First Aid Revised

Aiming to give first aid a new look, the American Red Cross last week began distributing a new edition of its First Aid Textbook (Doubleday; $1, or 75-c- in paper covers), completely rewritten for the first time since 1945.* Notable changes:

P: The tourniquet is now "mentioned principally to discourage its use," which should be only for "severe, life-threatening hemorrhage that cannot be controlled by other means," i.e., only for massive arterial bleeding, never for venous bleeding. Once in place, it should not be loosened every 15 minutes (as formerly advised), but left tight until a physician takes over. Alternative to the tourniquet: pressure by hand over the wound, or on the artery above the wound.

P: Artificial respiration is to be by the back-pressure, arm-lift method (TIME, Dec. 17, 1951) instead of the Schaeffer prone-pressure method.

P: Minor wounds with slight bleeding should be washed with cool water and soap. Formerly, washing was discouraged for fear of infection.

P: All wounds are to be suspected as sites of tetanus (lockjaw) infection. They must be thoroughly cleansed, and doctors should consider the need for antitoxin inoculation. In the past it was thought that these precautions should be applied only to puncture wounds, where the air cannot penetrate.

P: Frostbitten parts should be rewarmed quickly (not slowly, as previously advised) by immersion in water at about body temperature (90DEG to 100DEG F.). No hot water bottles--and no rubbing.

P: Instead of the three-man carrying technique with all three bearers on one side of the victim, first-aiders are now advised to form up with two on one side, one on the other, then make their interlocking arms into a sort of hammock.

P: Heat burns (as distinct from chemical burns) should not be covered with petrolatum or other ointment dressing: just sterile gauze, applied dry, with a bandage to hold it in place.

*The first printing of 500,000 copies was marred in two places by having drawings transposed, including two illustrating artificial respiration, and by minor errors in five other drawings, all duly noted on a loose, easily lost errata slip.

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