Introduction to First Aid
On the 5th of June, a bunch of students, including myself, had a tiny glimpse into the life of a first aider. The workshop, organised by the TCSH Malaysian Red Crescent Society was an introduction to first aid and we were taught many useful tips such as what to do during an emergency and exactly how Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) works. Unfortunately, we were unable to actually perform CPR and other techniques due to time constraints, but these were duly postponed to future meetings.
The meeting started off with a general introduction by the coordinator, Noel Silas, from Malaysian Red Crescent. He presented a video clip called ‘The Story of An Idea’. The short film revealed the history of the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement and how Henry Dunant inspired the creation of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in 1863. (You can watch the video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9bsmnuJU-o )
After the video ended, he gave a talk on CPR, providing us with basic knowledge of the procedure that I will now share with you. CPR is an emergency procedure to manually pump the heart to ensure that blood continues to flow through the body and prevent tissue death, until further measures can be taken. If the person’s heart has stopped, whatever the conditions are, you must perform CPR. Even if the person has a deep wound in his chest, is pregnant or has a fractured rib, it must be continuously performed until the paramedics arrive and declare that the victim is safe to pass to them. Most TV shows and movies depict CPR as a process that can start up a heart immediately but that is rarely the case. It must be performed for quite some time and consistently for it to work, and even then the chance of survival is low. He spoke at great length about the technique of CPR and the many revisions of it to get the best technique possible. It is fixed and universal, and I believe that everyone should know it, for who knows when you will need the knowledge one day?
Mr. Silas also showed us a particularly interesting contraption called the AED machine. The machine serves as a portable defibrillator and its function is to start the heart with electrical shock. This machine is used by paramedics worldwide and has saved lives countless times when a hospital was unreachable. He also showed us a series of steps to carry out whenever an emergency occurs. These steps are to be performed when a person is badly injured and unconscious:
D – check for Danger
R – check for Response
C – Compression
A – Airways (chin tilt head lift method)
B – Breathing
The first step is always to check for danger. For example, if the person is electrocuted, remove the source of electrocution with an insulator. Once the person is out of harm’s way, proceed to step two: check for response. Pinch their finger and wait for an act of response - it can be a twitch, anything - and if there is none continue with step three. Perform compressions on the person’s chest in a series of methodical and continuous progressions. Step four would be to clear his airways so that air can pass to his lungs and also to prevent him from choking. Step five would be to breathe into their mouth to pass air down to the person’s lungs.
For those of you who missed this workshop, not to worry! The introduction to first aid was only the first of many workshops to come. In the future, professionals will teach us and let us demonstrate what we know. Hence, remember to look out for posters for the next meeting where we will be likely to learn the practical stuff. Please do come and learn because you never know when you could have the chance to save someone’s life.
Written by Jaspreet Kaur Sekhon
Cambridge A-Levels
The meeting started off with a general introduction by the coordinator, Noel Silas, from Malaysian Red Crescent. He presented a video clip called ‘The Story of An Idea’. The short film revealed the history of the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement and how Henry Dunant inspired the creation of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in 1863. (You can watch the video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9bsmnuJU-o )
After the video ended, he gave a talk on CPR, providing us with basic knowledge of the procedure that I will now share with you. CPR is an emergency procedure to manually pump the heart to ensure that blood continues to flow through the body and prevent tissue death, until further measures can be taken. If the person’s heart has stopped, whatever the conditions are, you must perform CPR. Even if the person has a deep wound in his chest, is pregnant or has a fractured rib, it must be continuously performed until the paramedics arrive and declare that the victim is safe to pass to them. Most TV shows and movies depict CPR as a process that can start up a heart immediately but that is rarely the case. It must be performed for quite some time and consistently for it to work, and even then the chance of survival is low. He spoke at great length about the technique of CPR and the many revisions of it to get the best technique possible. It is fixed and universal, and I believe that everyone should know it, for who knows when you will need the knowledge one day?
D – check for Danger
R – check for Response
C – Compression
A – Airways (chin tilt head lift method)
B – Breathing
The first step is always to check for danger. For example, if the person is electrocuted, remove the source of electrocution with an insulator. Once the person is out of harm’s way, proceed to step two: check for response. Pinch their finger and wait for an act of response - it can be a twitch, anything - and if there is none continue with step three. Perform compressions on the person’s chest in a series of methodical and continuous progressions. Step four would be to clear his airways so that air can pass to his lungs and also to prevent him from choking. Step five would be to breathe into their mouth to pass air down to the person’s lungs.
For those of you who missed this workshop, not to worry! The introduction to first aid was only the first of many workshops to come. In the future, professionals will teach us and let us demonstrate what we know. Hence, remember to look out for posters for the next meeting where we will be likely to learn the practical stuff. Please do come and learn because you never know when you could have the chance to save someone’s life.
Written by Jaspreet Kaur Sekhon
Cambridge A-Levels
