An Operational Study on Maintenance of First Aid Box in Selected Urban Community of Amritsar, Punjab

 

Ms. Rajwant Kaur¹, Ms. Rajanpreet Kaur² , Ms. Manpreet Kaur³

¹Lecturer, Sri Guru Ram Das College of Nursing, Vallah, Amritsar

²Student, Sri Guru Ram Das College of Nursing, Vallah, Amritsar

³Professor, Sri Guru Ram Das College of Nursing, Vallah, Amritsar

 

ABSTRACT:

First aid is an essential measure to manage minor ailments in the home setting. First aid box is collection of articles which is readily available and one can very easily assemble and arrange them at one place. The aim of the study is to motivate the respondents for preparation, maintenance and utilization of first aid box in their families. An operational design was used to conduct the study in 1-7 Blocks of Kittae, Amritsar. 60 families were selected with Non Probability Convenient sampling technique. First Aid Box inventory checklist for the preparation, utilization and maintenance of first aid box was used for the study. In present study about 23.3% were having first aid box in their families but items were incomplete, inappropriate and unorganized. Researcher motivated the families to assemble the selected nine items and purchase the remaining items to prepare the first aid box. About 73.3 % families during first follow up at 15^th day and 71.7% families during second follow up at 30^th day used the First Aid Box. Majority (77.8%) of the families were maintaining the first aid box items in second follow up. About 23 families spent Rs. 40-60 for the preparation of first aid box in their family. First aid box is essential for every family to provide first aid care. There is need to create awareness among the people about the importance of first aid box.

 

 

INTRODUCTION:

“First aid is the provision of initial care for an illness or injury. It is performed by a lay person to a sick or injured patient until definitive medical treatment can be accessed.¹ Most of the time; people experience minor ailments and injuries. That time, they would feel helpless and rush to the hospital. Learning first aid is the civic responsibility of each citizen.² Preparing a first aid box in the family, need a simple first aid box, containing readily available things at home. These articles, though available at home, may be laying at different places.³

 

First aid kits can be assembled in almost any type of container. Boxes should also be checked regularly if items are damaged or expired.⁴ So, there is need to assemble the articles of first aid properly at one place, so as to use them immediately.

 

OBJECTIVES:

·        To teach the preparation of first aid box in each family at selected urban community.

·        To assess the utilization of first aid box by the families. `

·        To assess the maintenance of first aid box on 15^th  and 30^th  day of preparation

 

MATERIAL AND METHODS:

An operational study was conducted on the maintenance of first aid box by families of an urban community. The present study was conducted at 1-7 block of Kittae, the practice area of SGRDIMSR, Amritsar. A survey was done, out of 873 families, 60 families were selected with Non Probability Convenient sampling technique. First Aid Box inventory observational checklist which consists of 9 items such as cotton, clinical thermometer, antiseptic ointment, antiseptic solution, analgesic, adhesive tape, a pair of scissors, bandage, list of emergency numbers was prepared for first observation and for  two follow ups to ensure the utilization and maintenance of first aid box by families. Further it was validated by subject experts and reliability of tool was 0.93 calculated by inter rater and Karl Pearson co-relaton coefficient method.  Written consent was obtained from each subject after giving assurance of confidentiality. The researchers observed the first aid items already present in the family. Then, motivated the families to arrange all the items that were already present at home and purchase the remaining items. Then, the two follow ups were organised at 15^th and 30^th day after the preparation of first aid box to ensure utilization and maintenance of first aid box. The data was analysed on the basis of the study objectives, by using descriptive statistics.

RESULTS:

Regarding age, 30% of the respondents were of below the age of 40 years followed by  half (50%) in the age group of 40 -60 years and remaining 20% were in  60-80 years age group with mean ±SD was 46.1 ±12.1 and range 20 to 73 years. Majority (80%) of the respondents was females and remaining 20% were males. More than half (60%) of the respondents had completed their senior secondary school, 23.3% were graduates, 8.3% attended middle school, 6.7% were completed their post graduate and only 1.6% had studied upto primary school education. Nearly three fourth of the respondents (78.3%) were house wives, while 10% were retired, about 6.7% working in private sector and only 5% were self- employed. Nearly half of the families (40%) were having per capita income in the range of Rs.5000-7500 with mean ±S.D was 5043.2±2430.5 and range from Rs.1333-13333. More than three fourth families (78.3%) were having family members with chronic illness in their family. Nearly one fourth (23.3%) families were having the availability of health worker in their family or neighbourhood. Nearly one fourth families (23.3%) were having first aid box in their family and the items present in the first aid box were incomplete, inappropriate and unorganized.

 

 

Fig 1: First day observation regarding first aid items in family

 

In the present study Fig 1. reveals the items available with the study families prior to the study. Majority of families (75%) had analgesics drugs followed by 60% had a pair of scissor, 53.3% had clinical thermometer, 50% had antiseptic ointment and solution, 38.3% had cotton and only 7% families had bandage and none of the family maintained a list of emergency numbers.

 

Fig.2: Duration for the preparation of first aid box

 

Fig.2 represents the duration for the preparation of first aid box at their family. More than half families (40) took 1-2 days, 15  took 3-4 days while five families (8.3%) took 5-6 days for the preparation of first aid box. Mean number of days consumed was 2.33days with SD 1.16 days.

 

Fig.3: Utilization of first aid box at first follow up (15^th day)

 

Fig.3 represents the utilization of first aid box at first follow up at 15^th day. It was observed that during first follow up that nearly three fourth families (73.3%) had used first aid box after its preparation, while 16% families had not used any item of first aid box.

 

Fig.4: Utilization of first aid box at second follow up (30^th day)

 

Fig.4 shows the utilization of first aid box at second follow up at 30th day after the preparation of first aid box. The researcher found that nearly three fourth (71.7%) families had used first aid box items for the cure of minor injuries and ailments while 28.3% had not used any item of first aid box at their family.

 

Table 1: Use of first aid box for different injuries and ailments  N=60

Injuries/ ailments                                               f (%)

Injuries Minor burns                                                          13 (21.7) Foot                                                                        06 (10.0) Knee                                                                       05 (08.3)  Ankle                                                                     03 (05.0) Finger                                                                     03 (05.0)  Shoulder                                                                02 (03.3) Ailments Headache                                                             26 (43.3) Fever                                                               24 (40.0) Knee pain                                                        17 (28.3) Skin                                                                 04 (06.7)

 

Table1. Reveals the use of first aid box by the respondents during two subsequent follow up visits. It was observed that minor burns (21.7%) were commonly observed in the house wives during cooking, followed by foot injury (10%), knee injury (8.3%), ankle injury (5%), finger cuts (5%) and shoulder injuries (3.3%) were most frequently found during the study. Headache (43.3%), fever (40%), knee pain (28.3%) and skin infection (6.7%) were other minor ailments that were commonly recorded during the study.

 

DISCUSSION:

In the present study majority of families (75%) had analgesics drugs followed by 60% had a pair of scissor, 53.3% had clinical thermometer, 50% had antiseptic ointment and solution, 38.3% had cotton in their first box  and only 7% families had bandage and none of the family maintained a list of emergency numbers. Similarly a study done by Rajinder K, Inderjit Walia and Baljit Kaur³also reported Analgesic drugs were found in 43.01% of total subjects families. Another study done by Harper LA, Bettinger J, Dismukes R, Kozarsky PE⁵ also revealed that the most frequent available items were analgesics. The present study depicts more than three fourth families (78.33%) were having family members with chronic illness in their family. A study done by Rajinder K, Inderjit Walia and Baljit Kaur³ reported about 17.20% suffering from hypertension while 2.15% had history of stroke. Similarly a study was done in 2005 by Dai S.K Sanyal K⁶. explored hypertension has increased about 30 times among urban dweller. Present study observed about 73.3 % families during first follow up at 15^th day and 71.7% families during second follow up at 30^th day used the First Aid Box. Similarly a study in 2007 by Rajinder K, Inderjit Walia, Baljit Kaur³ explored the use of first aid box in first follow up which was 93.11% and 96.55% in second follow up respectively. In the present study other variables were not comparable because limited literature was available on first aid box preparation.

 

RECOMMENDATION:

Similar studies can be conducted in various setups to prepare the first aid box like schools, old age homes, industries etc.

 

A longitudinal study should be conducted with more number of follow ups to develop the habit in families to maintain first aid box at their family.

 

Research can be conducted to assess the effectiveness of various other strategies to improve the practice of preparation, maintenance and utilization of first aid box at their family.

 

IMPLICATIONS OF THE STUDY:

Nursing Practice

First aid box is essential for every family to provide first aid care. The role of nurse is to motivate the families to prepare first aid box at their home so that they provide emergency care when it is essential.

 

Nursing Education

As first aid care is already included in the curriculum of the students. It should be focused on to train the students for first aid care.

 

Nursing Administration

Nursing administrators should feel responsible to provide nurses with substantive continuing education. First aid care is one most important area where the nurses, clinical and teaching abilities are highly relevant. A nurse is a resource person for the nursing students, patients and their families.

 

ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS:

A written permission was taken from the head of the community medicine department. Written consent was obtained from each subject after giving assurance of confidentiality.

 

ACKNOWLEDGMENT:

We acknowledge to all the participants of the study for spring their time. Authors acknowledge the immense help received from the scholars whose articles are cited and included in references of this manuscript. The authors are also grateful to authors/editors/publishers of all those articles, journals and books where the literature for this article has been reviewed and discussed.

 

REFERENCES

1.       John Pearn BMJ. First aid. 1st ed. America: Hanley and Belfus; 1994. p.309

2.       Andrew, John. First aid manual.8th ed. London: Dorling Kindersley.2002

3.       Kaur R, Walia I, Kaur B. Maintenance of first aid box: Nursing and Midwifery Research Journal 2007;3(1): 1-19

4.       Windale R. Saving lives with emergency medicine. Health and Wellness. healthzine org 2008; 2(5): 114-118

5.       Harper LA, Bettinger J, Dismukes R, Kozarsky PE. Evaluation of the Coca-Cola Company travel health kit 2002;9(5): 244-46

6.       Das SK, Sanyal K, Study of urban community survey in India growing trend of high prevalence of hypertension in developing country. Int. J Med. Sci. 2005;2(2): 70-78

 

 

 

Received on 09.04.2015           Modified on 20.04.2015

Accepted on 24.04.2015           © A&V Publication all right reserved