Introduction to First Aid
First aid is immediate help provided to a sick or injured person until professional medical help arrives or becomes available. It does not imply medical treatment and is by no means a replacement for it. Instead, the objective of first aid is to:
- Preserve life
- Prevent further harm and complications
- Seek immediate medical help
- Provide reassurance
Basic Life Support
Basic Life Support (BLS) is an emergency procedure that consists of recognizing respiratory or cardiac arrest or both and the proper application of CPR to maintain life until a victim recovers or advanced life support is available.
Legal Concerns
- Consent
- Duty to Act
- Standard of Care
- Negligence
- Abandonment
- Confidentiality
Article 12, No. 4 of Act No. 3815 of the Philippine Revised Penal Code Book One
“Any person who, while performing a lawful act with due care, causes an injury by mere accident without fault or intention of causing it, is exempt from criminal liability”. This is also known as the Good Samaritan law.
Article 275, Nos. 1 & 2 of Act No. 3815 of the Philippine Revised Penal Code Book Two
Abandonment of Person in Danger and Abandonment of One’s Own Victim: (1) “Anyone who shall fail to render assistance to any person whom he shall in an uninhabited place wounded or in danger of dying, when he can render such assistance without detriment to himself, unless such omission shall constitute a more serious offense” and (2) “Anyone who shall fail to help or render assistance to another whom he has accidentally wounded or injured” are grounds for abandonment.
Health Hazards and Risks
- Common Transmittable Diseases: helping unknown individuals poses the risk of contracting an infectious disease, especially during contact and CPR.
- Examples: Herpes, Meningitis, Tuberculosis, Hepatitis, HIV
- Prevention and Protection: the use of universal precautions, a set of strategies developed to prevent transmission of bloodborne pathogen, is maintained to provide protection against health hazards. This involves:
- Body Substance Isolation (BSI) prevents the risk of exposure from body secretions and any other type of body substance such as urine, vomit, feces, sweat, or sputum.
- Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is specialized clothing, equipment, and supplies that keep an individual separated from direct contact with infected materials.