ASSESSING THE IMPORTANCE AND EFFECT OF FIRST AID IN ROAD TRAFFIC ACCIDENT A CASE STUDY OF ACCIDENT AND EMERGENCY UNIT FMC ABEOKUTA OGUN STATE

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Background of the study

Accidents are one of  the  phenomena  that  have an impact on increasing cases of morbidity and mortality in the community. One of the factors that cause the increase in  cases  is  the provision  of  first  aid, especially at  the  pre-hospital stage which is not appropriate. In this case, the community plays an important role in providing first aid to traffic accident victims, because the community is the first person at the scene and is often exposed to traffic accidents. However, there are still many people who choose not to approach when an accident occurs because they do not  understand how to do first aid. This  is also influenced by public  awareness  and  knowledge  regarding  the  handling  of  traffic  accident victims who are still lacking (Mariza Elsi, 2019). The results of research conducted by Torano & Parante (2018) regarding the description of public knowledge on first aid in traffic accidents in Jayapura City  show  that  83%  have  less  knowledge  about  how  to  first  aid  in  traffic accidents. Knowledge of first aid should  be owned by the community because people  who  understand  handling  victims can  save  the  lives of  victims before being  given  treatment  by  the medical side.  Knowledge  also  affects  a  person's response in taking action quickly and precisely (Karima, Nuraeni, & Mirwanti, 2019). According  to  Rajaratenam,  Martini,  &  Lipoeto  (2014),  adequate knowledge can affect a person's attitude in providing first aid to traffic accident victims. Attitude is a person's tendency to act, think, and feel in dealing with a particular object or situation. Attitude is a person's response to a certain stimulus which, if based on appropriate knowledge, can develop an appropriate attitude. The higher a person's knowledge, the higher the stimulus and affect the attitude to  be  taken.  Attitude affects  a  person's  awareness  in  determining actions  and actions when reacting to something, one of which is the response in providing first aid to victims of traffic accidents (Mastarida, 2020).   Kureckova et  al.,  (2017)  explain the basic  steps  that  the community can take in providing first aid to accident victims are checking the situation (security, number of victims, and the entire scene), taking quick action if there is something that could endanger the victim's life (no unconsciousness, heavy bleeding, and shortness of breath), and perform the treatment (if the victim is conscious and not bleeding, it is necessary to monitor the situation and ask about all important matters)  and  think  about  situations  that  can  be  life-threatening.  Meanwhile, according to Kurniawati et al., (2020), some basic skills that must be possessed by the community in providing first aid to traffic accident victims include basic life support measures, splint dressing, and victim transportation. These actions can be carried out appropriately if the public knows effective first aid for accident victims. Traffic accidents are also one of the leading causes of death in the world. The World Health Organization (WHO) states that traffic accidents result in the death of around 1.35 million people worldwide  every  year  and cause 20 to 50 million  people  to  be  injured.  The  highest  number  of  deaths  due  to  traffic accidents are in the Southeast Asian region, amounting to 20.7 deaths per 100,000 population (WHO, 2018). Indonesia is one of the countries in Southeast Asia with a  high  number  of  accidents.  Data  from  the  Central  Statistics  Agency  of  the Republic of Indonesia stated that the number of accidents  in  2018  was  109,251 cases with total mortality of 29,427 cases. One of the provinces with the highest accident rate in 2018 was East Java with a total of 24,757 cases and mortality of 5,308 (BPS RI, 2018). Batu City also contributed to the number of accidents in East Java Province, which amounted to 299  cases  with  a  mortality  of 30 cases (BPS Kota Batu, 2020). Based on a preliminary study conducted by researchers, it was found that one  of  the locations  in  Batu  City  which  is  prone  to  traffic accidents  is  on  Beji Highway. Besides being caused by human error or driver error, the condition of the road  which  is  the  main  access to the  city  center  and tourist area is mostly traversed by large vehicles and has a fairly steep geographical condition because it  is  located  in  a  highland  area.  This  condition  is  increasingly  dangerous, especially when it is raining  or  foggy which causes road conditions to become slippery and interferes with the driver's visibility so that it becomes a factor in traffic accidents. Based on the data on this background, researchers are interested in identifying the  relationship between knowledge and public attitudes  in first aid for traffic accident victims.

​​​​​​​Statement of research problem

First aid entails the primary care administered for a sudden illness or injury [1]. Firstaid plays an important role in minimizing the devastating consequences of road trafficaccidents (RTAs), which are a major global public health issue. Many people get injuredor lose their lives due to RTAs on a day-to-day basis, which in turn make RTAs one of theleading causes of mortality and morbidity worldwide, and this highlights the importanceof first aid; we cannot underestimate or minimize the value it provides [2–4]. First aid serves as the first line of defense in saving people’s lives, decreasing the rateof injuries, and providing instant care until an ambulance and a medical team arrive to help. For example, there was a 2014 study conducted in Northern Nigeria; the study was conductedon 500 drivers selected randomly from transport companies. The sample underwent first aid training courses and was then evaluated after 0–3 months and4–6 months. Improve-ment in giving first aid efficiently was observed; also, the rate of correct interventions washigher after 4–6 months than 0–3 months. The study concluded that first aid programsdesigned for drivers were beneficial and enhanced road traffic accidents as a prehospitalcare system. First aid is defined as prompt assistance given to someone who has become suddenlyinjured until professional help arrives or until the injured patient regains health. The main and primary goals of first aid are to save life, relieve pain, prevent further harm or damage,and facilitate quicker recovery. Promoting first aid education is crucial for every agegroup, including kindergarten children. This universal learning can happen through liveclasses, online courses, and public health campaigns. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), road traffic accidents (RTAs) areresponsible for approximately 50 million injuries and about 1.2 million deaths worldwide.Also, they are the eighth leading cause of disability-adjusted life years. In the UAE, the top four causes of death are cardiovascular disease, injuries, cancer,and respiratory diseases. RTAs are a leading cause of premature death and long-term disabilities, especially among men under 35 in Nigeria, escalating the numbers of physical disabilities and enduring handicapst. This study therefore seeks to assess the importance of and effect of first aid  in road traffic accident.

Objectives of the study

1. To determine the usefulness of first aid for road accident victims.
2. To determine how often accident victims receive first aid.
3. To determine how effective first aid treatment is to accident victims.

Research questions

1. What is the usefulness of first aid to road accident victims?
2. How often do accident victims receive first aid?
3. How effective is first aid to accident victims?

Research hypothesis

Ho: There is no relationship between first aid treatment and recovery of accident victims.

Ho: There is no relationship between available first aid treatment and recovery of accident victims.

Ho: There is no relationship between effective first aid and recovery of accident victims.

​​​​​​​Significance of the study

The findings of this study will be useful to health officials as it will reveal the extent of medical priority assigned to accident victims. Also, the findings of this study will be use to road officials such as the Nigeria Police force, the federal road safety corps, vehicle inspection officers and even the Nigeria Army. These authorities will find the findings of this study useful and help them in making accident victim-based decisions.

​​​​​​​Scope of the study

This study will be limited to the responses garnerned from the medical officials in Federal Medical Centre, Abeokuta, Ogun state.