What are the basic first aid skills?

The core of the basic first aid skills that ordinary people need to master are those that can be quickly learned and have a high probability of saving lives or preventing the worsening of injuries. There is no need to memorize obscure medical terminology, and if you are proficient in a few key operations, you can deal with most daily emergency scenarios.

Last week, I was on duty at the emergency science point in the community square. I happened to encounter an uncle who was performing square dancing and suddenly fell to the ground. People around him were surrounded by people shouting in panic. I went up and felt that the carotid artery was not pulsating and the chest was not rising. I immediately knelt down and performed chest compressions. At the same time, I called the young man next to me to go to the property to get an AED. In less than four minutes, the uncle resumed breathing on his own. If no one had dared to perform CPR at that time, it would have taken at least ten minutes to wait for 120 to arrive. I really can’t imagine the consequences. Don’t be afraid if you have not received professional training. Chest compression is not that particular. For adults, just press at the midpoint between the two nipples. Press down 5 to 6 centimeters. The frequency is about the same as the time when you sing "Little Apple."

In addition to the extreme situation of cardiac arrest, the most common daily fatal scenario is foreign objects stuck in the throat. Last month, a three-year-old child in the community had his airway stuck after eating jelly, and his face turned purple from holding it in. The old man was still patting the child's back hard. I rushed over and put an arm around the child's waist from the back, put my fist on the two fingers above the navel, and pushed it up three times quickly, and the jelly spurted out. There is no need to memorize the complicated classification of this Heimlich maneuver. Babies under 1 year old should alternately pat the back and press the chest. Children and adults over 1 year old should follow this method of patting the belly. If you encounter a pregnant woman or a particularly fat person who cannot wrap your arms around the waist, pat the chest. Don't pat the back blindly. Many times the patting is not done correctly and the foreign object will be patted deeper.

As for minor conditions such as bumps, burns, and sprains that we encounter every day, we don’t need to use too many home remedies. A while ago, a high school student fell while riding an electric bicycle and his knees were bruised and bloody. His companions poured white wine on his wounds to disinfect and sprinkled Yunnan Baiyao powder. The pain made him squat on the roadside and cry. In fact, small bleeding can be stopped by pressing clean gauze or even a new unopened mask on the wound in three to five minutes. If the wound is deep and there is a foreign object stuck in, don't pull it out or poke it randomly, just put pressure on the wound and send it to the hospital as soon as possible. For burns and scalds, immediately rinse with cold water for 20 minutes. Do not apply toothpaste or soy sauce. If you have a sprain, do not rub or apply heat. Wrap an ice pack in a towel and apply it for 20 minutes. Elevate the injured area. It is more effective than any earthwork.

By the way, there is another question that people often ask about pinching people. There are actually differences in the role of this operation in the industry. One school of thought believes that painful stimulation can wake up ordinary people who have fainted. There are also many studies that prove that pinching people has no real effect on first aid. If the patient's mouth is pressed shut by improper operation, it may block the passage of vomit discharge and cause suffocation. If you really encounter someone who faints, call 120 first and turn the person sideways to avoid choking on vomit. This is a safer choice.

In fact, when we ordinary people learn first aid, we don’t need to strive to reach the level of professional first aiders. It’s enough to be proficient in these most commonly used operations. Don’t panic and dare to take action when you encounter an accident. After all, the golden first aid time is only a few minutes. Just one stretch of your hand may save a life.