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First Aid
First aid is the provision of initial care for an illness or injury. It is usually performed by a lay person to a sick or injured casualty until definitive medical treatment can be accessed.
3,968 Questions
How do you render first aid to a person who is unconscious from electrical shock?
Same as for any other unconscious victim. Based on what is found on site, need to be aware of possibility of trauma injuries and then work according to PHTLS (Pre-Hospital Trauma Life Support)
How long does it take for the swelling to go down in a sprained foot?
Sprained feet vary in the length of time that the swelling will last. First there are injured people that are prone to swelling and the severity of the injury needs to be considered. Best of all is RICE. Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation are the best things to do for the injury. If the injury is less than 24 hours old, ice is important. After a few days heat can help with removing bruising but again, ice is important now.
Why should you have a first Aid kit in the kitchen?
A First Aid Kit should be easily accessible from anywhere in the home. A kitchen is a great place to store a first aid kit because there are many accidents that can happen in the kitchen. For example, burns, cuts, scrapes, are just a few reasons why you should keep a first aid kit in the kitchen.
What is the difference between emergency care and first aid?
Emergency care is what a person in distress needs. Some needs of a person in distress may be first aid, CPR, ACLS, and others.
Can you lose your certification if you intentionally do CPR incorrectly?
Yes, you can loose your certification if you intentionally do CPR incorrectly.
How can you tell if an adult is choking?
They should be showing the universal sign for choking (two hands around the neck). Sometimes they'll be coughing instead, and if they are coughing, let them. That means that air is still going in and out and their body will try to get it out itself. It's not until you can't hear them breathing/gasping anymore. Sometimes their face will turn blue also, so just be prepared to act just in case.
Why should you minimize interruption when giving chest compressions?
Minimizing interruptions of compressions during CPR has been shown to improve outcomes in patients in Cardiac Arrest. Some means of minimizing interruptions include:
- Not stopping chest compressions to insert an Advanced Airway (generally not needed early in cardiac arrest)
- Providing 100 compressions per minute, pushing hard and deep, and allowing full chest recoil.
- Only performing pulse checks during rhythms analysis, typically at 2 minute intervals.
- Providing CPR while the defibrillator is charging, clearing the patient's chest rapidly for shock delivery, and immediately resuming chest compressions post shock without delaying for rhythm analysis.
An important part of minimizing interruptions during CPR is to ensure that high quality compressions are being performed at all times, switching compressors every 2 minutes is important to reduce rescuer fatigue.
Depends on what kind of foot rot it is. Feet run into a lot of fungal infections. For this, an anti-fungal cream and, if you can, keep the foot exposed and dry. If you have to wear socks during this period, change to fresh socks twice a day AND whenever your feet get wet. If you shower, wash your feet thoroughly, dry and reapply ointment as per presciption. Note that fungal infections are contagious. Bleach works wonders on killing off fungii, so that would be a good disinfectant for the shower and your clothing, but not for your bod. If you're in civilization, keep the feet clean, dry as much as possible, open to the air when you can, and medicated. When you're in the field, focus on healing the rot with creams or in some cases powders (anti-fungal), and keeping the feet DRY. In extreme cases, you may need to resort to systemic anti-fungals.
How long does it take for a second degree sunburn to go away?
It depends where the sunburn is and how big it is. First degree burns might only take three days but it could take as long as 2 weeks.
How do you treat a minor burn and cut?
Clean out the cut with soap and water, removing debris.
Apply an antibiotic such as Neosporin.
Bandage it up
What are fingers and toes for?
Toes came about because they were useful to the early mammals to dig shelter burrows, grip the ground when running (Sort of like a tractor tread), and to have a number of nails to help in the above. Later ... much later, the short mammalian toes grew longer and more flexible as a result of changes, like standing up when walking. Longer toes were very helpful in balancing while erect.
At some point, for a certain small group of mammals that we call primates, it was useful for the toes to have the most inner toe wrap around opposite the other toes so that it was easier to grip a branch, and perhaps swing from tree to tree. This quickly led to longer, more efficient toes. At this point, you could say that this small group of specialized species of mammal had hands all around. As walking and running standing up became the standard way of getting around, these new subhumans had what we call "hands" up top, and feet down below, for walking.
This led to an explosion of new skills for the species because of this ability to grip things with an opposable thumb. It is from these small but extremely useful changes that intelligence grew in leaps and bounds, leading to larger brains, which led to more skills, until today, this changing species can send text on a telephone with just one of those opposable toes, which are now known as fingers.
On the lighter side:
We have fingers and toes to count or we can use a calculator in math class or in science class when we divide or multiply numbers.
What do you do if sombody was rescued from the water and is unconscious?
I'm a certified lifegaurd, and there are many answers to this question.
There are three types of drowning victims.
Passive drowning - victim is not moving in water. May be submerged.
Active drowning - someone who is struggling in the water, head bobbing under and struggling to stay afloat.
Spinal drowning victim - someone who is passive and has suffered a spinal injury. NOTE: UNLESS YOU ARE CERTIFIED, DO NOT ATTEMPT TO MOVE THIS PERSON AT ALL, UNLESS THEY ARE SUBMERGED AND NEED TO BE BROUGHT TO THE SURFACE FOR AIR.
You really should be certified to perform rescues on these victims - look into a lifeguard certification program in your area.
"Treatment" is really to generic a term. If they are unconsious once you pull them out and have no pulse or breathing, check their airway to see if they have an obstruction and they are choking. If the airway is clogged, do the Heimlich and back blows. If it is clear, start CPR. If they have a pulse and no breathing, breath for them, by pressing your mouth to their face and giving them a long breath, pulling your face back, counting to 3, and giving them another long breath. Do this for 40 breaths, and check if they are breathing on their own.
If they are consious, and coughing and sputtering, encourage them to do so, and they'll be fine. Just keep them warm after that.
But you really should be certified
There is no vaccine for Hep C although it is a potentially curable infection. It is spread via blood, sexual and vertical transmission (mother to foetus), with blood transmission being the key route. There is no suppressive treatment or post-exposure prophylaxis.
Medical treatment involves ribavirin and interferon, with the aim of curing infection.
Surgical treatment could involve a liver transplant, although hep c will recur in the new organ.
Symptoms of internal bleeding?
Someone with internal bleeding may not be able to feel it and not know until many hours later after it started. Signs of internal bleeding may be intense pain, a bruised area of the skin, vomiting or even fainting depending on the injury.
Diseases such as dysentery(uncontrolled diarrhea) and, uncontrolled vomiting can lead to dehydration. Overheating can also lead to dehydration.
If the skin loses its elasticity you can tell that fluids need to be administered.
: The inability to drink adequately is the other potential cause of dehydration. Whether it is the lack of availability of water
The human body constantly feels the need in water. It loses water through the lungs when we breathe. It loses water with the daily urine and stool. The color of urine is a good indicator of the organism need in water...
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Symptoms of dehydration usually begin with thirst and progress to more alarming manifestations as the need for water becomes more dire. The initial signs and symptoms of mild dehydration in adults appear when the body has lost about 2% of it's total fluid. These mild dehydration symptoms are often (but not limited to):
* Thirst
* Loss of appetite
* Dry skin
* Flushing
* Dark colored urine
* Dry mouth / Cotton mouth
* Fatigue / Weakness
* Chills
* Head rushes
If the dehydration is allowed to continue unabated, when the total fluid loss reaches 5% the following effects of dehydration are normally experienced:
* Increased heart rate
* Increased respiration
* Decreased sweating
* Decreased urination
* Increased body temperature
* Extreme fatigue
* Muscle cramps
* Headaches
* Nausea
* Tingling of the limbs
When the body reaches 10% fluid loss emergency help is needed IMMEDIATELY! 10% fluid loss and above is often fatal! Symptoms of severe dehydration include:
* Muscle spasms
* Vomiting
* Racing pulse
* Shriveled skin
* Dim vision
* Painful urination
* Confusion
* Difficulty breathing
* Seizures
* Chest and Abdominal pain
* Unconsciousness
Be aware that these are not the only symptoms of severe dehydration that may manifest in response to dehydration, these are simply the most common. Symptoms of dehydration will differ from person to person because the body is a complex network of systems and everyone's body is different. When these systems are disturbed due to loss of fluids there will be several common symptoms shared by most bodies, but there may also be unusual or unexpected responses depending on the particular person in question. Age also plays a part in the manifestation of symptoms. Signs of dehydration in a child will not be the same as those experienced by a teenager, adult or in the elderly. Dehydration prevention is the best treatment for every age group. heatstroke is always around the corner.
One sign of dehydration is loss of skin turgidity. This is tested by pinching the skin lightly, if the skin doesn't pop back into place right away, it's due to a loss of turgidity that is likely caused by dehydration. Another sign is paleness.
In the Heimlich maneuver (or abdominal thrust), place your hand one fist length above the victim's navel. Cover your fist with your other hand and thrust using an "up and out" motion. In this motion, do not lift your hand off the victim, but thrust inward (at a slight angle) and roll your fist.
Why should first aid be given?
First aid is given for three main reasons:
1. To sustain life.
2. To prevent the condition from worsening.
3. To promote recovery.
First aid forms an important part in the chain of medical care. First aid is referred to as the aid given before the arrival of medical or ambulance aid. A first aider is someone who has successfully completed a course of instruction in lifesaving first aid intervention techniques.
Often, the first person on the scene of an accident is a first aider. Their timely arrival and help can often mean the difference between life and death.
In conclusion, first aid is an important skill; perhaps just as important as ambulance aid. Without first aid, initial management of the scene can be very difficult. To take a course in first aid, simply contact your local Red Cross Branch or the local St John Ambulance Division.
Soak the burn in cool water for at least 5 minutes. The cool water helps reduce swelling by pulling heat away from the burned skin.
Treat the burn with a skin care product that protects and heals skin, such as aloe vera cream or an antibiotic ointment. You can wrap a dry gauze bandage loosely around the burn. This will protect the area and keep the air off of it.
Take an over-the-counter pain reliever, such as acetaminophen (one brand name: Tylenol), ibuprofen (some brand names: Advil, Motrin) or naproxen (brand name: Aleve), to help with the pain. Ibuprofen and naproxen will also help with swelling.
Second-degree burnSoak the burn in cool water for 15 minutes. If the burned area is small, put cool, clean, wet cloths on the burn for a few minutes every day. Then put on an antibiotic cream, or other creams or ointments prescribed by your doctor. Cover the burn with a dry nonstick dressing (for example, Telfa) held in place with gauze or tape. Check with your doctor's office to make sure you are up-to-date on tetanus shots.
Change the dressing every day. First, wash your hands with soap and water. Then gently wash the burn and put antibiotic ointment on it. If the burn area is small, a dressing may not be needed during the day. Check the burn every day for signs of infection, such as increased pain, redness, swelling or pus. If you see any of these signs, see your doctor right away. To prevent infection, avoid breaking any blisters that form.
Burned skin itches as it heals. Keep your fingernails cut short and don't scratch the burned skin. The burned area will be sensitive to sunlight for up to one year, so you should apply sunscreen to the area when you're outside.
Third-degree burnFor third-degree burns, go to the hospital right away. Don't take off any clothing that is stuck to the burn. Don't soak the burn in water or apply any ointment. If possible, raise the burned area above the level of the heart. You can cover the burn with a cool, wet sterile bandage or clean cloth until you receive medical assistance.
Is there anything I shouldn't do when treating a burn?Do not put butter or oil on burns. Do not put ice or ice water directly on second- or third-degree burns. If blisters form over the burn, do not break them. These things can cause more damage to the skin.
Hi. I would transport the patient in the lateral position, making sure they are facing you should you need to suction their airway or perform other procedures. In regards to airway and breathing, it all depends on whether the patient is maintaining their own airway or not. A patient can quickly obstruct their airway with their tongue, or can slowly aspirate secretions or vomits down their trachea should they be left in the supine position.
What do I put into an emergency travel kit?
The kind of food you should bring is canned vegetables and fruits, so mostly canned food. === === The above is great for a kit you don't have to carry it. The canned foods contain water, thus killing two bird with one stone. But they're heavy. So -- if you need to be mobile..: You want to carry the most calories at the least weight. Fats meet this bill but they're REALLY messy, and can thus infect easily. This leaves us at carbohydrates. For serious weight-to-calorie effectiveness, there are compressed sugar bars that are sugar, flavoring (mint is popular), and glycerine (so they don't freeze solid in super-cold temperatures). These were popular on Everest climbs -- they're a heavy calorie boost, and are easy to preserve. For longer treks, consider salt or potassium and a vitamin supplement. Lastly, you say food, but I do need to mention water. Humans can survive a surprising amount of time with no food (80 days for one prisoner in Ireland on a hunger strike!), but no water is a deadly emergency. Have water supplies and purification tablets as well, in case all else fails.
What are the properties of an ideal wound dressing?
i myself preffer a light and delicate dressing. one with a slight garlic after taste that does not ruin the balance of the high quality extra virgin olive oil. but then again, what makes an olive an EXTRA virgin?
