By: Fernanda Xcaret Castelan Alonzo*
First Aid May be Needed When You Travel
Are you planning to travel? It’s a good idea to learn basic First Aid. First Aid may be needed in a variety of circumstances, such as fainting, fractures, animal or insect bites, collisions, sunburn, among others.
Every day we are exposed to situations that can affect our health and we are not always aware of it; we tend to think that something will happen to others before us. The risk goes up for anyone who travels away from home in an unfamiliar and different environment. You can get overheated, fall, or encounter a variety of insects!
A good idea is to learn about First Aid. There are many First Aid practices that many of us do not know and we do not give them the importance that we should, but it is essential to know how to deal with the emergencies that may arise.
One of the most important procedures, especially for older people, is CPR – cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
This practice becomes necessary when there is a cardio-respiratory arrest, which consists of the sudden and unexpected interruption of spontaneous breathing and circulation.
It can be a consequence of accidents such as electric shocks or lung injuries. Subsequently, there may be a decrease in the transport of oxygen to vital organs.
First Aid procedures vary and it is very useful to know what action to take in a moment of urgency. Actions can vary according to the needs of the victim; it is important to know what to do and what not to do at the moment, especially because the adrenaline can play a trick and a misapplied measure can cause serious injuries.
The goal of First Aid is to stabilize the patient and to relieve pain and anxiety until such time more qualified personnel can attend to the patient.
So, my recommendation is for everyone to investigate the First Aid courses that are available in your community. It’s better to be safe than sorry.
Here is a link where you can sign-up to get free First Aid courses online https://www.redcross.org/take-a-class/first-aid/first-aid-training/first-aid-online
Editor’s Note: Fernanda Xcaret Castelan wrote ths article when she was a senior at Instituto Lizardi in Zihuatanejo, Guerrero, Mexico. She aspires to be a doctor. This article was part of her class project for an English writing class taught by the editor of this publication.