World First Aid Day 2021, is celebrated on the 11th of September. It is an annual campaign to raise awareness on the importance of first aid training in preventing injuries and saving lives of many. Each year, the second Saturday of September is observed as World First Aid Day. World First Day was first celebrated in 2000 by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), according to them first aid is an ‘Act Of Humanitarian’ and should be accessible by all. IFRC also encourages people to train themselves on the basics of first aid skills as volunteers and communities for first aid help save lives, without discimination. 

Significance

First Aid is well known as the immediate assistance offered to the injured, whether it is a minor injury or a major accident, while it is clearly clarified by Red Cross, that First Aid is not a replacement of any sort for emergency services. The first aid provides aid to the injury from worsening before giving proper medical care. 

As per Red Cross’ statistics, each year, over millions of people are injured and hurt due to the lack of timely medical care and assistance, however with the knowledge of first aid one can easily prevent this by providing the basic care of the first aid while waiting for professional assistance. This basic training on First Aid can help reduce death rates and injuries as well as the impacts of calamities, disasters, and daily emergencies which can result in lower rates of death and injuries. It is also acknowledged as to how many individuals living in war-torn and disaster-prone areas don’t have the opportunity to train themselves with the basic knowledge of first aid, and how much of a difference this basic initiative can make, to these individuals. 

History

Henry Dunant is a Swiss businessman from Geneva. On the 24th of June, 1859 he experienced the horrific after effects of the Battle of Solferino, which led him to author ‘Memoirs Of Solferino’, that depicted the idea of an independent organisation that is capable of providing care to the wounded soldiers. His book inspired the formation of ICRC (International Committee Of The Red Cross). Later, Dunant became the founder of the Red Cross.

The Red Cross was officially launched in 1863, with the assistance of five men, including Dunant. They set up the ICRC for the ‘Relief Of The Wounded’, which later came to be known as  ‘International Committee Of Red Cross’ . The emblem of the Red Cross was a red cross with white background (the inverse of the Swiss flag).  

Textile Uses In The Medical World And First Aid Kits

Widely known, Medical textiles are one of the majorly grown and still growing areas in the technical textile field. The use of textile materials in the medical, health, and wound care products, range from bandage materials to scaffold tissue culturing from a variety of permanent body implants. It is highly stressed that, one of the high tech of medical textile is the application of bandages to enhance the quality of life. The usage of textile materials in the medical industry is gaining immense popularity and without a doubt, it will lead to the diversification and resurgence of the textile industry. 

The application of textile, specifically in the medical field to care for wounds is huge and diverse, ranging from single thread suture to the complexity in composite structure for bone replacement. Textile materials and wound care products are designed and engineered to meet the needs that are required for the specific medical applications, where a combination of tensile strength, flexibility, and at times moisture and air permeability is also required. 

Majorly used Fibres For Medical Textiles 

Natural Fibres: 

1. Cotton
2. Silk
3. Regenerated Cellulose

Synthetic Fibres: 

1. Polyester 
2. Viscose 
3. Lyocell 
4. Polyamide 
5. Polyvinyl Alcohol 
6. Polyurethane urea (PUUR) 
7. Polypropiolactone (PPL)
8. Polycaprolactone (PCL)

 Natural Polymer:

1. Biological Protein 

• Collagen 
• CatgutBrenan
• Ferulate 

2. Chitin 

3. Alginate 

4. Polylactic Acid (PLA)

5. Chitosan 

6. Polyglycolic Acid (PGA) 

Desirable Properties In Medical Textiles 

1. Biodegradable 
2. Purified and hygenic 
3. Fast and highly absorbent 
4. Better Insulation 
5. Good Thermal Stability 
6. Non Toxic
7. Non Allergic 
8. Sterilizable 
9. Antimicrobial 

These are some of the commonly used fibres and textile choices that are made, when it comes to usage of textile in the medical industry. 

One of the most widely used medical products for common wound dressing, is the bandage. There are various types of bandages in the market that are specifically designed to fit various functions depending upon the type of wound and medical requirement. A list of bandage materials are mentioned below:

• Woven, non-woven or knitted
•  Elastic or inelastic 
• Gauze – an open weave absorbent material used for burns and scalds
• Lint – for first aid and mild burns 
• Wadding – non-woven and is highly absorbent 

Although this is the most commonly used textile material in the medical field, it is only one among the many. There are sutures, natural odour absorbents, plaster, etc,. In many ways the textile industry is contributing to the welfare of many. Among those is the medical field, which is one of the most important when it comes to the safety of an individual.

World First Aid Day, this year is raising awareness with the theme ‘First Aid and Road To Safety’. So, on this day, let us all train ourselves and others on the importance of first aid, and encourage us to share and volunteer in training that may be conducted in the future. 

World First Aid Day 2021: First Aid And Road To Safety