The aim of First Aid is to provide immediate/initial care for an illness or injury. In an emergency situation, first aid treatment is given to a victim to prevent the condition from worsening and prevent further injury. The 3 P’s of First Aid will guide you to determine first aid treatments and the priorities. Here are the three P’s in order:
First ‘P’ – Preserve Life: The main responsibility of a bystander/first responder is to preserve life of the injured person by providing first aid treatments. After assessing the emergency scene for dangers, first responders should start the C-A-B procedure of first aid. Circulation – Assess the quality of their circulation , Airway – ensure that the victim has an airway, Breathing – ensure that the person is breathing. If required perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and rescue breathing until medical professionals arrive.
Second ‘P’ – Prevent Deterioration: The patient must be kept stable and his/her condition must not worsen before emergency medical technicians arrive. The main responsibilities of a first responder in this stage include placing casualty in a comfortable and safe position, providing comfort to casualty, preventing further injury, and applying first aid techniques.
Third ‘P’ – Promote Recovery: Following the first aid treatment, first responder should now encourage confidence in the patient, attempt to relieve pain, and take steps that may help in the recovery process.
Though first responders have a number of responsibilities during emergencies, but remembering these three P’s of first aid will help them to prioritize things that are important for the victim.
