administration of care to prevent deterioration of the victim, to aid recovery and to preserve life. Generally, first aid entails some simple but often life-saving ways that most people can be trained to perform with minimal equipment. On a technical level, it is not identified as medical treatment and should not be compared to what a trained medical profession might do. First aid as they say is a combination of simple procedures and an application of some common sense.

Along the discussion in this chapter, the symbol will be used to indicate emergency or urgency of the situation

Cuts, scrapes and punctures

Wounds, cuts and lacerations can be caused anywhere from rock climbing, cutting self from knife, stumbling.

To treat minor cuts, scrapes and punctures:

 Wash your hands with soap and water or antibacterial cleanser;

 Stop the bleeding by applying direct pressure to the injured area with a clean cloth, paper towel or piece of gauze. If blood soaks through the material, don’t remove it. Put more cloth or gauze on top of it and continue to apply pressure.

 If wound is on the arm or leg, raise limb above the heart to help slow bleeding

 Wash the wound with clean, cool water and mild soap.

 Apply an antibiotic ointment to reduce chance of infection.

 Place a sterile bandage on the wound and secure with medical tape

 Do not apply tourniquet unless the bleeding is severe and does not stop even with direct pressure

Emergency personnel must be called immediately if :

 Severe bleeding

 You suspect there is internal bleeding

 There is an abdominal or chest wound

 Bleeding can't be stopped after 10 minutes despite the firm and steady pressure

 Blood spurts out of wound

b. Sprains, strains and

It may be stretched or torn be due to twisting or pulling of a muscle or tendon. It might been caused by a recent injury, lifting of heavy object such as the backpack the wrong way or overstressing the muscle from hiking. Common sites for a strain are the back and the hamstring muscle in the back of the thigh. When strained, one may feel pain, muscle spasms or weakness, swelling, cramping, trouble moving the muscle. If the muscle or tendon is torn completely, it will cause great pain and will be difficult to move it. To treat a sprain or strain, remember RICE- Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevate

 have the patient rest on a safe even ground

 reduce the swelling by applying ice or a cold compress.

 Compression: Compression helps limit and reduce swelling, which may delay healing. Some people also feels relief from pain from compression. An easy way to compress the area of the injury is to wrap it with athletic tape or bandage. In using an athletic tape, make a basket-weave pattern:

• apply an "anchor strip" around the back of the calf.

• Place another anchor strip under the instep of the foot.

• Apply the “stirrup strip” down the calf, over the ankle, under the foot and back around to the top anchor