First aid is the provision of initial care for an illness or injury. It is usually performed by non-expert, but trained personnel to a sick or injured person until definitive medical treatment can be accessed. Certain self-limiting illnesses or minor injuries may not require further medical care past the first aid intervention. It generally consists of a series of simple and in some cases, potentially life-saving techniques that an individual can be trained to perform with minimal equipment.
While first aid can also be performed on all animals, the term generally refers to care of human patients.
The survivalist must not only master techniques of first aid, but should also consider acquiring a combat medic’s level of trauma intervention skill and knowledge. It isn’t hard to spend 12 years of school and still not know everything there is to know about treating the sick, so care must be taken as to what subjects should be studied. It is often beneficial for one or two people in the survivalist’s group to be dedicated healers so as to limit the number of people spending too much time and energy training in this vast field.
Besides knowledge the survivalist must also have a number of medical supplies and tools on hand not limited to bandages, salves, ointments, splints and, sutures.
We don't even know how strong we are until we are forced to bring that hidden strength forward. In times of tragedy, of war, of necessity, people do amazing things. The human capacity for survival and renewal is awesome.
Isabel Allende