First Aid Honor - Basic

Science & Health

Requirements

What is first aid? What are its purposes?
Answer: First aid is the immediate, temporary care provided to an injured or sick person before specialized medical attention. Purposes: to preserve life, prevent the worsening of injuries, relieve suffering, and aid recovery, until professional help arrives. — First aid is the bridge between the accident and medical care — done well, it can save a life.
What is shock? What are the main types? What are the main causes? Demonstrate the proper treatment for hypovolemic and anaphylactic shock.
Answer: Shock is circulatory failure in which blood does not properly reach the organs, threatening life. Main types: hypovolemic (loss of blood/fluids), cardiogenic (heart failure), anaphylactic (severe allergic reaction), and septic (severe infection). Causes: hemorrhages, burns, dehydration, allergies, infections. Hypovolemic shock: lay the victim down, elevate the legs, control hemorrhages, keep them warm, give nothing by mouth, and call for help. Anaphylactic shock: call for help urgently, administer adrenaline if available/prescribed (auto-injector pen), keep the airway clear, and monitor the victim. — Recognizing and acting quickly in shock — controlling the cause and maintaining circulation — can prevent death.
Demonstrate the proper maneuver in case a victim is choking.
Know the proper procedure in case a victim has a hemorrhage.
Answer: Wear gloves (protection), apply direct pressure to the wound with a clean cloth or gauze, keep the pressure firm and continuous, elevate the affected limb (if possible) and, if the bleeding is heavy, do not remove the soaked dressing — place another one on top. Call for help. Use a tourniquet only as a last resort, for severe limb hemorrhages that do not stop. — Direct, firm pressure on the wound is the most effective and safe way to stop most hemorrhages.
Know the proper procedure for treating a poisoning victim.
Answer: Move the victim away from the source, identify what was ingested or inhaled (keep the bottle/label), do NOT induce vomiting without guidance (it can make things worse with corrosive products), keep the airway clear, and call the poison control center or emergency services immediately (in Brazil, SAMU 192). In case of inhalation, take the person into the open air. — Not inducing vomiting on your own and quickly seeking guidance from the poison control center is the golden rule in poisoning.
Know the appropriate procedure for helping victims with first-, second-, and third-degree burns. Through drawings or models, demonstrate the percentage of body surface area of the following body parts: head, upper limbs, lower limbs, back, chest, and abdomen.
Know the proper procedure for assisting victims of chemical burns.
Answer: Protect yourself (gloves), remove contaminated clothing and accessories, wash the area with plenty of running water for a good while (15 to 20 minutes or more) to dilute and remove the product; if it is a dry chemical powder, brush it off before washing; do not use homemade 'neutralizers'; cover with a clean cloth and seek help, informing what the product was. — Washing with plenty of running water is what removes the chemical agent and limits the damage — the sooner, the better.
Know what situations can lead to carbon monoxide poisoning, and the rescue and treatment techniques for this type of poisoning.
Answer: Carbon monoxide (CO) is a colorless and odorless gas, produced by incomplete combustion (engines running in an enclosed space, heaters, poorly ventilated stoves and ovens, fires). Rescue: do not enter the environment alone without protection, open doors and windows, turn off the source and move the victim into the open air. Treatment: provide fresh air/oxygen, keep the airway clear, start rescue breathing if necessary and call for help immediately. — CO kills silently: ventilating, taking the victim into the open air and giving oxygen are the steps that save lives.
Know the proper procedure for treating victims with head injuries.
Answer: Keep the victim still and calm, control bleeding with light pressure (without pressing if there is a depression in the skull), watch the level of consciousness, vomiting, fluid coming from the nose or ear, and the size of the pupils. Do not give anything by mouth, do not move the neck (suspect a spinal injury) and call for help urgently. If the victim is unconscious but breathing, carefully place them in the recovery position. — Head trauma can involve the brain and the spine: immobilizing, watching consciousness and calling for help are essential.
Know the proper procedure for assisting victims with internal injuries.
Answer: An internal injury is suspected after severe trauma when there is intense abdominal pain, a rigid abdomen, paleness, cold sweat, rapid pulse, thirst and signs of shock, or bleeding from orifices. Procedure: lay the victim down, keep them still and warm, do NOT give anything by mouth, monitor the vital signs, treat for shock and call for help urgently — there is no home treatment, it is a medical emergency. — Internal hemorrhage cannot be seen, but it kills: recognizing the signs and calling for help quickly is what matters.
Know how to prevent infections.
Answer: To prevent wound infections: wash your hands before giving aid, wear gloves, clean the wound with clean water or saline, avoid touching the part of the dressing that contacts the wound, cover with clean gauze/dressing, change it when dirty and keep the tetanus vaccine up to date. Do not use questionable products on the wound. — Clean hands, a clean wound and a protected dressing: that is how you keep a simple injury from turning into an infection.
What is the proper treatment for snake bites? Know which health center is the reference one in your region.
Answer: Keep the victim calm and as still as possible, lying down, with the bitten limb in a neutral position; remove rings and watches; wash the area with soap and water; do NOT cut, suck, apply a tourniquet or apply any substances; note the time and, if possible and without putting yourself at risk, the snake's appearance; and take the person urgently to the reference hospital to receive the antivenom serum. — Stay calm, immobilize and get to the hospital quickly for the serum — no cutting or sucking, which only make things worse.
What is the proper treatment for animal bites? What is rabies? Which class of animals can transmit rabies?
Answer: For an animal bite: wash the area well with soap and water for several minutes, control the bleeding, cover with a clean dressing and seek medical care (assess the tetanus and rabies vaccines). Rabies is a serious viral disease, almost always fatal, that affects the nervous system. It is transmitted by mammals — mainly unvaccinated dogs and cats, bats and wild animals (monkeys, foxes). — Washing the bite very well and seeking care quickly prevents rabies — a disease almost always fatal without treatment in time.
What is the proper treatment for insect and spider bites?
Answer: For insect stings: wash the area, apply a cold compress to reduce pain and swelling, remove the stinger (from a bee) by scraping it out, and watch for allergic reactions (generalized swelling, shortness of breath), which require urgent help. For a dangerous spider or scorpion sting: wash, apply a compress, immobilize, keep the victim calm and take them to the hospital, noting the time and the type of animal, if possible. — Most stings and bites are mild, but stay alert to signs of severe allergy and to venomous animals — those require a hospital.
What is the difference between dehydration and heatstroke, and what is the proper treatment for each?
Answer: Dehydration is the excessive loss of water and salts from the body (due to heat, diarrhea, vomiting or low intake), with thirst, dry mouth, weakness and dark urine; treatment: replace fluids little by little (water, homemade oral rehydration solution) and rest in the shade. Heatstroke is excessive exposure to the sun/heat that greatly raises the body's temperature, with hot, red skin, headache, dizziness and even confusion; treatment: take the victim to a cool place, cool the body with damp cloths, offer fluids if they are conscious and seek help if it is severe. — Dehydration is a lack of fluids; heatstroke is overheating from the sun — both call for shade, cooling and rehydration.
What is the proper procedure for a person whose clothes are on fire?
Answer: Apply the 'STOP, DROP and ROLL' rule: get the person to stop (do not run, because the wind fans the fire), drop to the ground and roll to smother the flames, or smother them with a blanket. Then, cool the burns with running water, do not remove clothing stuck to the skin and call for help. — 'Stop, drop and roll' puts out the fire on the body — running only makes it worse; smothering and cooling save the skin and the life.
What are the basic principles for preventing fires in your home?
Answer: Do not overload outlets or leave exposed wires; do not leave the stove on unattended; keep matches, lighters and flammable products away from children and from fire; check for gas leaks (and shut off the valve when leaving); do not smoke in bed; fully put out candles and campfires; and keep a suitable fire extinguisher at home. — Most house fires are preventable: be careful with wires, gas, the stove and flammable materials.
What are the basic safety principles in rivers, seas, and pools?
Answer: Never swim alone; respect the signage and the lifeguards; do not enter the water after eating a lot or using alcohol; do not dive in shallow or unknown places; beware of currents (in the sea, if you are pulled, swim parallel to the beach); supervise children at all times and fence off pools; and enter the water gradually. — Most drownings are preventable with supervision, respect for limits and attention to currents.
What are the ways to save a drowning victim without swimming?
Answer: Follow the 'reach, throw — don't go' principle: extend an object for the victim to grab (bamboo, branch, oar, towel), lying flat on the ground so you are not pulled in; or throw something that floats, tied to a rope (a buoy, a closed bottle), for them to hold on to and be pulled in. Only enter the water as a last resort and with training. — Reaching out or throwing a support is safer than entering the water — an unprepared rescuer can become the second victim.
What are the basic safety principles regarding electricity?
Answer: Do not touch appliances or outlets with wet hands; do not overload outlets; keep children away from outlets (use protectors); do not use appliances with exposed wires; turn off the power before working on the wiring; and, when helping someone who has been electrocuted, do NOT touch the victim before turning off the power — use an insulating material (dry wood) to move them away from the source. — With electricity, the golden rule in a rescue is to turn off the source before touching the victim — otherwise you get the shock too.
How do you prevent food poisoning?
Answer: Wash your hands and food well, cook meats and eggs thoroughly, keep food refrigerated (do not leave perishables out of the fridge), separate raw food from cooked food (avoid cross-contamination), use potable water, check expiration dates and do not consume food with an altered smell or appearance, nor of doubtful origin. — Proper hygiene, cooking and refrigeration block the microorganisms that cause food poisoning.