FIRST AID

Organisation and teaching plan of the course: Basics of First Aid

Academic Year 2026/2027

 

Aim of the subject

Knowing how to administer first aid properly is a must-have skill for any healthcare professional. The need to manage various injuries, sudden illnesses, or life-threatening conditions is not limited to medical facilities; most acute incidents happen in “everyday life”. Properly administered first aid can save the lives of many acutely ill individuals, minimise the long-term adverse effects of severe conditions, or even return them to their previous health.

The course Basics of First Aid will provide students with the necessary foundation for further knowledge and skills, not only in subsequent studies but especially in clinical practice.

All lectured and practised first aid procedures align with current knowledge, as recommended by the European Resuscitation Council (ERC, 2025). Teaching aims to maximise students' active involvement through the use of case studies and practical exercises.

The person providing first aid must be able to clear the airway and ensure adequate breathing and circulation. The rescuer should also be able to recognise when and what type of first aid to administer and when to stop. They should also be aware of basic aftercare, including when and how to use the recovery position correctly, as well as when it is not appropriate.

During this course, students will gain theoretical knowledge and practical skills on how to deal with health-threatening situations such as circulatory arrest, car accidents, choking, severe allergic reactions, wound and bleeding treatment, burn treatment, electrocution, or the necessary treatment of the injured. Last but not least, students will gain a basic understanding of the Integrated Rescue System (IRS) and learn how to communicate effectively with emergency operators in situations where panic is unwarranted.

The aim of the course "Basics of First Aid" is to prepare students in the General Medicine study program to provide first aid and gain confidence in these procedures, which, when applied in practice, help restore vital functions and save lives. Teaching is based on the latest and most recent recommendations from professional societies.

 

Learning outcomes

The student reproduces and explains the theory necessary to manage acute conditions in basic life support.

The student demonstrates the technique of approaching an unconscious person.

The student opens the airways and assesses breathing in an unconscious patient.

The student demonstrates the technique of cardiopulmonary resuscitation for adults.

The student demonstrates the technique of approaching an unconscious child.

The student opens the airways and assesses breathing in an unconscious child.

The student demonstrates the technique of CPR for a child.

The student provides first aid for airway obstruction.

The student explains the management of massive bleeding.

The student demonstrates how to apply pressure to the wound to stop bleeding.

The student demonstrates the application of a tourniquet.

The student explains and demonstrates the Rautek manoeuvre.

The student can turn an unconscious person from the abdomen to the back.

The student recognises the symptoms of an allergic reaction and anaphylaxis and demonstrates how to use an autoinjector.

The student describes the signs of shock and explains the management of the patient.

The student describes the symptoms of a stroke and explains the management of the patient.

The student describes the symptoms of acute coronary syndrome and explains the management of the patient.

The student sumarises the rules at the scene of a traffic accident and describes the safety measures they took at the scene.

 

Organisation of teaching

The teaching of the subject Fundamentals of First Aid takes place on the premises of the Medical Education Support Centre Mala Hora 4 - The Competence centre, according to the set schedule. Lectures are held in Lecture Hall B, Novomeskeho 7, on odd weeks, and these lectures serve as the basis for the practical training. The theoretical knowledge shared in the lecture will not be repeated during the practical training, so you need to retain it to ensure the intended learning outcomes are correctly executed.  

Students arrive at class on time and are always in the same study groups. Any absence from class must be excused in advance by email and compensated for once the reasons for the absence have expired.

Changes to the class date are permitted only in exceptional circumstances, after consideration of the relevant reasons, and must be approved by the instructor.

Students' attendance at practical exercises is recorded on student cards, where they declare their attendance by signing. The card is also signed by the teacher at the end of the practical training, ensuring adequate attendance control.

Practical training is organised so that students have as much time as possible to practice the procedures and skills necessary for managing emergencies in pre-hospital care. Principles of simulation teaching will be used in teaching first aid. During the exercise, individual techniques and procedures will be practised in brief simulations, followed by a structured debriefing and additional training. Upon completing each exercise, it is the student's responsibility to complete a structured debrief.

 

Teaching schedule, plan, and content of lectures and practical exercises

Lectures (Prof. MUDr. Jana Plevková, PhD.)

1.      Introduction. Main principles of first aid provision. The chain of survival. Basic vital functions - breathing and circulation, consciousness.

2.      Unconsciousness. Pathophysiology of cardiac arrest, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in adults, automatic external defibrillator.

3.      Foreign body in the airways, airway obstruction. Cardiac arrest in children, cardiopulmonary resuscitation in newborn/child.

4.      First aid in non-traumatic life-threatening conditions (myocardial infarction, stroke, hypoglycaemia, convulsions, burns, ...)

5.      First aid in traumatic life-threatening conditions (haemorrhage, shock, anti-shock precautions, injury to the musculoskeletal system,...)

6.     Traffic accidents – management, obligations and legal framework of first aid provision, extraction of an injured person from a vehicle, helmet removal, injured pedestrian, organisation of the IRS.

 

 

Practicals (CPMV)

1.      Primary and secondary examination of a patient with a sudden change in health. ABCDE patient principle; basic life-saving procedures; SAMPLE history; identification of critically ill patient. Activity: ABCDE patient principle, vital functions examination.

2.      Cardiac arrest, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), automatic external defibrillator, telephone-assisted CPR. Activity: CPR training; group work.

3.      Airway obstruction; cardiac arrest in children. Activity: CPR training in adults and children, airway obstruction procedures; group work.

4.      First aid in non-traumatic life-threatening conditions (myocardial infarction, stroke, hypoglycaemia, convulsions, burns,...) Activity: First aid in acute coronary syndrome, hypoglycaemia, convulsions (activity with a standardised patient).

5.      First aid in traumatic life-threatening conditions (haemorrhage, fractures, amputations, burns, bites, drowning). Activity: First aid in haemorrhage (activity with a standardised patient).

6.      Traffic accidents – management, obligations and legal framework of first aid provision, extraction of an injured person from a vehicle, helmet removal, injured pedestrian, organisation of the IRS. Activity: Practical training of selected procedures (activity with a standardised patient).  

7.      Examination with CPR evaluation, TEST, compensations

 

 

Course completion requirements and course evaluation

100% participation in practical exercises is a prerequisite for passing and assessment of the course.

The criterion for successful completion of the course is a test exam and a demonstration of CPR
and improvised first aid for the most common injuries and sudden illnesses, with a minimum pass mark of 60%.

Grade: A: 95%-100%, B: 88%-94%, C: 77%-87%, D: 66%-76%, E: 60%-65%, Fx:
60% or less.

The assessment consists of a test score and a CPR pass percentage. Assessment will take place at the end of the semester in the last scheduled training. The test will be administered online to all students at the same time, in a Moodle environment, and will consist of 30 computer-generated questions from a set of existing questions that will be covered in lectures and practical training. To pass the test, 65% (~20 questions)  must be answered correctly. The questions are MCQ (multiple choice questions), and only one of the options is correct.

 

Test score

30-29b A, 28-27b B, 26-25-24b C, 23-22b D, 21-20 E, 19 and less Fx. Providing CPR at more than 98% success rate increases the grade by one grade.

 

Study literature will be published on the website: https://www.jfmed.uniba.sk/pracoviska/vedecko-pedagogicke-pracoviska/predklinicke-ustavy/centrum-podpory-medicinskeho-vzdelavania/vyucba/first-aid/

 

Teachers

MUDr. Tomáš Buday PhD., MBA, MSc.

Ing. Lukáš Martvoň, PhD.

Prof. MUDr. Jana Plevková, PhD.

 

 

In Martin, September 7th 2026

Medical Education Support Centre

Prof. MUDr. Jana Plevková, PhD. - Director of the Centre