FIRST AID FOR COMPUTERS' A DEBATE.
First Aid can be defined as immediate “help” administered immediately after an accident. The reason that “help” is in parenthesis, is that help is the operative word. First aid is not necessarily administered by a person with any medical training at all, It can be administered by anyone, anywhere, the only criteria in giving first aid is that you are the first on the scene of an accident or incident. The worst case scenario here would be giving a cup of tea to a victim of a road accident, when the victim has internal and spinal injuries. This is not “help” at all and would definitely be better not being administered. However we generally mean something more involved when we define first aid.There are cases when first aid can be given by the victim. A rare number of people display a violent reaction to bee stings. Approximately 1% of the population go into anaphylactic shock, which threatens their breathing and their circulatory system. This can be fatal if not treated immediately, most people die without treatment within thirty minutes, cases of death have been recorded in less than five minutes. Clearly here no one can afford to wait for outside first aid. Treatment has to be used immediately often by the victim themselves. This definition implies a knowledge if limited. You have to be aware in the first instance that you suffer from this reaction, and be aware of the necessary emergency treatment.Hopefully when most of us think of first aid as a concept we are thinking of a more professional case scenario. Merriam Webster online dictionary defines first aid as “emergency care or treatment given to an ill or injured person before regular medical aid can be obtained“.[i] First aid is the immediate and temporary treatment of a victim of sudden illness or injury while awaiting the arrival of medical aid. Proper early measures may be instrumental in saving life and ensuring a better and more rapid recovery.[ii] Both these definitions suggest that the person administering the first aid has a level of training, and knowledge about certain medical issues. Certain conditions such as a stroke and cardiac require immediate attention. If you have a stroke then your chances of survival are improved by fifty percent if you have treatment which involves clot busting drugs.[iii] These treatments are administered by a doctor and cannot be defined as first aid.There are many definitions of the word doctor. The word itself is derived from the Latin word docére which means to teach. The principle definition means instructor, one who inculcates learning, opinions or principles. Hence it can also be used to describe someone who has taken a PhD, the highest degree conferred by a university.The first person at the scene of the accident may well be a doctor and they may treat the patient. However they cannot administer first aid, despite the fact that the first definition is broad and means the first person at the scene. A medical doctor has taken the “Hippocratic oath”[iv] , a copy of which can be viewed at the conclusion of this article. As can be seen from the Hippocratic Oath, the treatment that has been administered by a doctor is more than the immediate attention of first aid. It involves a binding link between the doctor and patient, which involves more than the administering of medicine.Whether the word doctor is taken as the highest measure of learning or a medical doctor it is clear that the word implies the highest level of knowledge and means that a commensurate level of competence is expected. An incident accident or emergency that needs either first aid or a doctor or even both may not even be medical. As we have seen the word doctor merely means instructor. In the areas of software PC Doctor and PC first aid cannot be confused. As in the medical world the definitions are different and the boundaries can never cross.Classic Version of the Hippocratic OathI swear by Apollo Physician and Asclepius and Hygieia and Panaceia and all the gods and goddesses, making them my witnesses, that I will fulfil according to my ability and judgment this oath and this covenant:To hold him who has taught me this art as equal to my parents and to live my life in partnership with him, and if he is in need of money to give him a share of mine, and to regard his offspring as equal to my brothers in male lineage and to teach them this art - if they desire to learn it - without fee and covenant; to give a share of precepts and oral instruction and all the other learning to my sons and to the sons of him who has instructed me and to pupils who have signed the covenant and have taken an oath according to the medical law, but no one else.I will apply dietetic measures for the benefit of the sick according to my ability and judgment; I will keep them from harm and injustice.I will neither give a deadly drug to anybody who asked for it, nor will I make a suggestion to this effect. Similarly I will not give to a woman an abortive remedy. In purity and holiness I will guard my life and my art.I will not use the knife, not even on sufferers from stone, but will withdraw in favor of such men as are engaged in this work.Whatever houses I may visit, I will come for the benefit of the sick, remaining free of all intentional injustice, of all mischief and in particular of sexual relations with both female and male persons, be they free or slaves.What I may see or hear in the course of the treatment or even outside of the treatment in regard to the life of men, which on no account one must spread abroad, I will keep to myself, holding such things shameful to be spoken about.If I fulfil this oath and do not violate it, may it be granted to me to enjoy life and art, being honored with fame among all men for all time to come; if I transgress it and swear falsely, may the opposite of all this be my lot.A Modern Version of the Hippocratic OathI swear to fulfill, to the best of my ability and judgment, this covenant:I will respect the hard-won scientific gains of those physicians in whose steps I walk, and gladly share such knowledge as is mine with those who are to follow.I will apply, for the benefit of the sick, all measures which are required, avoiding those twin traps of overtreatment and therapeutic nihilism.I will remember that there is art to medicine as well as science, and that warmth, sympathy, and understanding may outweigh the surgeon's knife or the chemist's drug.I will not be ashamed to say "I know not," nor will I fail to call in my colleagues when the skills of another are needed for a patient's recovery.I will respect the privacy of my patients, for their problems are not disclosed to me that the world may know. Most especially must I tread with care in matters of life and death. If it is given me to save a life, all thanks. But it may also be within my power to take a life; this awesome responsibility must be faced with great humbleness and awareness of my own frailty. Above all, I must not play at God.I will remember that I do not treat a fever chart, a cancerous growth, but a sick human being, whose illness may affect the person's family and economic stability. My responsibility includes these related problems, if I am to care adequately for the sick.I will prevent disease whenever I can, for prevention is preferable to cure.I will remember that I remain a member of society, with special obligations to all my fellow human beings, those sound of mind and body as well as the infirm.If I do not violate this oath, may I enjoy life and art, respected while I live and remembered with affection thereafter. May I always act so as to preserve the finest traditions of my calling and may I long experience the joy of healing those who seek my help.The classical version of the Hippocratic Oath is from the translation from the Greek by Ludwig Edelstein. From The Hippocratic Oath: Text, Translation, and Interpretation, by Ludwig Edelstein. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins Press, 1943.The modern version of the Hippocratic Oath was written in 1964 by Louis Lasagna, Dean of the School of Medicine at Tufts University.[i] Merriam Webster online dictionary accessed 19th April 2006http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/first%20aidinfoplease accessed 19th April 2006[ii] http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/sci/A0818750.html[iii] Uci medical centre. accessed 19th April 2006http://www.ucihealth.com/seniors/Sum04SurviveStroke.htm[iv] http://www.medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=20909&page=2
First Aid can be defined as immediate “help” administered immediately after an accident. The reason that “help” is in parenthesis, is that help is the operative word. First aid is not necessarily administered by a person with any medical training at all, It can be administered by anyone, anywhere, the only criteria in giving first aid is that you are the first on the scene of an accident or incident. The worst case scenario here would be giving a cup of tea to a victim of a road accident, when the victim has internal and spinal injuries. This is not “help” at all and would definitely be better not being administered. However we generally mean something more involved when we define first aid.There are cases when first aid can be given by the victim. A rare number of people display a violent reaction to bee stings. Approximately 1% of the population go into anaphylactic shock, which threatens their breathing and their circulatory system. This can be fatal if not treated immediately, most people die without treatment within thirty minutes, cases of death have been recorded in less than five minutes. Clearly here no one can afford to wait for outside first aid. Treatment has to be used immediately often by the victim themselves. This definition implies a knowledge if limited. You have to be aware in the first instance that you suffer from this reaction, and be aware of the necessary emergency treatment.Hopefully when most of us think of first aid as a concept we are thinking of a more professional case scenario. Merriam Webster online dictionary defines first aid as “emergency care or treatment given to an ill or injured person before regular medical aid can be obtained“.[i] First aid is the immediate and temporary treatment of a victim of sudden illness or injury while awaiting the arrival of medical aid. Proper early measures may be instrumental in saving life and ensuring a better and more rapid recovery.[ii] Both these definitions suggest that the person administering the first aid has a level of training, and knowledge about certain medical issues. Certain conditions such as a stroke and cardiac require immediate attention. If you have a stroke then your chances of survival are improved by fifty percent if you have treatment which involves clot busting drugs.[iii] These treatments are administered by a doctor and cannot be defined as first aid.There are many definitions of the word doctor. The word itself is derived from the Latin word docére which means to teach. The principle definition means instructor, one who inculcates learning, opinions or principles. Hence it can also be used to describe someone who has taken a PhD, the highest degree conferred by a university.The first person at the scene of the accident may well be a doctor and they may treat the patient. However they cannot administer first aid, despite the fact that the first definition is broad and means the first person at the scene. A medical doctor has taken the “Hippocratic oath”[iv] , a copy of which can be viewed at the conclusion of this article. As can be seen from the Hippocratic Oath, the treatment that has been administered by a doctor is more than the immediate attention of first aid. It involves a binding link between the doctor and patient, which involves more than the administering of medicine.Whether the word doctor is taken as the highest measure of learning or a medical doctor it is clear that the word implies the highest level of knowledge and means that a commensurate level of competence is expected. An incident accident or emergency that needs either first aid or a doctor or even both may not even be medical. As we have seen the word doctor merely means instructor. In the areas of software PC Doctor and PC first aid cannot be confused. As in the medical world the definitions are different and the boundaries can never cross.Classic Version of the Hippocratic OathI swear by Apollo Physician and Asclepius and Hygieia and Panaceia and all the gods and goddesses, making them my witnesses, that I will fulfil according to my ability and judgment this oath and this covenant:To hold him who has taught me this art as equal to my parents and to live my life in partnership with him, and if he is in need of money to give him a share of mine, and to regard his offspring as equal to my brothers in male lineage and to teach them this art - if they desire to learn it - without fee and covenant; to give a share of precepts and oral instruction and all the other learning to my sons and to the sons of him who has instructed me and to pupils who have signed the covenant and have taken an oath according to the medical law, but no one else.I will apply dietetic measures for the benefit of the sick according to my ability and judgment; I will keep them from harm and injustice.I will neither give a deadly drug to anybody who asked for it, nor will I make a suggestion to this effect. Similarly I will not give to a woman an abortive remedy. In purity and holiness I will guard my life and my art.I will not use the knife, not even on sufferers from stone, but will withdraw in favor of such men as are engaged in this work.Whatever houses I may visit, I will come for the benefit of the sick, remaining free of all intentional injustice, of all mischief and in particular of sexual relations with both female and male persons, be they free or slaves.What I may see or hear in the course of the treatment or even outside of the treatment in regard to the life of men, which on no account one must spread abroad, I will keep to myself, holding such things shameful to be spoken about.If I fulfil this oath and do not violate it, may it be granted to me to enjoy life and art, being honored with fame among all men for all time to come; if I transgress it and swear falsely, may the opposite of all this be my lot.A Modern Version of the Hippocratic OathI swear to fulfill, to the best of my ability and judgment, this covenant:I will respect the hard-won scientific gains of those physicians in whose steps I walk, and gladly share such knowledge as is mine with those who are to follow.I will apply, for the benefit of the sick, all measures which are required, avoiding those twin traps of overtreatment and therapeutic nihilism.I will remember that there is art to medicine as well as science, and that warmth, sympathy, and understanding may outweigh the surgeon's knife or the chemist's drug.I will not be ashamed to say "I know not," nor will I fail to call in my colleagues when the skills of another are needed for a patient's recovery.I will respect the privacy of my patients, for their problems are not disclosed to me that the world may know. Most especially must I tread with care in matters of life and death. If it is given me to save a life, all thanks. But it may also be within my power to take a life; this awesome responsibility must be faced with great humbleness and awareness of my own frailty. Above all, I must not play at God.I will remember that I do not treat a fever chart, a cancerous growth, but a sick human being, whose illness may affect the person's family and economic stability. My responsibility includes these related problems, if I am to care adequately for the sick.I will prevent disease whenever I can, for prevention is preferable to cure.I will remember that I remain a member of society, with special obligations to all my fellow human beings, those sound of mind and body as well as the infirm.If I do not violate this oath, may I enjoy life and art, respected while I live and remembered with affection thereafter. May I always act so as to preserve the finest traditions of my calling and may I long experience the joy of healing those who seek my help.The classical version of the Hippocratic Oath is from the translation from the Greek by Ludwig Edelstein. From The Hippocratic Oath: Text, Translation, and Interpretation, by Ludwig Edelstein. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins Press, 1943.The modern version of the Hippocratic Oath was written in 1964 by Louis Lasagna, Dean of the School of Medicine at Tufts University.[i] Merriam Webster online dictionary accessed 19th April 2006http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/first%20aidinfoplease accessed 19th April 2006[ii] http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/sci/A0818750.html[iii] Uci medical centre. accessed 19th April 2006http://www.ucihealth.com/seniors/Sum04SurviveStroke.htm[iv] http://www.medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=20909&page=2
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