first aid

a. immediate medical assistance given in an emergency

b. (as modifier): first-aid box

2. (in Barbados) a small shop that sells domestic items after hours

Collins Discovery Encyclopedia, 1st edition © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

The following article is from The Great Soviet Encyclopedia (1979). It might be outdated or ideologically biased.

First Aid

prompt preventive and therapeutic measures taken to help an accident victim or a person suddenly taken ill.

First aid includes personal and mutual first aid and first aid provided by medical personnel. It is usually rendered by a nonspecialist: the ill person himself or a witness to the accident. The measures taken largely depend on the nature of the injury or disease. Most often, first aid entails the halting of bleeding and application of bandages to wounds or burns. Closed-chest cardiac massage and mouth-to-mouth artificial respiration are employed if clinical death has occurred. Splints, usually improvised, are applied to fractures. If poisoning has occurred, the stomach is washed out by inducing vomiting, and such drugs as aminopyrine, nitroglycerin, and validol are administered if available. The ill person or accident victim is placed in a comfortable position and brought at once to the nearest medical facility.

All medical facilities, including pharmacies, are required to render first aid, as are all medical personnel present at the scene of an accident. First aid in industry and agriculture, on transport facilities, and in public places is rendered at first-aid stations equipped with stretchers, splints, and first-aid kits containing drugs and dressings. The effectiveness of first aid depends largely on training the entire population in the basic methods of first aid. This training, which ought to begin in grade school, should be given in particular to individuals engaged in hazardous occupations, such as transport workers, electricians, machine assemblers, miners, and lumberjacks.

V. IA. IL’IN

Mentioned in

References in periodicals archive

Students who had undertaken course study in first aid had significantly higher mean scores in all categories except 'low knowledge'.

A field study of first aid knowledge and attitudes of college students in Kuwait University

Table-1: First aid treatment for burns provided by parents.

Do parents have knowledge of first aid management of burns in their children? A hospital based survey

Talking to mediapersons, Dr Iftikhar Ahmed, head of the local first aid section, said that the purpose of the training was to boost capacity of members of the first aid responders.

Workshop for first aid responders held

"BRCS is keen to raise awareness of road accident deaths and injuries, and encourage people of all ages to learn first aid techniques, skills and confidence to deal with emergencies at a road accident," added Dr Amin.

'Make first aid skills mandatory for driving licence'

In nearly every country in the world, National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies are leading providers of first aid and first response training.

Liberians urged to learn First Aid

Speaking on the occasion, the Rizwan Naseer welcomed all volunteers and briefed them about the importance of First Aid Day and the first aid training by giving an example of rescue operations in which timely first aid had been provided to 1, 415, 092 victims of emergencies since its inception.

PES to train first-aider at every home: DG

Ang said the knowledge on first aid is important to media practitioners, especially those doing field works, as they are usually confronted with or exposed to risky conditions.

Journos get Red Cross training

First aid box was available in all schools but its contents were not satisfactory.

First aid facilities in the school settings: Are schools able to manage adequately?

Reece said: "As a St John Ambulance cadet, I've seen first-hand how important first aid can be in an emergency.

Reece happy to come to aid of life-saving lesson

A COMPANY based in modest offices in Huddersfield is helping some of the biggest names in business to train their staff in first aid. PFE First Aid Training Services Ltd, led by husband and wife team James and Patricia Garvey, was formed in the wake of first aid legislation that came into force in 1982 and quickly established itself as a nationwide provider of first aid at work training.

First aid training for big business names

A CHARITY has repeated its call for first aid education to be an integral part of the school curriculum in Wales after a survey revealed that most people lack confidence in their lifesaving skills.

'Put first aid on school curriculum'

NEW YORK -- A number of chain drug retailers have been taking steps to optimize their merchandising of health care categories, including first aid, pain management and associated segments.

In-store experience centers on solutions