|
> Introduction to First Aid |
 |
Accidents happen. When they do, the trained firstaider can save life, limit injury, ease pain and anxiety, and summon appropriate medical help.... |
|
|
|
Amputation |
 |
Get the casualty to lie down raise the affected limb, and tie a bandage rightly around and over the stump. If the wound continues to bleed, add another bandage... |
|
|
|
Asphyxia |
 |
Starved of oxygen, tissues rapidly die. Oxygen may be prevented from diffusing into the lungs because of choking, drowning, suffocation, strangulation, paralysis, or injury to the lungs or chest... |
|
|
|
Bites & Stings |
 |
The bites of animals carry two main dangers: tetanus and rabies. In the UK at the moment we are lucky not to have rabies, but it is present in many other countries... |
|
|
|
Bleeding |
 |
Occurs when blood vessels are damaged. External bleeding often looks more dramatic than internal bleeding, but the latter can be more serious... |
|
|
|
Blisters |
 |
Blisters are bubbles of fluid (blood serum) which form under the skin due to friction or burns and scalds. Do not burst blisters - they may get infected... |
|
|
|
Breathing |
 |
If the airway to the lungs (mouth, throat, or windpipe) is obstructed, the person will not be able to breathe... |
|
|
|
Burns & Scalds |
 |
Burns are caused by heat, friction, or chemicals; scalds are caused by hot liquids. If severe, either may affect the whole body, not just the burnt or scalded part... |
|
|
|
Chemical Burns |
 |
Caustic or corrosive chemicals can badly damage the skin, especially the eyes... |
|
|
|
Chemicals Inhaled |
 |
If there are poisonous substances in the air, these will be breathed in. Thick smoke causes the muscles lining the airways to go into spasm; the victim begins to choke and suffocate... |
|
|
|
Chest Injuries |
 |
Chest injuries usually fall into one of three categories: penetrating wounds, blast injuries, and broken bones... |
|
|
|
Choking |
 |
Food, vomit, and the tongue itself can obstruct the airway to the lungs and cause choking. The signs of choking are difficulty breathing and speaking, and sometimes coughing... |
|
|
|
Circulation |
 |
If the heart stops beating, blood flow to the brain and other vital organs ceases. With each heartbeat blood surges through the arteries, giving a pulse or throb which can be felt at various points on the body... |
|
|
|
Crush Injuries |
 |
Severe crush injuries cause extensive damage to skin, muscle, nerves and bone. There may be internal and external bleeding, or blood supply to a limb may be cut off for some time... |
|
|
|
Cyanocrylate Glues |
 |
These are fast-setting, 'superglue' adhesives that bond anything, including human skin, in seconds. In rare cases a large drop will cause a burn... |
|
|
|
Dental Operations |
 |
If a tooth socket starts to bleed after extraction, encourage the person to spit the blood out rather than swallow it... |
|
|
|
Diabetic Coma |
 |
Both diabetes insipidus and diabetes mellitus can, if incorrectly managed, lead to unconsciousness and even death... |
|
|
|
Dislocations - First Aid |
 |
Dislocation occurs when the bones at a joint are forcibly knocked or twisted apart, this causes severe pain, sometimes nausea, inability to move the joint, swelling, bruising, and obvious deformity... |
|
|
|
Drowning |
 |
Do not attempt to drain fluid from the lungs of someone who has nearly drowned... |
|
|
|
Ear Injuries |
 |
Ears are very delicate and only the gentlest measures should be taken to dislodge foreign bodies from the outer ear canal... |
|
|
|
Electrocution & Electrical Injuries |
 |
Electrical shocks can stop a person's breathing or heart, and also cause burns. If the victim is still in contact with the electricity source, be extremely careful that you don't become the next casualty... |
|
|
|
Epileptic Fits |
 |
Major epileptic fits come on suddenly, although sometimes there may be warning symptoms... |
|
|
|
Eye Injuries |
 |
Generally speaking, first aid for all eye injuries (other than the removal of small foreign bodies) should be followed up by expert examination of the eyes... |
|
|
|
Fainting - First Aid |
 |
Temporary loss of consciousness caused by disruption of blood flow to the brain, brought on by emotional upset, pain, or hunger... |
|
|
|
Fish Hooks |
 |
Do not attempt to remove a fish hook unless it is impossible to get medical aid within an hour or two... |
|
|
|
Fits & Convulsions |
 |
The symptoms of a fit, convulsion, or seizure include any or all of the following jerky, uncontrolled movements;... |
|
|
|
|
Frost Bite |
 |
Caused by freezing conditions which cut off circulation, usually in extremities (hands, feet, ears, nose), which may be permanently affected... |
|
|
|
Head Injuries |
 |
After an accident any departure from full awareness, even for a few minutes, suggests that the brain has been damaged, if only temporarily... |
|
|
|
Heart Attack - First Aid |
 |
The symptoms of a heart attack can be dramatic: severe constricting or bursting pain in the chest, sometimes spreading to the arms, neck, and back;... |
|
|
|
Heat Stroke & Heat Exhaustion |
 |
Heat stroke is caused by excessive fluid and salt loss in hot or humid conditions, this leads to general dehydration and exhaustion... |
|
|
|
Hypothermia |
 |
Sets in when core body temperature falls below 35°C (95'F); if cooling continues to 25°C (77°F) or below, recovery is unlikely... |
|
|
|
Internal Bleeding |
 |
Internal bleeding, often more serious than external bleeding, is usually the result of crush injuries, fractures, or a burst peptic ulcer... |
|
|
|
Nosebleeds |
 |
Lean the casualty over a basin, pinch the lower pan of the nose for 10 minutes, then release slowly... |
|
|
|
Panic |
 |
Panic makes pain and fear worse, and hinders first aid. Give as much reassurance to the casualty as you can... |
|
|
|
Poisoning |
 |
Poisoning involving household chemicals is one of the most preventable of emergencies. Poisons can enter the body through the mouth or skin, or they may be inhaled... |
|
|
|
Shock |
 |
Sets in when blood flow through vital organs becomes inadequate due to loss of body fluids, or a sudden drop in blood pressure in response to an allergen or infection... |
|
|
|
Slipped Disc |
 |
Slipped disc occurs when an intervertebral disc impinges on a ligament or narrows the space through which a nerve leaves and enters the spine... |
|
|
|
Spinal Injury |
 |
Since the spinal cord consists of nerves which carry messages from the brain to the body and vice versa, injury at any point in its course through the canal formed by the vertebrae is potentially serious... |
|
|
|
Splinters |
 |
The main danger from splinters of wood or metal is tetanus... |
|
|
|
Sprains & Strains |
 |
Sprains - technically the overstretching or tearing of ligaments which bind joints together - can be mild or severe, and sometimes difficult to distinguish from fractures and dislocations... |
|
|
|
Stroke - First Aid |
 |
Strokes occur when part of the brain's blood supply is cut off. This can be caused by a local haemorrhage or a blood clot in one of the arteries supplying the brain... |
|
|
|
Surgical Operations |
 |
Homeopathic remedies have their uses before and after surgical operations, especially when admission to hospital is unexpected and traumatic... |
|
|
|
Unconsciousness |
 |
Any departure from full alertness after an accident is cause for worry. An injured person who seems dazed and confused can be regarded as not fully conscious... |
|
|
|
Wounds |
 |
A wound is any break in the skin which allows blood to escape and infection to enter; surrounding or underlying tissues may be bruised or torn as well... |
|
|
|