Preserve Prevent Promote

The 3 P’s relate to the basic aims of first aid. The first aider aims to preserve life, to prevent a condition from worsening and to promote recovery, whilst awaiting the arrival of the emergency services.

When the 3 P’s are used, a casualty’s life could be saved in the vital minutes between an incident occurring and the arrival of the emergency services.

Preserve

The first aim is to always preserve life - this includes the casualty, yourself and bystanders at the scene. Deal with any immediate dangers, assess the situation and gather the appropriate help required to manage the situation.

Little things like stopping traffic and preventing other people from making fundamental mistakes could prove the difference between life and death. Take control where necessary and try to remain calm.

Prevent

The reality is that it’s not always possible to fix a casualty’s problems caused by a sudden illness or accident. The focus should be on making sure the casualty does not deteriorate whilst waiting for the arrival of the emergency services.

Focus on prioritising the worst injuries - even if this means leaving one casualty so you can help another. Also check for medical tags that could indicate that they suffer with a major illness. This information could be relayed to 999 and could speed up the arrival of an ambulance.

Tip - Rank non-breathing highest, major bleeding second, and fractures last.

Promote

So now there is a wait for the emergency services to arrive. Instead of just waiting the next aim should be to try and promote a recovery in the absence of professional help.

Skills that have been learnt on first aid courses can be used to try and improve a casualty’s condition. Think of them as similar skills that a paramedic would use, but of course on a more basic level. Examples include the choking manoeuvres, recovery position, CPR and direct pressure on wounds.