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FIRST AID |
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FIRST AID |
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BREATHING Q. I don’t think he’s breathing. What do I do? 3. Find out for sure if the victim is breathing or not. Place your ear to the victim’s mouth and nose. Listen and feel for breath. Look at the chest to see if it’s rising and falling. If he’s not breathing, you should now be ready to perform mouth-to-mouth artificial respiration. Someone who has stopped breathing can die in minutes. Serious brain damage can occur even sooner. Start mouth-to-mouth breathing right away. Don’t wait. BLEEDING Q. How can I stop that bleeding? Don’t remove the pad if blood soaks through, that would interfere with clotting. Instead, add more thick layers of cloth and continue the direct hand pressure even more firmly. Unless there is evidence of a broken bone, try to position the victim so the wound is elevated higher than the heart. This uses gravity to reduce blood pressure at the wound and slow the blood loss, but keep the hand pressure on. If direct pressure and elevation won’t stop severe bleeding of an arm or leg wound, try the pressure point technique. Keep the direct pressure on, too. Don’t use a tourniquet unless the bleeding can’t be controlled by any other means. A tourniquet cuts off all of the blood flow and can mean the loss of a limb. If you must use a tourniquet (maybe a limb was severed), use a strip of material at least 2 inches wide and place it close to the edge of the wound. Don’t use anything narrow that could cut the skin. Then make note of the time you apply the tourniquet, and tell the ambulance attendants or doctor. SHOCK When somebody goes into shock, several critical body functions, including blood circulation, slow down. Look for these signs: - Skin may be pale or bluish, or it might be blotchy.
On dark-skinned victims, check the fingernails and inside the mouth. You don’t have to see all of these signs. When you see some, assume you’ve got a case of shock on your hands. Placing an unconscious victim on his side prevents choking by allowing any fluids to drain from the mouth. Q. How do I fight shock? Wrap him up enough to conserve body heat. You don’t want to warm him up, just keep him from cooling off. Don’t forget blankets underneath, too. If the victim is unconscious and there are no serious injuries, put him on his side so any blood or fluids can drain from the mouth. Take extreme care to keep the airway open. DON’T give fluids. If the person is conscious and there are no serious leg, abdominal, or chest injuries, put him on his back with his feet slightly raised. If you’re in doubt about the injuries, keep him flat. Q. Is this all I need to know? RESCUE Q. An accident. Somebody’s hurt! Where do I begin? 1. Get the victim out of danger. If he’s safe where
he is, try to keep him still. Q. He’s in danger here. How should I move him? But sometimes there’s greater risk if you don’t move him. Maybe the victim is lying in the road where he could be hit. Then you move him, but cautiously. The rule is to avoid as much bending and twisting of the neck, body, and limbs as possible. For example, if you find the victim lying with legs crossed, move him with legs crossed. Broken bones have sharp edges that can cause internal damage if they move around. If someone is unconscious in the road, you can drag him to safety. Take him by the shoulders (best) or by the ankles (second best); never pull him sideways. Q. How do I give artificial respiration? 2. Check to see if the victim does not start breathing, keep giving artificial respiration, one big breath every five seconds. Watch the victim’s chest fall between breaths. If the victim does start breathing, keep the airway open and keep checking. He might stop breathing again. CARBON MONOXIDE IS THE "SILENT KILLER"
CO poisoning occurs when an internal combustion engine or improperly adjusted fuel-burning appliance is operated in a closed area without fresh air. When a generous supply of fresh air is available and the fuel is burning properly there is little danger of CO poisoning. RECOGNIZE THE SIGNS OF DANGER The early stages of CO exposure includes headaches, dizziness, and drowsiness. A conscious victim may look or act intoxicated. Other symptoms include blurred vision, irritability, and an inability to concentrate. Severe cases cause nausea and vomiting, shortness of breath, convulsions, unconsciousness, and eventually death. Considering these symptoms, it is easy to see how readily CO poisoning could strike a sleeping victim. While the best first-aid for CO poisoning is lots of fresh air, long-term exposure can result in brain damage. If the victim is unconscious, place him or her on the side with the head resting on an arm only after moving to an area with fresh air. If the victim is not breathing, begin mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and CPR if necessary. Keep the victim warm and quiet; give nothing to eat or drink. Take a conscious victim immediately to the hospital, even if exposure was minimal and recovery appears complete. DEFEND YOURSELF To protect against CO poisoning, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission offers these suggestions: - All home fuel-burning equipment should be inspected yearly by an expert to keep it operating efficiently and properly vented. -Fuel-burning heaters used to warm the house should be vented to the outside. If you must use an unvented heater, be sure to leave a window open at least one inch. Unvented heaters should always be turned off at night. - Do not use a gas range or oven for heating a room. Never use a charcoal grill or hibachi inside, unless it is in a well-ventilated fireplace. Burning charcoal — whether it’s glowing red or turning to gray ashes — gives off large amounts of carbon monoxide. Never close a fireplace vent until the fire is completely extinguished. - Internal combustion engines; such as automobiles, boats, lawnmowers, and generators produce lethal amounts of CO. Never run these engines in a closed or confined area; such as indoors, in a garage, or storage shed! - Inspect chimneys, stove pipes, flues, and connectors to be sure they are clean and in good repair. The home isn’t the only place where the "silent killer" lurks. The inside of a car can be equally deadly. In fact, it is not uncommon to hear about CO leaking into a moving car from the engine exhaust killing the children in the back seat! - To avoid CO poisoning from automobiles, have your muffler and tail pipes checked. HEAT DISORDER SUNBURN SYMPTOMS: Redness and pain. In severe cases
swelling of skin, blisters, fever and/or headaches. HEAT & LEG CRAMPS SYMPTOMS: Painful spasms usually in muscles
of abdomen possible. Heavy sweating. HEAT EXHAUSTION SYMPTOMS: Heavy sweating, weakness, skin
cold, pale, and clammy. Pulse thready. Normal temperature possible. Fainting
and vomiting. HEAT STROKE SYMPTOMS: High body temperature (106 F,
or higher). Hot dry skin. Rapid and (or sunstroke) strong pulse. Possible
unconsciousness. Move the victim to a cooler environment. Reduce body temperature with cold bath or sponging. Use extreme caution. Remove clothing, use fans, and air conditioners. If temperature rises again, repeat process. Do not give fluids. Heat Wave Safety Tips Slow down. Strenuous activities should be reduced, eliminated, or rescheduled to the coolest time of the day; individuals at risk should stay in the coolest available place, not necessarily indoors. Dress for summer. Lightweight, light-colored clothing reflects heat and sunlight, and helps your body maintain normal temperatures. Put less fuel on your inner fires. Foods (like Proteins) that increase metabolic heat production also increase water loss. Drink plenty of water or other non-alcohol fluids. Your body needs water to keep cool. Drink plenty of fluids even if you don’t feel thirsty. Persons who (1) have epilepsy or heart, kidney, or liver disease, (2) are on fluid restrictive diets or (3) have a problem with fluid retention should consult a physician before increasing their consumption of fluids. Do not drink alcoholic beverages. Do not take salt tablets unless specified by a physician. Persons on salt restrictive should consult a physician before increasing their salt intake. Spend more time in air-conditioned places. Air conditioning in homes and other buildings markedly reduces danger from the heat. If you cannot afford an air conditioner, spending some time each day (during hot weather) in an air conditioned environment affords some Protection. Don’t get too much sun. Sunburn makes the job of heat dissipation that much more difficult. HEAT EXHAUSTION • Moist and clammy skin, usually pale HEATSTROKE • Dry hot skin, usually red There are two basic kinds of heat exhaustion: • Salt-depletion, in which unacclimatized individuals exert themselves and drink enough water, but do not replace the salt. • Water-depletion, which usually occurs among the elderly or chronically ill who do not drink enough water during extreme heat. This type of heat exhaustion is characterized by extreme anxiety and agitation, intense thirst, headache, weakness, fever, muscular incoordination, and decreased sweating. Signs and Symptoms Primary signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion are much like flu symptoms. They can include the following: • Headache, giddiness, and extreme weakness. Patients: may lapse into a coma, become delirious, and die. About 4,000 Americans die of heatstroke every year. FIRST AID SUPPLIES Assemble a first aid kit for your home and one for each car. A first aid kit should include: • Items to include -Sterile adhesive bandages in assorted sizes MEDICINES THAT GO ONTO YOU INCLUDE: -hydrogen peroxide MEDICINE TO GO INTO YOU INCLUDE: -aspirin or acetominophine Sanitation -Toilet paper, towelettes* TOOLS AND EMERGENCY SUPPLIES -Mess kits, or paper cups, plates and plastic utensils* SPECIAL ITEMS • Remember family members who may need special items, such as infants and elderly or disabled persons. - Babies * • Formula -Adults* • Heart and high blood pressure medication |
