What dangers do you face in a situation where first aid is required?

Answer 1

There are three main areas of dangers in a First Aid situation.

The first is from the victim himself. A diabetic with an unstable blood sugar may lash out at a first aider. An epileptic or head injured person may do the same, as may victims of near drowning or intoxication for instance. A victim may have a communicable disease which could infect a first aider, such as an HIV Positive person bleeding after an accident.

The second danger is environmental. A victim of electrocution, for instance, may be lying on a live electrical cable so the first aider must do a quick evaluation of danger so that the next first aider doesn't have two victims to deal with. There may be danger from fire, chemical spills, traffic, wild animals and gases to name a few, and the first aider must do a quick environmental assessment to keep both himself and the victim as safe as possible. In a live electrical cable situation, a non conductive implement such as a stick can be used to knock the cable out of the way so the first aider can safely attend to the victim. The victim should be removed from danger or danger should be removed from the victim before first aid is started. Also included in the 'environmental' category is threats from other people such as a rival gang refusing to allow the victim to be treated or hysterical loved ones in shock trying to interfere with the administering of first aid.

The final danger I will mention is of litigation. If a first aider cracks a victim's rib during CPR for instance, the victim may initiate legal proceedings against the first aider once they have recovered. In my own personal opinion, I could live more easily with my conscience if I took steps to save a life rather than watch someone die through fear of prosecution.