Fire Safety & Awarness

What are The 3 p’s in First Aid

Ricky Kambray
Ricky Kambray

Do you know what are the 3 P’s in first aid? Preserve, prevent and promote are the 3 p’s of first aid. These three are the integral aspects of first aid, where the first aider learns how to save a life and decides to choose his actions. PPP, or the three P’s, refers to the responsibilities and goals of first aid training. You must learn about this if you are a certified first aider or intend to become one. 

Prepare your first aid kit and explore this blog. In this blog, we will discuss the three P’s of first aid, their purpose, and who needs to learn it. 

What Is First Aid?

First aid is the primary and intermediate emergency for an injured person in any sudden emergency. This is typically given as soon as the injury occurs and at the accident scene. According to Oxford English Dictionary

simple medical treatment that is given to somebody before a doctor comes or before the person can be taken to a hospital

Three P’s of First Aid 

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    1. P-Preserve Life
    2. P-Prevent Worsening
    3. P-Promote Recovery

These 3 P’s outline the responsibilities of a first aider, including reasonable care of victims and protecting themselves from harm. Let’s go over the PPP in more detail.

  • Preserve Life: First, preserve the injured person’s life. Along with the victim, ensure the safety of first aiders. Because if the first responder is hurt, there will be no one to call for help or care for the victim. Examine the area for signs of cross-contamination. Apply the C-A-B protocol to any injured people.
  • Circulation: Examine the quality of their circulation and make any necessary changes.
  • Airway: Check the casualty has an airway.
  • Breathing: Verify that the victim is breathing.

You may need to perform CPR and rescue breathing until professional help arrives. To preserve an injured person’s life, you must be concerned about other first aid treatments and take the necessary steps to stop the blood. 

  • Prevent Worsening: The second goal of a first responder is to prevent deterioration. Before the emergency medical team arrives, place the casualty in a comfortable position. For instance, you can give sugar to a person with diabetes when their blood sugar is low or immobilise a broken arm or leg to stop further damage.It helps to prevent further injury. You simply need to ensure that the victim is in a stable condition. You don’t have to cure anything.
  • Promote Recovery: You preserve life and prevent worsening; now focus on recovery. When you promote recovery, keep calm. Be sympathetic to the victim. Don’t forget different situations require different approaches. The basics to promote recovery in first aid would be encouraging confidence, providing comfort, and attempting to relieve pain. So, think carefully and call the emergency if needed.

A man Providing first aid to another man with an injured hand in the park

 

Who Should Learn the 3 Ps in First Aid Training?

The concept of the 3 P’s shares the concept of first aid. If you want to be a certified first aider, you must pursue this training. However, some others should also learn the 3 P’s. The list is as follows.

  • Emergency medical technicians or EMTs 
  • Nurses 
  • Doctors
  • Paramedics
  • Medical Professionals 
  • Healthcare Executives
  • Any employee from an office or dangerous area

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The Main 5 Objectives of First Aid Training

The first and foremost aims of first aid training are to save people’s lives. But this training has some other objectives to support its main goal.

  1. Preserving life: First aid training includes the following points to protect life.
  2. Ensuring that the individual’s injury is not life-threatening. 
  3. Call ambulances or medical emergencies as soon as possible. 
  4. Perform CPR in extreme circumstances. 
  5. Someone who has received first-aid training should look for vital life signs, such as
    • Breathing
    • Movement
    • Responsiveness
    • Heart rate
    • Any bad external injuries
    • Bandages
  • Preventing deterioration: To avoid further injury, a first responder should not try to move a patient who is bleeding or has suffered a fracture. Using antiseptics to clean wounds gently. It helps to prevent infection and other problems in the future. Check the wound very carefully to see if there is any blood there. If a fracture occurs, keep the body part still and use something soft to pad the area. Remove any risk factors that can make the injury worse.
  • Aiding recovery: First aid assists a person in healing their wounds in the short and long term. Applying pressure to a bleed and wound bandages will aid in healing. You must apply pressure to the bleeding area while preparing other aids to stop the blood flow. If the patient cannot do so due to injury, the first aider should assist them. Additionally, advise the individual on what they can do when they return home, such as changing bandages daily to prevent infection.
  • Relieving pain: First aid reduces suffering for the patient by ensuring they are as comfortable as possible. It involves giving pain medication, elevating wounds, and providing ice packs.
  • Protecting the unconscious: Unconscious persons are more vulnerable and require more protection. Start by identifying and clearing away any potential hazards from the person. It is to avoid more significant harm to the unconscious person and prevent injury to the first aider. Then, check for vital signs. If you don’t hear a heartbeat, you should begin CPR. If you don’t think the person has a spinal injury, place them in recovery, which involves lying on one side and using their arm to support their head.

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The red cross instructor conducts training on emergency first aid

Final Thoughts

What are the three P’s of first aid? Hope this answer gives you an idea of what to focus on and what to do during an emergency. Knowing the 3 P’s of first aid can save lives and allows the first aider to choose the best course of action. In fact, this trio is the essence of first aid training.

They teach us how to save a life, heal an injured person, and provide complete care for a person. Knowledge is power, and the wisdom of first aid allows you to change anyone’s life in an emergency situation. 

Frequently Asked Questions [FAQ]

Q: What is basic first aid?

Basic first aid provides primary medical care to someone who has suffered a sudden injury or illness. It frequently takes the form of treatment for burns, cuts, or insect stings. But it can also support someone in a medical emergency.

Q: What are the 3 principles of first aid?

There are three principles to remember when it comes to first aid: preserve life, prevent deterioration, and promote recovery.

Q: What is the importance of first aid?

First aid is important for responding quickly to accidents and ensuring that injuries are dealt with efficiently and promptly before a trained medical professional arrives to administer more specialised treatment.

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Ricky Kambray

Hey this is Ricky Kambray an award-winning first-aid trainer with over 20 years of healthcare and teaching expertise. Highly certified general nurse regularly appears in the press discussing accident prevention and first aid advice.