Dr. Muhammad Mahtab Hossain Mazed

World First Aid Day 2024 International First Aid Day is observed every year on the second Saturday of September. As such, Saturday (September 14) will also be observed as First Aid Day in the country.

This idea originated with the aim of creating public awareness about how first aid saves lives and saves from various crises in daily life. We never know when an injury may strike us or our loved ones or those around us. First aid is the first or immediate aid given to any person with minor or serious illness or injury to save life, prevent deterioration or recovery. This includes early intervention in serious situations before receiving professional medical help, such as: treating minor conditions, applying plasters or bandages, saving life by applying measures to stop bleeding in an injured patient, as well as cardiopulmonary rehabilitation before receiving professional medical help(CPR) to be performed.First aid is usually administered by someone trained in these matters. So it's good for everyone to have some basic knowledge to take care of critical situations, going from bad to worse or staying healthy until medical help arrives.

> Objectives of World First Aid Day:-

To take necessary steps to save the life of the injured person, to improve the condition of the injured person by giving first aid and try to avoid infection and to take the patient to the hospital quickly in case of major accident or emergency.

The second goal is to improve the condition of the injured person by providing first aid and try to avoid infection. First aid plays an important role in saving lives. However, proper training and knowledge is required to administer first aid to an injured person.

The third goal is to get the patient to the hospital quickly in case of a major accident or emergency. The ability to act quickly in an emergency can help save lives and reduce the impact of injuries.

> First aid history:-
More than 160 years old. At the Battle of Solfrino (1859), a merchant named Henri Dunant was there and witnessed the carnage there. Then he was terrified. He wrote a book called Memoirs of Solfrino, in which Dunant's ideas inspired the formation of an independent organization called the ICRC to care for the soldiers. Later, he co-founded the Red-Cross. From its discovery in the 19th century to the present day, the plight of man is present. From war injuries to everyday street and family accidents, first aid is important.

> Why first aid training is important:-

1. Enhances Protection:- The foundation of first aid training is 'prevention'. It is always better to be safe than 'sorry'. Knowledge of first aid promotes a sense of security and well-being in people, encouraging them to be more aware and safe of the environment they live in.

2. Helps relieve pain:- Some injuries require very simple solutions like applying an ice pack or a quick rub. Sometimes there is no need to go to a hospital emergency department. In this case, the assistance of someone trained in a first aid course is sufficient. Applying simple first aid techniques can help reduce pain and provide at least temporary pain relief.

3. Helps in saving life:- By applying first aid, immediate action can be taken after seeing any accident happening in the vicinity and saving the life of the accident victim. Accident training can be of greater benefit in traumatic situations.

4. Prevents situation from getting worse:-Trained person knows how to prevent situation from getting worse. They will provide temporary treatment until professional help arrives, which will prevent the affected person from deterioratingAnd in any situation we take action with present intelligence. It sometimes brings benefits or helps to save someone's life. But a person with good knowledge or training in first aid can skillfully and confidently decide what to do after an illness or injury, which can save a life. And having a first aid box at home is useful. First aid box is a portable box. It can contain many things. With which minor accidents can be dealt with initially. So that if a person is somehow injured or suddenly ill, he can be given emergency first aid. Some tools can be used to quickly decide what to do next for the patient. There are also some, which can be used to get some time after dealing with the situation first, which can be used to take the people who have been in an accident to a safe place.

> Expanding the scope of primary care:-
First aid is the first and immediate step in any critical moment, in any critical moment, in any illness, from major road accidents, passenger launch sinking in water, floods to tsunamis, from kitchen fire burns to blisters or knife cut hands.

In any accident, we take various steps based on our experience and available wisdom. With proper knowledge and training the move can be very effective and in most cases it will help save lives. We can even carry a first aid box while traveling. It can contain many things. For example – Gauze, Bandage, Caesar, Antiseptic like Dettol, Savlon, some emergency medicine, Saline for consumption, Sugar for Diabetic patient etc. These can be used to deal with minor accidents initially, so that if a person is injured or suddenly ill, they can be given emergency first aid. Quick decision can be made by using some equipments like blood pressure measuring machine, glucometer to check sugar of diabetic patient. Possible items in a first aid kit are information leaflets, medium and large sterile dressings, bandages – gauze roller bandages/elastic bandages/adhesive bandages/triangular bandages, tourniquets, safety pins, sterile wet wipes, microporous tape, nitrile gloves, face shields, foil blankets, Burned clothingClothes scissors, conforming bandages, finger dressings, antiseptic cream, scissors, tweezers, alcohol pads for sanitizing instruments, some emergency medicines etc.
With the help of these tools, some time is gained by dealing with the situation initially, so that the people who are in the accident can be taken to a safe place.

> Types of accidents:-
Although there are various types, the most common but the most deadly today is the road accident. However, if it is possible to give first aid within an hour of the injury, it is possible to reduce the death rate in road accidents by 50 percent. To focus on this important issue, the slogan of this year's World First Aid Day has been chosen as 'First Aid and Road Safety' - first aid and safe roads.

Drivers, pedestrians and common people we all can avoid accidents by obeying traffic laws. Our vigilance and awareness can be the curtain between life and death. The goal is to save the patient's life as well as to prevent the deterioration of the condition, if possible, to improve it through immediate contemporary measures. First aid is to treat or nurse the illness and deliver it safely to the right destination by following the prescribed medical procedures. First aid consists of taking appropriate measures in general depending on the condition so that the patient is in stable physical condition until he or she is transported to a hospital, where there is no serious discomfort. Life and death of an injured, sick person largely depends on first aidAnd first aid should be affordable for everyone. One must know the basics of first aid application and acquire this knowledge through training. As we know, uncontrolled bleeding trauma is the number one cause of preventable death. So that no one dies due to uncontrollable bleeding due to lack of first aid, I recommend that all citizens learn to stop bleeding.

And the principle of determining first aid priorities is the principle of determining protocols like ATLS and based on that method, if individual steps can be performed correctly, more lives can be saved in an emergency. An easy way to remember the main points of this protocol is to remember it as 'ABCDE'.

1. B: Breathing: If breathing and heart stop (cardiac arrest), perform CPR. That is, press the chest slowly with your hands, it can make breathing normal.

2. C: Circulation and Bleeding:_Stop bleeding by applying direct pressure to circulation and bleeding. If the arm or leg is bleeding and a tourniquet is available, tie it over the bleeding site to stop the bleeding.

3.D: Disability:- Consider whether the person is incapacitated due to organic causes. If he loses consciousness, he must be restored to consciousness.

4.1E: EXPOSURE AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROLS:_Loose clothing worn by injured or ill persons. If a blanket or thick cloth is available, it should be wrapped around the injured or sick person so that his body temperature does not dropLack of first aid is the reason why many people die in emergency situations. Knowledge of first aid is valuable to yourself as well as to the people around you. Knowledge of first aid will enable you to assist injured persons in an accident or emergency until help arrives.
Finally, the introduction of first aid education in primary schools should be compulsory. In this, children can learn the basic aspects of first aid at the beginning of life. Children should be motivated through first aid education programs to develop first aid and help people tendencies. And if the road accident patient is treated with care in the initial stage then almost 50% of the death can be preventedAnd first aid at the right time can save a life. Every year on the second Saturday of September, this day is being celebrated all over the worldThe idea and main purpose of celebrating this day is to create public awareness about how first aid saves lives and saves from various crises in daily life.

The writer, physician, columnist and researcher Founder Chairman,Jatiya Rogi Kallyan Society.