Professional Documents
Culture Documents
2. FIRST AID
Introduction
Z NOTE!
This information is not intended
Own limitations
Before you become a rescuer, be
nor is implied to be a substitute aware of your own sensitivities and
for professional medical advice. limitations. If you are not cut out for
hands-on assistance at the scene of a
The steps a rescuer takes during the medical emergency, you can still help.
first few minutes of a medical emer- The fact that you know how to get
gency are critical, they can mean the help and what to say can make a dif-
difference between temporary or per- ference.
manent disability or between life and
death. Thats why first-aid knowledge Assisting
and training are so important. They Its also important to exercise compas-
prepare you to intervene calmly and sion and understanding for the vic-
effectively in an emergency. tims situation. Your job is to stay
calm and to reassure the victim with-
This first-aid information allows you out making false promises. Again,
to find easy-to-follow instructions on thinking ahead about this and the
how to help in a medical emergency. role you might someday have to play
Youll learn what to do and what not will make a difference in ensuring the
to do if youre the first one on the effectiveness of your assistance.
scene. So familiarize yourself with
this material before an incident oc- + Assess the Situation.
curs. And keep in mind that reading + Set Priorities.
this information is no substitute for + Check the ABCS, Airway,
formal instruction and practice. Con- Breathing and Circulation.
tact the Red Cross or equivalent orga- + Administer First Aid for Specific
nization to inquire about first aid and Emergencies.
cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)
First aid is serious. Dedicate some
training.
time to learning how to help. Any time
Remember, knowing what to do in a you spend doing this is time well
medical emergency can make a differ- spent, especially if youre ever called
ence. upon to help in a medical emergency.
Set priorities
After youve determined that it is safe If the victim responds, identify your-
for you to enter the accident area, ap- self as willing to assist. Find out what
proach the victim. As you do, look for is wrong and take steps to help the
signs of life. Determine if the victim is victim. (Treat the more serious inju-
breathing. If spine or neck injury is ries first, check the silent ones first.)
suspected, dont move the victim un-
Its important to stay calm and assure
less theres a threat of fire, explosion,
the victim while youre performing
or other life-threatening danger. Tap
first-aid measures.
the victim on the shoulder and ask,
Are you OK?
What to do
CPR: adult
1 Check for Consciousness
! Tap or gently shake person.
! Shout, Are you OK? If person
is unconscious...
Fracture
A fracture is a break (or a crack) of a
bone. Nerves and blood vessels can be
injured by a broken bone, causing a
more urgent situation. With open frac-
tures, the bone comes through the
skin. With a closed fracture, the skin
over the bone remains intact. Usually
X-ray is needed to determine if a frac-
ture has occurred.
Bleeding
The seriousness of the wound doesnt Impaled objects
always correspond with the size of the
wound or the amount of blood loss. 1 Stabilize the impaled object to pre-
For example: a small superficial scalp vent any movement.
wound may bleed heavily because of ! Even a small amount of move-
the rich blood supply to the head. ment can cause serious internal
Bleeding from an artery is more seri- damage.
ous and may take longer to stop.
! If required, stabilize with multi-
A certain volume of blood is necessary ple dressings until secure.
to maintain circulation; therefore the
2 To control bleeding, apply direct
victims pulse will weaken as blood is
pressure around the wound.
lost. The important thing for you to do
is stay calm, take steps to control the 3 Get help.
bleeding, and obtain medical assis-
tance as quickly as possible. 4 Monitor and treat victim for shock.
Heat exposure
The body functions most effectively teaspoon of salt every 30 min-
within a narrow temperature range. utes until person recovers.
High temperatures increase the bodys
metabolic rate and decrease its effi- 4 Seek medical attention if person
ciency. doesnt continually improve.
Do not apply ice directly to skin. Do not allow victim to become so cold
that he or she shivers.
Do not allow victim to become so cold
that he or she shivers. Do not leave victim alone.
Burns
There are three sources of burns: What to do
+ Heat burns-caused by flame or heat.
1 Apply cool, wet compresses, or im-
+ Chemical burns-caused by irritating merse in cool, fresh water. Con-
chemicals. tinue until pain subsides.
+ Electrical burns-caused by an elec-
tric current. 2 Leave uncovered. Protect from dirt
Burns can be painful or painless, ac- and friction.
cording to degree. The severity may 3 Medical attention may not be re-
not be obvious for up to 24 hours, in- quired.
fection may occur if improperly
treated. Second-degree burns
Burns of fingers, genitals, and eyes re-
quire immediate medical attention. Signs & symptoms:
+ Deep reddening of skin
Heat burns + Blisters
Do not peel adhered clothing from + Pain
burn.
What to do
Do not rupture blisters.
1 If a small area is involved, im-
Do not apply ointment, unless in- merse in fresh, cool water (prefera-
structed by medical personnel. bly sterile water). Or apply cool
Do not apply ice directly to burn. compresses. Continue for 15 min-
utes.
Do not chill victim as youre cooling
the area. 2 Dry with clean cloth and cover
with sterile nonadhesive dressing.
What to do
3 Elevate burned area.
1 Stop the burning process by re- 4 Seek medical attention immedi-
moving ignited clothing and all ately.
jewelry from the burn area.
! Some items, such as belts, will Third-degree burns
continue to burn until removed.
! If extremities are burned, re- Signs & symptoms:
move all jewelry beyond the + Damage to all layers of skin, includ-
burn, as swelling may develop ing nerves
and could cause the jewelry to + Painless (because nerves have been
cut off the circulation. damaged)
2 Give first aid for the degree of the + Dry, leathery skin
burn. + Possible charring of skin edges
+ Area often surrounded by first- and
First-degree burns second-degree burns
Signs & symptoms:
+ Redness of skin, pain, and mild
swelling
2 Remove any contaminated cloth- 1 Cut the power at the source, if pos-
ing. sible.
3 Quickly flush chemical burns with 2 If you cant turn off the power at
lukewarm water for 20 minutes. the source (and its not a high-volt-
Be sure to wash chemical away age utility wire thats in contact
completely. with the victim), stand on a dry
surface and disconnect victim from
4 All chemical burns, no matter how source of shock, using a long,
minor, require medical attention. nonconductive object, such as a fi-
berglass pole, broom, or rope.
Electrical burns ! Call the buildings maintenance
Electricity can cause paralysis of the department or the utility com-
nerve centers and breathing to stop. pany if a high-voltage wire is in-
Electricity passes through the body volved. Never attempt to remove
from entrance to exit wound, causing it yourself.
damage to any body part in its
path-even causing the heart to beat ir- 3 Monitor the ABCs and get help.
Eye injury
Injuries to the eye-no matter what the cup or similar object that wont
cause requires medical attention. disturb the imbedded object.
When irritated by any substance,
however, the eye should be washed for 2 Cover both eyes to prevent natural
at least 20 minutes before going for movement of injured eye.
medical attention. Eye injuries can be 3 Seek medical attention immedi-
frightening for the victim. Be sure to ately.
calm and assure the victim as best
you can. Cuts of eye or eyelid
Signs & symptoms:
1 Apply cold compresses lightly. Do
+ Pain not apply pressure to eyeball.
+ Excess blinking
2 Get medical attention immediately.
+ Tearing
+ Redness Chemical burns of the eye(s)
+ Visual problems
+ Sensitivity to light 1 Begin flushing immediately.
Do not attempt to remove any object ! Hold the eyelid(s) open and pour
from the eye with any liquid other fresh water over eye(s). Water
than sterile eyewash or clean water. should flow from the inner area
of the eye(s) next to the nose to
Do not delay in washing an irritant
the outer area, to avoid contami-
from the eye.
nation of the other eye.
Do not attempt to pull out any object ! Flush for at least 20 minutes.
stuck in the eyeball.
2 Get medical attention.
Do not rub painful eye(s).
Head trauma
The skull is the bony encasement of Do not try to keep person awake.
the brain, which is cushioned by spi-
nal fluid. Direct trauma to the head What to do
may cause many types of injuries, in-
cluding a fractured skull, bleeding of 1 Immobilize neck, if neck injury is
the scalp, or a bruise to the brain. suspected.
2 Monitor the ABCs and get help.
Signs & symptoms:
+ Headache, dizziness 3 Control bleeding.
+ Bump on head 4 Watch for signs of serious head
+ Nausea, vomiting trauma:
+ Fluid seeping from ear and nose ! increasing sleepiness
+ Sleepiness ! projectile vomiting
+ Inappropriate behavior ! seizures
+ Unequal pupils ! loss of function of body parts.
Do not move head. This can worsen
5 Keep victim calm and still until
spinal injury.
help arrives.
Do not give anything by mouth.
Poisoning
Poisoning may be accidental or inten- What to do
tional. Drugs, chemicals, and house-
hold cleaners are all potential poisons. 1 Call Poison Control Center before
Children are the most common vic- you do anything.
tims of accidental poisoning. Adults ! Dont rely on the containers la-
sometimes use poison to end their bel to give you current informa-
lives. A poison or toxin can affect the tion.
individual through skin contact, inha-
lation, or ingestion. 2 Poison Control Center will want to
know:
Signs & symptoms: ! The type of ingested or inhaled
+ Nausea, vomiting poison
+ Headache ! Age of victim
+ Altered consciousness ! Estimated dose and time taken
+ Abdominal pain (if ingested) ! Victims condition
+ Local irritation at site of exposure 3 Follow Poison Control Centers in-
(eye, skin, airway) structions.
Do not give fluids to victim who isnt
totally conscious. For inhalation poisoning
Do not force vomiting unless in-
structed to by a physician or the Poi- 1 Shut off source of gas or vapors be-
son Control Center. fore entering area or take other
precautions, such as wearing the
Do not assume everyone wants to get proper respirator or face mask to
well. Dont leave victim alone if at- protect yourself from exposure.
tempted suicide is suspected.
2 Move victim to fresh air.
2 Have the injured to blow his nose 2 After that, immediately to a hospi-
thoroughly. tal, eye specialist.
3 Rinse nose and mouth with water. 3 Keep rinsing on the way to eye
specialist. An eye injury demands
4 Provide the injured with fresh air, early initiated and long lasting
warmth and rest, preferably in a rinsing of the eye. Which will con-
comfortable half-sitting position. tinue at the eye specialist.
5 If required, give aspiration aid, ox-
ygen. Ammoniaconsumption
6 Contact a doctor! Signs & symptoms:
+ Consumption causes smart, corro-
Ammoniaskin contact sion injuries, pain in the chest, vom-
iting and possibly a shock.
Signs & symptoms: + Even at consumption of small
+ At skin contact a corrosion injury amounts of ammonia solvents, cor-
with smart, redness and wounds rosion injuries can arise.
may arise. + The risk of lasting pains in esopha-
gus and stomach is considerable.
What to do
What to do
1 Immediately rinse with a large
amount of water, inside the clothes 1 Give the injured a few glasses of
if necessary. milk (half a liter) or water if the
2 Remove clothes that are splashed injured is at full consciousness.
all over and rinse the underneath 2 Do not cause vomiting!
skin.
3 Contact a doctor!
Shock
Any serious injury or illness can re- + Coldness of extremities
sult in shock, which is a life-threaten- + Thirst, dryness in mouth
ing condition. The bodys response can + Profuse sweating
occur quickly or gradually. Shock is a
failure of the heart and blood vessels + Cold, clammy skin
to provide enough oxygen to every + Blue lips, pale nail beds
part of the body. Without oxygen, the Do not elevate if leg injury is sus-
various body systems-especially the pected.
heart, brain, and the kidneys- will be-
gin to slow down, and ultimately die. Do not give victim anything to eat or
The degree of shock is determined by drink.
a number of factors, including: What to do
+ Age (especially in the very young
and very old) 1 Check and monitor the ABCs. Get
+ Victims general health help.
+ Excessive fatigue 2 Place in shock position (seen be-
+ Rough handling low)
+ Delayed treatment
Signs and symptoms:
+ Restlessness
+ Mental confusion
+ Pale skin
+ Rapid pulse
+ Rapid shallow breathing
Spinal injury
A spinal injury isnt always obvious. What to do
Suspect one when there has been a
fall or other major force against the 1 If victim is in imminent danger,
body. use clothes-drag technique to move
victim to safety.
Signs & symptoms: ! Immobilize the head in the posi-
+ back or neck pain tion found.
+ Any trauma to head or face ! Use blankets, clothing, or any
+ Loss of sensation and function of ex- other available materials to hold
tremities head firmly with your hands.
Do not move victim unless theres a 2 Get help.
danger of fire, explosion, or other life
threatening incident. 3 Calm and reassure victim until
help arrives.
Do not put pillow under victims head.
Do not give victim anything to eat or
drink.