first aid

first aid, immediate and temporary treatment of a victim of sudden illness or injury while awaiting the arrival of medical aid. Proper early measures may be instrumental in saving life and ensuring a better and more rapid recovery. The avoidance of unnecessary movement and over-excitation of the victim often prevents further injury. Conditions that require immediate attention to avert death include cessation of breathing ( asphyxia), severe bleeding, poisoning, strokes, and heart attack. The essentials of first aid treatment also include the correct bandaging of a wound; the application of splints for fractures and dislocations; the effective methods of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and artificial respiration; and treatment of shock, frostbite, fainting, bites and stings, burns, and heat exhaustion.

Sections in this article:

• Introduction
• Shock
• Frostbite
• Fractures and Joint Injuries
• Foreign Body in the Eye
• Heatstroke
• Asphyxia and Obstruction of Air Passages
• Drowning and Near-Drowning
• Wound
• Severe Bleeding
• Fainting
• Heat Exhaustion
• Poisoning
• Burns
• Bites and Stings
• Bibliography

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2012, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

See more Encyclopedia articles on: Medicine