This course is designed for pharmacy technicians who are cable of giving pharmacy service in community

1. INTRODUCTION
Assessing and identifying
client’s condition
For Pharmacy L-III students
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2. Unit I. Introduction
Learning Objectives
At the end of these session the student will able :-
Definition of term
Description of first aid
Benefits of first aid
Aims of first aid
Legal responsibilities
Basic life support
Contributing to OHS in the workplace
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3. Definition of important terms
• First Aid is the first assistance or aid or treatment given to a patient in
an emergency situation before formal and appropriate medical help is
available.
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4. Definition of important terms
• Frist aid: is the immediate care given using skilled application,
accepted principles and ready available materials when an
accident or sudden illness occurs. It can be given until the patient
is taken to health facilities or get proper treatment.
• A first aider is a person who takes this action while taking care to
keep everyone involved safe and to cause no further harm while
doing so.
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5. Cont …
• Respiratory emergency is one in which normal breathing stops or in
which breathing is reduced so that oxygen intake is insufficient to
support life.
• Accident: is an unfortunate incident that happens unexpectedly and
unintentionally, typically resulting in damage or injury.
• Casualty: somebody who has a fatal accident or a serious injury
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6. cont …
• Cardiac arrest: is the sudden stopping of the heartbeat and
heart abruptly stops pumping blood.
• Resuscitation: is a process of correcting physiological disorders in
an acutely unwell patient.
• Recovery position: is a position in which the body is placed facing
downwards and slightly to the side, supported by the bent limbs.
Used for unconscious but breathing casualty (victim).
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7. Recovery position of unconscious patient.
Figure 1
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8. Cont …
• Emergency: is unexpected and sudden event that must be dealt
with urgently.
• Breathing: Act of taking air in and out of the lung
• Respiration: Process of supplying oxygen to cells.
• Artificial respiration; is the act of assisting or
stimulating respiration (breathing).
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9. Cont …
• Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR): is a procedure performed to
restore spontaneous blood circulation and breathing in a person
who is in cardiac arrest.
• Defibrillation: is act of delivering a electrical energy to the heart
with a device called a defibrillator
• ABC: is a word used to remember essential steps when dealing
with a patient. It stands for Airway, Breathing and Circulation
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10. Providing basic first aid
Assess the situation
• First aid is the initial assistance / support or treatment given to
an injured or accidentally ill person using whatever materials or
equipment available at the time before he / she reaches to a
health facility.
• It is the emergency care and treatment of a sick or injured person
before more advance medical assistance
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11. Aim of First aid
To preserve life
To prevent injury
 To alleviate pain
 To prepare the victims for medical aid
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12. Aim of first aid
TO preserve life
ABCD evaluation and management
TO prevent further injury-
C- spine injury in all trauma pts with altered LOC and maintain the
neck in neutral position
TO promote recovery
Administer 100% oxygen, V/S monitoring , prevent
aspiration, treat pain & underline causes
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13. Emergency assessment
• The ability to quickly gather information about the condition of
a casualty can help you to make an accurate assessment .
• The correct first aid care is provided as quickly as possible
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14. First Aider responsibility
I. Assessment of the situation ( DR-ABCD)
II. Diagnosis ( but prioritize the problem)
III. Take immediate action
- Reassure the victim
IV. Arrange transportation for medical aid
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15. First Aider responsibility
I. Assessment of the situation ( DR-ABCD)
- Danger: Ensure for no treat in & around the scene
- Responsiveness : Level of consciousness
: Call for help & position the victim
: Conscious---Take history
: Take Sign & Symptoms
- Airway - Open & clear the airway
- Use head-tilt/chin-lift and jaw trust mane over technique
- Breathing: using LLF approach
Look at the chest
Listen for air movement For 5-10 seconds
Feel with your cheek
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16. Cont…
Circulation:
- Check the Carotid/Brachial/ pulse
- Check for bleeding , shock, & fractures
- Check for burns
- Check for possible head injury
II. Diagnosis ( but prioritize the problem)
III. Take immediate action
- Reassure the victim
IV. Arrange transportation for medical aid
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17. Benefits of first aid
save lives (in the case of seriously injured or ill persons);
reduce the chance of permanent damage (for example, prompt flushing of
the eyes with water after a chemical splash can prevent blindness) help
prevent an injury from becoming more serious (for example, cleaning and
bandaging a cut can help prevent infection and further problems);
Minimize the length and extent of medical treatment;
Reduce lost time from work.
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18. LEGAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR FIRST AIDERS
First Aiders are not expected to be perfect, and it is not expected
that every incident will turn out perfectly. But a first aider should be
reasonable and prudent and act in good faith for the best interests of
the casualty and undertake first aid ‘to the best of their ability’.
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19. General Principles of First-Aid
1. Rescue and removal of the casualty in the shortest possible time
without aggravating existing health situation.
2. First aid should be confined to essentials only.
3. Immediate arrest of hemorrhage.
4. Restoration of respiration and circulation.
5. Prevention of impending shock and treatment of shock if the victim is
already in such a state.
6. Immobilization of simple and compound fractures and dislocations.
7. Alleviation of pain by simple procedures and medication.
8. Assurance of getting well quickly to the victim and moral boosting.
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20. Assessment of the casualty’s condition
• Assessment of the overall situation and the general condition of the
casualty.
• During the process of assessment the following principles has to
be considered:
• Be calm and confident
• Talk, listen & reassure the conscious causality.
• Check safety of casualty and of yourself
• Check for breathing, bleeding and level of consciousness
• Get others to help / EMS/
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21. Components of assessment process
1. Assessment of the situation and safety
2. Initial assessment
3. History taking and
4. Physical examination
5. Ongoing assessment
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22. –An assessment of the scene (current situation of an event) and
the surroundings, if it is safe, will provide valuable information to the
first responder and will ensure the well-being of the first responder. Ex.
Unstable Situation, violent, Hazmat Situation (industry hazardous
material) etc.
• Scene safety in relation to personal protection, casualty and
bystander protection is important.
• NB: If the scene is unsafe, make it safe, Otherwise, DONOT ENTER
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1. Assessment of the situation /Scene size up/

23. The most important step is to stay safe!
• Consider scene safety first
• Fire
• Motor vehicle crash
• Building collapse
• Chemical spill
• Violence
• Infections disease
• Personal Protective equipment
• Gloves
• Gown
• Mask
• Goggles
• Hand washing
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24. Initial assessment
• Is the process used to identify and treat life-threatening problems,
concentrating on level of Consciousness, Cervical Spinal
Stabilization, Airway, Breathing, and Circulation
• It comprises
A. General impression
B. Assessment of responsiveness
C. Assessment of (A,B and C).
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25. Cont …
• A. General impression – this is
performed based on the First
Responder’s immediate assessment
of the environment and the
patient’s chief complaint
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26. B. Assessment of responsiveness by checking if the casualty is
alert, responding to Verbal stimuli, responding to pain stimuli or
Unresponsive.
AVPU causality with finding of P & U need serious attention.
Alert,
responding to Verbal stimuli,
responding to pain stimuli or
Unresponsive
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Decreasing
consciousness

27. Glasgow coma scale
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28. GCS
• was published in 1974 by Graham Teasdale and Bryan J. Jennett,
professors of neurosurgery at the University of Glasgow( in Scotland )
• It is a neurological scale which aims to give a reliable, objective way of
recording the conscious state of a person.
• The scale comprises three tests:
• eyes opening (4 grades),
• verbal response (5 grades),
• motor responses (6 grades).
• The highest possible GCS (the sum) is 15 (fully awake person), while the
lowest is 3 (deep coma or death).
• If the score is less than 7 and more than 3, it’s light coma.
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29. • first aider assess responsiveness of the casualty
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30. Check the patient’s responses by using the “Talk and Touch Method”. Check the
patient’s responses by using the “Talk and Touch Method”.
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31. • If the patient responds they are conscious and breathing –
make them comfortable and check them for any injuries.
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• Call for help if required and
keep monitoring them for at
least 10-15 minutes.
• If you don’t get a response
call 000 immediately.
• A person who doesn’t respond
is unconscious.

32. C. Assessment of Air way
( open the air way, inspect the air way, clear the air way as needed) ,
Breathing and Circulation).
Air way assessment: open airway by performing head-tilt/chin-lift maneuver
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33. 04/29/2025 FA for ALL 33
Open airway; perform jaw thrust.

34. Hazard identification and risk control and
management
Occupational safety and health (OSH)
is a cross-disciplinary area concerned with
protecting the safety, health and welfare of people
engaged in work or employment.
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35. Goals of OSH
 To foster a safe and healthy work environment.
 OSH may also protect co-workers, family members,
employers, customers, and many others who might be affected
by the workplace environment
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36. Occupational health and safety act
Purpose of the OHS Policy & Procedures
• Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Policy &
Procedures has been developed to:-
• assist managers and employees improve their
understanding and management of OHS in their
workplace.
• provide practical information and guidance in
how managers and employees can work together
to achieve a safe and healthy work environment.
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37. Employee responsibilities
• Employees have a responsibility to take care of their own health
and safety and for that of other persons who may be affected by
their acts or omissions.
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38. Employees are required to:
• Perform their work in a safe manner
• Ensure by their actions they do not put at risk the health and safety
of other employees, temporary staff, contractors, visitors and
clients
• Cooperate with management in the implementation of OHS
initiatives
• Participate in rehabilitation programs
• Report workplace hazards immediately to their manager
• Report any incidents or injury which occurs at, or in connection
with, their work.
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39. Hazard identification and risk control
What is a hazard?
• A hazard can be defined as something that has the potential to
cause harm, injury or damage to people or property(E.g.Fire, Flood,
Power/electricity, and Lighting etc.)
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40. What is a risk?
• The likelihood that exposure to the hazard will
cause harm to people at work and the seriousness
of that harm
• Hazards exist in every work place and in many
different forms:
Sharp edges
Falling objects
Flying sparks
Chemicals
Noise
Other potentially dangerous situations
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41. Potential hazards
•include skin absorption of harmful
substances
• Chemical or thermal burns
• Electrical dangers
• Abrasions
• Cuts
• Punctures
• Fractures /Amputations
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42. Examples of potential eye or face injuries include:
• Dust, dirt, metal or wood chips entering the
eye from activities such as chipping,
grinding, sawing, and hammering; use of
power tools; or strong wind forces
• Chemical splashes from corrosive
substances, hot liquids, solvents or other
hazardous solutions
• Objects swinging into the eye or face, such
as tree limbs, chains, tools or ropes
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43. Classification of hazards
Heath hazards:
Dusts
 Heat
Chemicals
Noise
 Radiation
Ergonomics
Physical hazards
Moving objects
 Fluctuating temperatures
 High intensity lighting
 Rolling or pinching objects
 Electrical connections and sharp
edges
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44. .
Hazard management process:
• Identifying, assessing and controlling workplace
hazards and risks promptly will eliminate or reduce
the likelihood of their causing harm to employees
who could become exposed to them.
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45. The four stage workplace hazard
management process
• Stage 1: Hazard identification
• Stage 2: Risk assessment
• Stage 3: Risk Control
• Stage 4: Monitor and Review
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46. Hierarchy of risk control measures
• The risks must be minimized to the lowest
reasonably practicable level by taking the
following measures in the following order. In most
cases a combination of elimination,
substitution, engineering controls,
administrative controls and PPE are chosen to
effectively control the risks.
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47. Cont ...
Personal Protective Equipment:-
Only after all the previous measures have been tried
and found to be ineffective in controlling the risks to a
reasonably practicable level, then Personal Protective
Clothing and Equipment must be used. If chosen,
PPCE should be selected and fitted to the person who
uses it. Workers must be trained in the function and
limitation of each item of PPCE. For example,
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48. Standard precautions
• Are guidelines designed to create a physical, mechanical, or chemical
barrier between micro-organisms and a person to prevent the spread
of infection? (I.e. the barrier serves to break the disease transmission
cycle.)
• Standard precautions recommend wearing gloves for any known or
anticipated contact with blood, body fluids, tissue, mucous
membrane, and non intact skin.
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49. Occupational health and safety
Workplace hazards
A. Blood Borne Viruses (BBVs)
BBVs are mainly found in blood or bodily fluids.
The main BBVs of concern are Human
Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), Hepatitis B and
Hepatitis C.
Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)
HIV, the virus which can cause Acquired Immune
Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS).
Transmition:- is nearly always transmitted through
unprotected vaginal or anal sex,
 through sharing injecting drug equipment,
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50. Cont…
from mother to baby.
There is also a risk from needle stick injuries and from
blood transfusions received in resource-poor countries.
 HIV is transmitted through bodily fluids, in particular
blood, semen, vaginal secretions and breast milk.
It is not transmitted through casual contact, coughing,
sneezing, by sharing a toilet, by eating utensils, or by
consuming food or beverages handled or prepared by
someone with HIV. Therefore, somebody living with HIV
in your workplace is not a risk to others.
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51. Hepatitis
 Hepatitis means inflammation of the liver. Different
hepatitis viruses can cause this. Two of the most
common are Hepatitis B and C, transmitted through
contaminated blood.
Hepatitis B is mainly transmitted through blood,
semen, vaginal fluid and breast milk.
Hepatitis C is mainly transmitted through blood, with
a low risk of transmission through semen and vaginal
fluid, or unprotected anal sex.
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52. Cont…
Most people do not know if they are infected. They may
live for many years without symptoms. A proportion take
20 to 30 years to develop severe liver disease, some
recover completely with treatment, others recover
without any treatment at all.
Small proportions develop liver cancer.
There is no vaccine against Hepatitis C and current
treatments for it are not effective in all cases.
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53. Who is most at risk from BBVs?
High risks_ health care workers.
Low risks­
_ cleaners, recreation/parks workers, Staffs
who work in these circumstances may come into
contact with used needles.
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54. Reducing risks from BBVs
good personal hygiene eg. hygienic hand-washing
Careful usage of sharps such as needles, blades, glass, etc.
also consider using equipment with built-in safety devices
Use personal protective equipment such as gloves, eye
protection, face masks, etc.
Dispose contaminated wastes in safe manner, e.g. sharps
disposal bin
use disposable equipment where there is a risk of BBV
contamination, otherwise decontamination procedures must
be strictly complied with
Make employees aware of immediate steps to be followed
upon contamination with blood or other body fluids.
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55. Immediate risks to self and casualty
Worksite equipment, machinery and substances
 Bodily fluids
A body fluid exposure incident is defined as a puncture
of the skin or contamination of mucous membranes
caused by: -
 All penetrating sharps/needle injuries
 Contamination of abrasions with blood or body fluids
Scratches or bites involving broken skin, (i.e. causing
bleeding or other visible
Skin puncture)
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56. Hazardous Substances
They are classified as toxic, very toxic, corrosive,
harmful or irritant.
 Biological agents and dusts in substantial
concentrations are also classified as hazardous
substances.
They take many different forms. Solids, liquids, gases,
mists and fumes can be present in the workplace.
Exposure can affect the body in many different ways.
Skin contact, inhalation and ingestion can cause
damage.
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57. Cont…
Splashes of blood or body fluids into eyes or mouth.
 It is not always possible to know who is infected by
certain bacteria or viruses, therefore, when dealing with
blood and body fluids, the same procedure of standard
infection control precautions need to apply.
In addition to blood, the following body fluids also
pose a risk of blood-borne virus infection:
 Amniotic fluid, cerebrospinal fluid, human breast milk
,pericardial fluid, Peritoneal fluid, pleural
fluid,saliva,synovial fluid, unfixed human tissues and
organs, exudates or tissue fluid from burns or skin
lesions,urine,semen and feces.
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58. First aid Hygiene and Infection Control
Infection with a blood borne virus (BBV) while
carrying out duties is small.
There have been no recorded cases of HIV, or
Hepatitis, being passed on during mouth-to-mouth
resuscitation.
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59. Strong precautions:
1. Wash your hands before and after treating a casualty.
2. Always protect yourself with waterproof dressings on
all cuts and abrasions before administering first aid.
3. Use plastic gloves and aprons.
4. Use small yellow clinical waste bags for disposal of
contaminated soft materials for disposal.
5. Any clothing contaminated with blood, vomit etc.
may be cleansed with washing machine using a
biological washing powder at the appropriate
temperature.
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60. Cont…
6. Skin contact with body fluid should be washed as soon
as possible with ordinary soap and water. For affected
areas of lips, mouth, eye or broken skin, wash with cold
water and seek medical advice.
7. Needles, broken glass and sharp objects should be left
untouched.
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61. Cont….
Injury from any sharp item that you suspect could be
contaminated with Blood/Body Fluids.
Make the wound bleed, DO NOT SUCK BLOOD, wash
with soap and water, cover with a waterproof dressing,
Attend accident and emergency for advice /treatment.
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62. Cont…
8. Do not attempt to clean up blood or body fluid. and
they will arrange for the item to be disposed of
correctly.
It is not normally necessary for first aiders in the
workplace to be immunized against Hepatitis, unless
indicated it is appropriate.
As a first aider it is important to remember that you
should not withhold treatment for fear of being
infected with a BBV
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