First aid is treatment or care commonly administered at the scene of an accident or in the event of a person falling ill; usually, first aid is given before paramedics or other healthcare professionals are able to attend to the patient. First aid may be an emergency or a non-emergency measure; emergency first aid can often be a life-saving action, particularly if the patient is attended to quickly.

The nature of emergency first aid treatment is highly dependent on the seriousness of a person’s illness and the nature of an accident; different types of accidents require a different response. It is important to know how to act in certain situations as inappropriate actions can cause further harm.

It is extremely important to be trained in first aid as you never know when such skills may be required; in many situations, emergency help will not be present at the scene of an accident and first aid can help to save people’s lives.