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Most
first aid courses are designed for people who live in or near cities and
close to medical help. The first aider usually has only a few minutes
before an ambulance arrives. During that time, he/she must protect
the casualty, be sure that he/she can breathe, stop any serious bleeding,
and possibly splint fractures. When the casualty is transported the
first aiders' job is finished...
Well being
a hunter or guide in the bush it is much different. The first aider must
not only provide immediate care but he/she must also move the casualty
to a safe camp, or make a camp. He/she must understand the problem well
enough to describe it to a doctor over the radio. He/She must care for
the casualty for long periods under cold and unsanitary conditions, with
very limited supplies. Lacking a large first-aid kit described in
my First Aid Kit Page, the first-aider must often create bandages and dressings
from what is at hand and make them sterile, or at least very clean. He/She
must make splints from whatever is available. He/She must watch for
infection developing in wounds and know what to do if it develops.
He/She must give the casualty proper fluids and food. Often he/she
must transport the casualty for many hours or even days to reach medical
care.
Some of the things that a first aide in the bush might be called upon to
do are not really "first aid" but could be called "second aid" (medical
treatment, or field nursing)
Note:
When a first aider does anything that is beyond first aid, he/she must
never do them needlessly but only when he/she absolutely must and when
there is no choice. He/She must do these things with a very clear
understanding of what he/she is doing and what the hazards are. He/she
must never experiment.
If a hunter/guide
has a bellyache, the first aider must decide whether it is serious enough
to break camp and make the long trip back. If a casualty freezes a foot,
the first aider must decide whether or not to thaw it. If he/she does,
he/she must know how to do it properly. Doing this incorrectly can make
the situation worse.
First
aid in the bush presents some fearsome challenges and sometimes seems terribly
different from first aid in a community. But the basics are the same except
you may have to carry it farther. It is important to understand the "WHY"
of first aid, so you can react more intelligently and improvise ways of
dealing with problems.
Next: Remembering
what to do |
