WiRED Completes Module on First Aid Topics

Teaching Community Health Workers about Vital First Aid Basics

BY ALLISON KOZICHAROW; EDITED BY BERNICE BORN

Ideally, doctors and nurses belong on the scene in any medical emergency. However, in underserved areas of the world, the burden of care more often falls on community health workers (CHWs) who, if trained properly, can save lives and prevent further injury.

 

Knowing WHAT to do, what NOT to do and WHEN to refer a patient for medical assistance enables CHWs to support an injured person and provide time for additional help to arrive, if necessary.

WiRED International is completing a series of First Aid Modules designed to train CHWs on administering urgent and immediate lifesaving measures that can be performed on injured people by nonmedical professionals when medical personnel are not immediately available.

 

The first in the WiRED series is a module on selected first aid topics, which offers a valuable guide to first aid for a range of simple emergencies. WiRED chose common conditions which we have observed through our field experience in low-resource regions and which have been suggested to us by people in these communities.

 

The six common first aid situations we highlight are:

The module features each topic’s signs, symptoms, medication and pain treatments, and how to keep injured areas clean and bandaged. In addition to this “sampler” module, WiRED will provide many additional first aid modules, each addressing in greater detail a specific condition.

 

Knowing WHAT to do, what NOT to do and WHEN to refer a patient for medical assistance enables CHWs to support an injured person and provide time for additional help to arrive, if necessary.

 

Just as important, CHWs’ basic understanding of good first aid practices allows them to teach proper first aid basics to people in the communities they serve. Teaching first aid is an excellent way to encourage community members to participate in their own health.

 

 

Quiz Questions Taken from WiRED’s Selected First Aid Topics Module

1. Chemical burns should be washed with _____________ immediately.

 A. Rubbing alcohol
 B. Hydrogen peroxide
 C. Water
 D. Soap

2. The main objective in treating mild bleeding due to cuts, scrapes, lacerations or other minor skin wounds is to do what?

 A. Apply pressure
 B. Clean the wound
 C. Bandage the wound
 D. All of the above

3. Avoid giving ___________ for a fever.

 A. Acetaminophen
 B. Aspirin
 C. Ibuprofen

4. Sprains or strains should be iced for how long?

 A. 3 minutes on/at least 3 minutes off
 B. 5 minutes on/at least 5 minutes off
 C. 10 minutes on/at least 10 minutes off
 D. 15 minutes on/at least 15 minutes off