Aishwarya Iyer
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Written By: Aishwarya Iyer | Published : September 10, 2018 1:32 PM IST
Image Source: © Shutterstock
Unless you have been living in a remote imaginary world with no vehicle, it is almost impossible that you haven't heard, seen or read about road accidents. We are living at a time when road accidents occur almost everyday and yet, we seem to be unprepared to deal with them.
An ambulance takes 10 minutes on an average to reach an accident victim and being trained in first aid will give you the power to handle those initial crucial minutes. This should be made accessible to all. Moreover, first aid for various health problems like high blood glucose, low blood sugar or heart attack, is not known by many. Accidents can happen to anyone but knowing about the first-aid can help you save a life. However, most people are clueless about what to do if a person faints, drowns or suffers an electric shock.Road accidents call for immediate action with expertise. Therefore, adults and children alike should be equipped to perform basic first-aid.
"Being in the emergency department we get to see many cases where I strongly feel that, if the people around were trained in first aid, we could have easily avoided serious damages or even saved precious lives. In all kinds of trauma like falling from a height or a road traffic accident, one of the risks that comes along with, is that of a cervical spine injury where, the way a victim is handled post the mishap, is very important," said Dr Shailesh Shetty S, Sr. Specialist - Emergency Medicine, Aster CMI Hospital, Bangalore.
"If the victim is moved without immobilizing (fixing) the spine, it can lead to lifetime paralysis or even be fatal thus playing a significant role in the quality of rest of his life. In case of a limb fracture as a result of a road crash something as basic as stabilizing the limb with whatever is available at the disposal like newspaper rolled up or cardboard acting as splint can go a long way in saving the limb till the time they reach the hospital," added the doctor.
