First aid: the basics
Thursday 1 January 2004
Would you know what to do if one of your friends came off their mountain bike or skateboard and really hurt themselves?
What to do
Here are a few things to remember in an emergency:
- Stay calm
- Do everything you can to help the person, but don't put yourself in danger
- Don't give the person anything to eat, drink or smoke
First Aid is the name given to the act of giving basic assistance to someone who has been injured or become suddenly ill.
People who are trained in First Aid know exactly what to do when someone has fainted, strained or sprained a muscle or even suffered a burn.
Although it should only be used as a means to assist someone until proper medical assistance arrives, the help that a person fully trained in First Aid gives could help improve an injured person's chances of recovery later on.
Get the skill
Being able to help someone who is injured is a useful skill to have, and that could explain why over 500,000 people decide to learn first aid each year.
St John Ambulance is one of the most well known First Aid organisations. Did you know that over half of its 47,000 First Aid volunteers are under the age of 16?
If you've ever wondered what First Aid is all about, but not really sure whether to take up a training course, why not click on our links? You could also visit your local library, which should have a good range of books for beginners.
Some businesses also pay for their employees to go on First Aid training courses, so if you're really interested in learning, why not ask your boss if the company has a First Aid training course or scheme?
