University of Gondar

College of medicine and health science

School of nursing
First aid and accident prevention for 2nd year
Medical Laboratory students

By : Lielt Mersha (BSc,MSc. by EM & CCN)

E-mail : lieltmersha@gmail.com

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Course Title: First aid & accident prevention
Credit hour: 1chr
Category: BSc. in MLS
Course Information: Academic year II
Semester I

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 Course Description
The course enables you:
• To give effective & immediate aid or care for those who
sustained trauma/injury and sudden illness.
• To foresee/ predict and avoid hazards to self and others
• Promote safety awareness in general, at home, work
place, play grounds, on street and high ways.

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 Objectives
1. Prevent accidental injuries and provide care for the
injured or suddenly ill patients
2. Perform life saving measures and apply the knowledge
into practice
3. Select appropriate material for and refer cases when
need.

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 Objectives …
4. Explain the importance of lifting and transporting
victims safely to prevent possible complication
5. Equip individuals to deal with the whole situation
6. Distinguish between what to do and what not to do

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 Course Content
Chapter One – Introduction to First Aid
• Definition
• Reasons for first aid
• Value of first aid training
• General directions for giving first aid
• Infection prevention and patient safety

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 Chapter Two – Respiratory Emergencies &
Artificial Respiration
• Definitions
– Respiratory emergency
– Artificial respiration
• Causes of respiratory failure
– Anatomical obstruction
– Mechanical obstruction
– Air depleted of oxygen or containing toxic gases
• The breathing process
• Safety measures during swimming and boating
• Choking
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 Chapter Three – Wounds and Bleeding
• Definition
• Classification of wounds
• Types of open wounds
• Common causes
• Symptoms
• First aid for open wounds
• First aid for severe bleeding:
– Techniques to stop severe bleeding
• Prevention of contamination and infection of wounds

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 Chapter Four – Specific Injuries
• Eye injury
• Head injury
• Neck injury
• Wounds of the chest
• Abdominal injuries
• Injuries to legs and feet
• Injuries to the genital organs
• Hand injury
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 Chapter Five – Shock and sudden illness
 Definition
 Causes
 Sign and symptoms
 Treatment objectives
 Sudden illness
• Heart attack
• Stroke
• Fainting
• Epilepsy

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Chapter Six – Bone and joint injuries

• Definitions

• Fractures

• Dislocation

• Sprains

• Strains

• First aid measures

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Chapter Seven-Dressing and Bandages
Dressings
Bandages
Combinations of dressing and bandages
Application of bandages
First aid kits and supplies

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 Chapter Eight – Poisoning

• Definition
• Causes
• Sign and symptoms
• First aid measures of poisoning
• Contact poisons
• Prevention of accidental poisoning
• Bites:
– Insect
– Snake
– Dog 13
 Chapter Nine – Burns
• Definition
• Cause and effect
• Classification
• Extent and location
• First aid measures
• Prevention

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 Chapter Ten
Emergency Rescue & Short Distance Transfer
• Indications for immediate rescue
• Procedures
• Methods of patient lifting and transfer
• Electrical emergencies with home appliances
• Rescues involving fire
• Water rescue

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 Chapter Eleven
Disaster prevention and Management
Define disaster
Types of disaster
Prevent ion of disaster
 Management of disaster

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 Evaluation and measurement
• Assignment = 15%
• Quiz I& I-=5%
• Test 1 &2 =30%
• Final examination = 50%

• NB. Attendance should be 100% !!!

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 References
1. American Red Cross Society, 2nd edition, Standard First
Aid and Personal Safety
2. Haramaya University, Upgraded lecture note series,
Alemayehu Galmessa, First Aid and Accident
Prevention for Health Science Students
3. British Red Cross Society, 9th edition, ABC of First Aid
4. Part 17: First Aid : 2010 American Heart Association
and American Red Cross Guidelines for First Aid

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 cont…
5. Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, Ministry of
Health, First Aid Extension Package, September 2003,
Addis Ababa.
6. International first aid and resuscitation guidelines 2011
For National Society First Aid Program Managers,
Scientific Advisory Groups, First Aid Instructors and First
Responders. www.ifrc.org Saving lives, changing minds.

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 CHAPTER - ONE

INTRODUCTION TO FIRST AID

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 Learning Objectives
At the end of this chapter students will be able to:
• Define first aid
• Describe the reasons why first aid is given
• Describe values of first aid
• Identify general directions for giving first aid
• Identify the principles of infection prevention and patient
safety

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 22

What is FIRST AID ?

01/18/2025
 What is First Aid
Definition
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 First aid is immediate care given to a person who has

been injured or suddenly ill. The care given at the scene
by using available materials.
 It is the initial assistance and temporary care until
medical treatment can be provided.
 But all injuries may not require further medical care.

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 24
Values Of First Aid Training

 The need for first aid training is high more than ever
because of:
 High population growth
 High traffic accident
 High construction of infrastructure
 Increased use of new technological (mechanical &
electrical) devises
 Thus, there is an ever-growing demand of it.
 Reason for first aid
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The 3 Ps
Preserve life
 e.g. mouth to mouth respiration when
breathing has stopped, emergency resuscitation
control bleeding and shock

Prevent further injury(worsening of the problem)

 e.g. immobilizing the fractured bone, handle gently
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and carefully at all times 01/18/2025
 Cont…..
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Promote healing and recovery.

e.g. dressing a wound, protect from cold and
arrange patient transfer
 Give any other treatment needed
 Reassure
 Relieve pain

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 General Directions for giving First Aid
Your decisions and actions will vary according to:
– Circumstances that produced the accident or sudden
illness
– Availability of medical assistance
– Number of persons involved
– Availability of emergency materials
– Help from others

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 General…

Responsibility of a first aider in the management of casualty:

• Assessment of the situation
• Identify the problem
• Establish priorities
• Giving immediate and adequate treatment
• Prevent cross infection

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 … cont’d
• Arrange transport according to the seriousness of her/his
condition with out delay
• Send brief written report

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 Assessment of the situation
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Scene Survey
 When you faced an accident or illness on duty it is
important to assess the situation to determine what kind of
emergency situation you are dealing with,
 For your safety, the victim’s safety and that of others.

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 Assess…
 Do a quick survey of three elements:
Hazards that could be dangerous to you, the
victim, or bystanders.
The cause (mechanism) of the injury or illness.
The number of victims.

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Controlling the scene
Our responsibility before starting the treatment is to
prevent further danger according to type of damage and the
cause of the accident:
Vehicle accidents:- switch off vehicle's explosion, avoid
smoke and move the victim to safe place
Electrical accident: switch off the current or break
contact.
Fires and collapsing building: move casualty to safe area
01/18/2025 32
 Prioritization
Triage

Sorting of patients according to ABC priorities

and available resources
1. Multiple causality – number and severity of the
injuries or illness proportional or does not exceed to
the resources at hand to provide care.
 During this time Priority is given to life threatening
conditions

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 Prioritiz…con’t
 First priority:- as: airway obstruction and
breathing difficulties, severe bleeding, and
unconsciousness and life-threatening medical
emergencies.
 Second priority: person for whom treatment and
transportation may be delayed such as: burns,
fracture and back injuries.
 Third Priority: who may receive treatment and
transportation last. These include: minor fracture, minor
bleeding etc.
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 Prioritiz…con’t
2. Mass causality– number and severity of injuries does
exceed the capacity of the facilities and staff. In this
case, those with the greatest chance of survival with the
least expenditure resource are prioritized
Priority is given to number of high salvageability

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 Problem Identification
• History of the incident must be taken into consideration
and
• Examination made to determine the signs and symptoms

and level of consciousness.

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 History
• Story of how the accident happened or illness
began can be obtained from:-

- The casualty/victims

- A witness or bystander
• Points to be considered during history taking:

- Any history of illness

- History of ingested material 37
 Signs and Symptoms
Symptoms
 Sensations and feelings that are described by the
casualty(the patient)
 Which is subjective

Signs
• Variations from normal ascertained by the first aider
• Which is objective and measureble
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 Physical Examination
Level of consciousness
• Full consciousness
– Able to speak and answer questions normally
• Drowsiness
– Easily aroused but laps into unconscious state
• Stupor
– Roused with difficulty, awake of painful stimuli
• Coma
– Can not be aroused by any stimuli

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 Physical Exami….
Urgent care: DRABC
• Danger
• Response
• Open Air way
• Maintain Breathing
• Restore Circulation

Always assess and manage before moving on to the

next step!
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 Key points with DR ABC
Systematic focus to quickly treating life
threatening situations... TIME IS CRITICAL
If a problem is found at any point during your DR
ABC checking, do not move onto the next element
until you have managed the issue.
 E.g. if the patient does not have a patent airway
there is no point checking for breathing
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 D=DANGER
Assess and ensure the safety of all those
attending the patient, e.g. cables or fluids on the
floor or unsafe electrical circuits, & other unsafe
materials should be removed.
If action is needed this must be done before
treating the patient, b/c we don’t want others
injured!!!
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 R=RESPONSE
Check for a response from the patient using the
AVPU scale.
 Gently shake the casualty on the shoulder and
check by COWS method
 Repeat this into both ears to see if they respond

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 AVPU Scale

ALERT = CONSCIOUS

VOICE =Responds to command/voice

PAIN = Responds to pain

UNRESPONSIVE =No response to voice or pain

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 IF NO RESPONSE
Call for HELP!!!
Make a responsible body aware that you may
need urgent assistance
Continue your assessment and proceed to ABC
approach

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 A=AIRWAY
 Open airway by using head tilt- chin lift maneuver

for non traumatic patient and by jaw thrust

maneuver for traumatic patient
Check that there is nothing obvious in the mouth
e.g. food, secretions, toys and foreign bodies etc.
 Remove if possible but no blind finger sweeps

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 Head tilt- chin lift maneuver

Jaw thrust maneuver

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 B= BREATHING
(LLF);Look, Listen and Feel; No more
than 10 seconds for checking
 Look- Can you see the chest rise &
fail?
 Listen- Can you hear normal
breathing?
 Feel- Can you feel breath on
your cheek?
If there is no breathing give artificial
breathing/respiration

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 C=Circulation
Assess for organ perfusion?? & control bleeding
 Level of consciousness
 Skin color and temperature
 Pulse rate and character
 Capillary refill <2 seconds
Control life threatening hemorrhage with different bleeding
control techniques
Administer IV fluids if there is sign of shock if possible and
available
If there is no pulse perform CPR
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 Treatment

Give treatment that is essential to sustain life:

Emergency resuscitation
Control bleeding and manage shock
Prevent the condition from becoming worse
Cover wound
Immobilize fractures and any injured part
Place the casualty in correct and comfortable position
Promote recovery
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 Treatment…
Reassure
Relieve pain
Give any other treatment needed
Handle gently and carefully at all times
Move as little as possible
Protect from cold
Transport the victim to higher health institution

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 Treatment…

In a serious case call a health personnel

A brief written report should accompany the casualty
Tactful message should be sent to the family if necessary

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 Golden rule’s of First Aid
• Do first things first quickly, quietly & with out fuss or panic.
• Give artificial respiration if breathing stopped.
• Stop any bleeding
• Don’t attempt too much-do the objective is to save life &
prevent the condition from worsening.
• Reassure the causality
• Don’t allow people to crows around b/c fresh air is
mandatory
• Don’t remove clothes unnecessarily
• Arrange transportation as much as possible

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Thank
You…!!

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