First Aid

The article introduces the basic knowledge of first aid and the organisations that provide first aid training.

The Importance of First Aid

First aid is the immediate care given to a person who has been injured or has been suddenly ill.  It includes both self-help and home care if medical assistance is not available or delayed.  First aid knowledge not only means the difference between life and death, but also helps you to determine the sequence and the priority of first-aid treatments during an emergency situation so that the greatest possible good may be accomplished for the greatest number of people.

Basic First Aid Knowledge

First aid knowledge and skills promote safety awareness in home, at work, at play, on streets and highways.  Through studying first aid, a person is prepared to assist others wisely.  He is able to distinguish between what to do and what not to do.

Bleeding

• When using the direct pressure method, let the injured lie down and rest with the limb elevated (except for fracture victims).
• Inspect the wound, wash it with distilled water, expert direct pressure on it by hand over a dressing, and bandage it.  Do not bandage it too tightly in order not to affect the normal blood circulation.
• If there are impaled objects or protruding bones, exert direct pressure on the edge of the wound to stop the bleeding.
• If the direct pressure method cannot control the bleeding, apply pressure over the arterial pressure points to facilitate blood coagulation.  The bleeding will normally stop if the points are pressed for 5 to 10 minutes.

Nose Bleeding

• Sit the injured up with his head dropping forward.
• Ask the injured to breathe with his mouth and pinch the soft part below his nasal bone forcefully.  Apply a cold dressing to his forehead.
• Ask the injured not to swallow the blood lodged in his throat.
• Loosen his tight clothing.
• If the bleeding continues after kneading his nose for 10 minutes, continue to knead his nose for another 10 minutes.
• Ask the injured not to blow his nose within 4 hours after the bleeding stops.
• If the nose bleeding still continues, send the injured to hospital immediately.

Burns

• Remove the injured from the heat source.
• Check the injured’s breathing and pulse.
• Check the extent and depth of his burns.
• Cool and treat the burned area — flush the burned area with water to cool it down and alleviate the pain.  Cover the wound with a sterilized dressing.  For facial burns, use a sheet of cloth or a triangular bandage to cover the burnt area.  Cut holes on the piece of cloth or the bandage according to the position of the eyes, the mouth and the nose.
• Treat the shock.
• Send the injured to hospital immediately.

Heatstroke

• Move the patient to a cool place.
• Lower the patient’s body temperature fall to 38°C – take off his clothes accordingly, wipe his body with a wet towel and fan him to keep him cool.
• If the patient is unconscious, place him in a recovery position.  If the patient is conscious, give him water to drink.  But do not give him any hot or irritating drink.
• Send the patient to hospital for treatment.

Seizures

There are different types of seizures, and they can be caused by many factors including:

• heatstroke
• epilepsy
• fever
• poisoning
• alcohol intoxication
• hypoglycemia
• head injury
• cancer
• stroke
• complications of pregnancy

When you witness a seizure, you should:

• stay calm; remember you cannot stop a seizure once it has started.
• keep the patient from falling and assist him to lie down.
• roll the patient on his side to drain any saliva or blood from mouth.
• clear the area of hard, sharp or hot objects to protect the patient from injury.
• loosen the patient's tight collar.

You should not:

• restrain the movement of the person as this may cause injury to him.
• put anything between his teeth as this may result in dental damage.

When You Come across a Person Who is Unconscious

You should:

• stay calm and immediately call the emergency hotline at 999 for an ambulance.
• roll the patient on his side to drain any saliva or vomit from the mouth.
• loosen any constricting clothing around the neck, chest and waist.
• keep the patient warm and covered with a blanket or clothing.
• stay with the patient until the ambulance personnel arrive.

You should not:

• place anything such as pillow under the patient’s head.
• sit him up.
• feed him anything, no matter it is solid food or liquid.

Further information on emergency care is available on the links below.

In case of medical emergency, please call 999 immediately.

First Aid Training

The organisations that provide first aid certificate courses include the Hong Kong St. John Ambulance, the Hong Kong Red Cross, the Occupational Safety and Health Council, the Auxiliary Medical Service, etc.  Check out the details from their websites below.

"Press to shock – Save a life" CPR & AED Course

To uplift the survival rate, the Fire Services Department undertakes to train members of the public in using defibrillator for free.

First Aid Coverage

The Auxiliary Medical Service (AMS) provides first aid coverage for non-profit making organisations on request. To allow sufficient time for application processing, applicants should forward their applications to AMS Headquarters at least 14 working days in advance.