First Aid

First Aid is the immediate and temporary proper aid provided to a sick or injured person or animal until medical treatment can be provided. more...

Home
Bath & Body
Dental Care
Dieting/ Slimming
Fragrances
Hair Care
Hair Removal
Health Care
Blood Pressure Testing
Family Planning/...
Feminine Care
First Aid
Other Health Care
Quitting Smoking
Relaxation Aids
Sleeping Aids
Make-Up/ Cosmetics
Massage
Mobility, Disability &...
Nails/ Manicure/ Pedicure
Natural/ Alternative...
Other Health & Beauty
Over-the-Counter Medicine
Skin/ Face Care
Tanning/ Sun Care
Tattoos/ Body Art
Vision/ Glasses/ Lenses
Vitamins/ Supplements

It generally consists of series of simple, life-saving medical techniques that a non-doctor or lay person can be trained to perform with minimal equipment.

History

The Knights Hospitaller were probably the first to specialize in battlefield care for the wounded. St. John Ambulance was formed in 1877 to teach first aid (a term devised by the order) in large railway centres and mining districts. The order and its training began to spread throughout the British Empire and Europe. As well, in 1859 Henry Dunant helped organize villagers in Switzerland to help victims of the Battle of Solferino. Four years later, four nations met in Geneva and formed the organization which has grown into the Red Cross. Developments in first aid and many other medical techniques have been fueled in large by wars: the American Civil War prompted Clara Barton to organize the American Red Cross. Today, there are several groups that promote first aid, such as the military and the Scouting movement. New techniques and equipment have helped make today's first aid simple and effective.

Training

One needs hands-on training by experts to perform first aid safely. Such training is more useful if it occurs before an actual emergency. Proper emergency preparedness is achieved only with regular and up-to-date refresher courses and recertifications, especially for potentially lethal emergencies such as those that require CPR. Training in first aid is often available through community organizations such as the Red Cross and St. John Ambulance. In many countries in the Commonwealth of Nations, St. John Ambulance provides first aid training and in some countries operates ambulance services. In Scotland, St. Andrew's Ambulance Association provides first aid training. In the United States, the American Heart Association the American CPR Training and Medic First Aid Organization also offer first aid training.

In the United Kingdom, there are two main types of first aid courses offered. An \"Emergency Aid for Appointed Persons\" course typically lasts one day, and covers the basics, focusing on critical interventions for conditions such as cardiac arrest and severe bleeding, and is usually not formally assessed. A \"First Aid at Work\" course is a four-day course (two days for a requalification) that covers the full spectrum of first aid, and is formally assessed. Certificates for the \"First Aid at Work\" course are issued by the training organisation and are valid for a period of three years from the date the delegate passes the course. Other courses offered by training organisations such as St John Ambulance, Medic First Aid Organization, St. Andrew's Ambulance Association or the British Red Cross include Baby & Child Courses, manual handling, people moving, and courses geared towards more advanced life support, such as defibrillation and administration of medical gases (oxygen & entonox).

Read more at Wikipedia.org