First aid is the immediate care given to an injured or ill person before professional medical help arrives. Knowing basic steps can reduce pain, prevent a minor injury from becoming serious, and sometimes save a life. Common injuries such as cuts, burns, sprains, nosebleeds, and choking often happen in classrooms, homes, sports areas, and workplaces.
A prepared first aid kit and a calm response make emergency care faster and safer.
Key Facts
- For severe bleeding, apply firm direct pressure with clean gauze or cloth until help arrives.
- For a minor burn, cool the area under clean running water for 20 minutes and do not use ice.
- For a suspected sprain, use RICE = Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation.
- For adult CPR, use a compression rate of 100 to 120 compressions per minute.
- For choking in a conscious adult or child, give abdominal thrusts until the object comes out or the person becomes unresponsive.
- Call emergency services for chest pain, trouble breathing, severe bleeding, loss of consciousness, major burns, or suspected head, neck, or spine injury.
Vocabulary
- First aid
- First aid is immediate basic care given to someone who is injured or suddenly ill before professional medical help arrives.
- Direct pressure
- Direct pressure is firm pressure applied to a bleeding wound to slow or stop blood loss.
- Sprain
- A sprain is an injury to a ligament caused by stretching or tearing around a joint.
- CPR
- CPR is cardiopulmonary resuscitation, a lifesaving method using chest compressions and sometimes rescue breaths when a person is not breathing normally.
- Shock
- Shock is a dangerous condition in which the body does not get enough blood flow and oxygen to vital organs.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Putting ice directly on a burn is wrong because it can damage skin further and slow healing. Cool the burn with clean running water instead.
- Removing a deeply embedded object from a wound is wrong because it can increase bleeding and tissue damage. Stabilize the object and get emergency help.
- Tilting the head back during a nosebleed is wrong because blood can run into the throat and cause choking or vomiting. Lean forward and pinch the soft part of the nose.
- Moving a person with a possible spine injury is wrong because it can worsen damage to the neck or back. Keep the person still and call emergency services unless there is immediate danger.
Practice Questions
- 1 A student has a minor burn from hot water. If the burn should be cooled for 20 minutes and 6 minutes have already passed, how many more minutes of cooling are needed?
- 2 During CPR practice, a rescuer gives 110 chest compressions each minute. How many compressions should be given in 3 minutes at that rate?
- 3 A classmate falls, hits their head, and seems confused but wants to stand up and walk away. Explain what you should do first and why.