First Aid and Emergencies: Ch. 28
(Read the articles below and answer the questions at the end of the packet)
(DO NOT WITE ON THIS PACKET)
Universal precautions
Some infectious agents such as the HIV and Hepatitis B viruses can be transmitted through contact with
blood and other body fluids. You need to use universal precautions when you administer first aid.
These are actions taken to prevent the spread of disease by treating all blood and other body fluids as if
they contained pathogens. Examples of these precautions are wearing protective gloves when possibly
touching blood, using a mouth piece or protective ventilation device for breathing emergencies, and
finally washing your hands before and after providing first aid.
Recognizing an emergency
Recognizing an emergency is the first step in responding to it. You need to look for indicators including
unusual sights, sounds, odors, and behaviors. Once you arrive at the scene of an emergency you need
to 1. Check the scene and the victim. Make sure that there are no hazards around victim. 2. Call for
help. 911 is the emergency number to call. Once you have the dispatcher on the phone, don’t hang up.
3. Provide care for the victim. Always take care of the life threatening victims first if there is more than
one. The unconscious, not breathing, etc. is the first to provide care for. In trying to keep them
conscious, keep asking them questions, tapping them on the shoulder, etc. anything to keep them
conscious.
Types of Injuries
There are various types of injuries. In the “open wounds” category are the following. A laceration is a
cut caused by a sharp object that slices through layers of the skin. Deep lacerations can result in heavy
bleeding, nerve damage, large blood vessels, or internal organs. Infection could also occur. Next is a
puncture. A puncture wound is a small but deep hole caused by a pin, nail, or other sharp objects that
can pierce the skin. The characteristics are just like the deep laceration, except the heavy bleeding.
Finally there is the Avulsion which occurs when tissue is partially or completely separated from the
body. Heavy bleeding is common with this type of wound.
Applying First Aid for Bleeding
In applying first aid to an open wound you need to make sure that you wash your hands first, and then
put on clean protective gloves if they are available. Wash the minor wounds with mild soap and running
water to remove dirt and debris. Cover the wound with sterile gauze or clean cloths and press down
firmly. Elevate the wound above the level of their heart. Cover the gauze with a sterile bandage
(pressure bandage if needed, ex. Ace wrap). Call for help or have someone else call while you stay with
the victim.
Pressure point bleeding control
If elevating the wound and applying pressure doesn’t stop the bleeding, pressure point bleeding control
must be used. The procedure involves pressing the main artery against a bone to stop blood supply to
the injured area. The procedure is only used when absolutely necessary.
Burns
There are many ways that someone can be burned. Heat, radiation from the sun, certain chemicals, and
electricity can all burn someone’s skin. The types of burns are classified by the depth of the burn. There
is first degree, second degree, and third degree burns. First degree only burns the outer layer of the
skin. Second degree burns affect the top several layers of the skin. The skin will blister up and appear
blotchy. Third degree burn is a burn in which skin, fat and muscle are damaged. For this type of burn,
call for medical help ASAP. Cool the burn with large amounts of cold water and cover the area with a dry
sterile dressing.
Life threatening emergencies
If the victim in an emergency is unresponsive you must begin the chain of survival which is a sequence of
actions that maximize the victim’s chances of survival. For adults call 911 and then begin CPR. Then use
early defibrillation and then let the emergency personnel take over. A defibrillator is a device that
delivers an electric shock to the heart to restore its normal rhythm. An AED is an automated external
defibrillator that is very easy to use. When a person has stopped breathing you must use CPR which
stands for cardiopulmonary resuscitation. This involves rescue breathing and chest compressions in
order to keep someone alive.
ABC’s of Adult / Child / Infant CPR
A= (airway) always look inside the victims mouth and remove anything that you see blocking the airway.
Lay the person on a flat surface, and gently tilt the head back by lifting the chin with one hand and
pushing down on the forehead with the other.
B= (Breathing) look, listen and feel for breathing. Look at the chest, listen for breaths, and feel exhaled
air on your cheek. If they are not breathing, in the proper position, pinch the nostrils shut, then place
your mouth over the victims mouth forming a seal. Give 2 slow breaths at 2 seconds long. The victim’s
chest should rise with each breath.
C= (circulation) Check for signs of breathing, coughing, or movement. If no breathing still, then place the
palm of your hand on the lower breast bone overlapping the other hand on top. Then lock your elbows
and press straight down for 15 reps then give 2 rescue breaths again. You should complete 4 cycles of
this action in one minute. Do this until the victim begins breathing on their own or until help arrives.
The same is repeated for a child as well. There are a few exceptions. Only make the 2 slow breaths 1 to
1 ½ seconds long on a child. Then you begin the compressions. Then only give one rescue breath every
3 seconds for the child. For an infant you need to give a recue breath after every 5 compressions. The
compressions are in the same area on an infant, but are less forceful. Continue this for 20 cycles which
is equal to 1 minute. After the minute check for signs of circulation.
First Aid for Shock
A state of shock is when a reduced blood flow through the body reduces the amount of oxygen carried
to the cells. If the vital organs don’t get this oxygen then the body goes into a state of shock. Common
symptoms of shock are irritability, altered consciousness, nausea, pale look, cool moist skin, and rapid
breathing and or pulse. In this case you must first call 911. Then control any bleeding. Elevate the legs
about 12 inches getting the blood to flow back to the heart. Never give them something to drink or eat.
Wait for emergency help.
First Aid for Choking
The universal sign for someone choking is when the victim places their hands around their neck. When
someone is choking, reach around their body making a fist with one hand and placing the other on top
of it. Then place your hands on their diaphragm, which is right below the breast bone. From there you
will quickly thrust your hands in an inward but also upward motion. This is to be only done to children
and adults. As for an infant you must first sit down in a chair, with the infant lying face down, place one
arm under the infant’s chest supporting their head and neck. Then take your other hand and with the
palm conduct 5 blows between shoulder blades. Then if the object doesn’t come out, roll the infant
over and perform 5 chest thrusts as described for the infant CPR. If the object hasn’t come out yet,
repeat the 5 blows and 5 chest thrusts until the infant is breathing or coughing.
Responding to Common Emergencies
During a muscle cramp stretch the muscle out, massage the cramped muscle, apply moist heat to the
area; get medical help if the pain persists. A strain is a result of overuse of the muscle; a sprain is a
sudden twist to the ligament. When these occur, you must use the right procedure. (R.I.C.E.) Rest , ice,
compression, elevation! Fractures are breaking of the bone. When a fracture happens, keep the victim
still and call 911. When a person is not alert and aware of their surroundings this is called
unconsciousness. If a person is unconscious place them on their side lying on the ground and call 911. A
brief loss of consciousness can happen when someone faints. This is when the blood supply to the brain
is temporarily inadequate. If you feel faint, sit on the ground and place your head between your knees.
If someone else faints, position the person on their back and elevate their legs 8 to 12 inches above the
heart. Loosen any tight clothing and sponge the persons face with water. If they were to vomit during
fainting, quickly roll them into the recovery position which is on their side. If they start choking, seek
medical help quickly. A concussion is a jarring injury to the brain that affects normal brain function.
When a victim has experienced a concussion, first check to see if they are conscious. If they are
conscious then call 911 for someone to run tests. If they are not conscious, place the victim in the
recovery position and then call 911 immediately.
Animal Bites
If you are bitten by an animal report the incident to your community health department or animal
control department. These bites can carry risk of infection and sometimes fatal diseases. If bitten first
wash out the bite area with mild soap. Use direct pressure to stop the bleeding. If the wound is swollen
use ice wrapped in a towel, and apply for 10 minutes. Finally cover the wound with a clean bandage.
Nose Bleeds
In treating a nose bleed, keep the victim calm. Sit them down and ask that they breathe through their
mouth. Have them lean forward and apply pressure to the nose.
Treatments for poisonings
A poison is any substance- solid, liquid, or gas that causes injury, illness, or death when introduced into
the body. If affected by poison, you need to call your local poison control center. If you swallow a
poison, call the poison control center first. They may instruct you to swallow milk, or water in order to
dilute the poison. They also may ask you to make yourself vomit. Do not attempt this until they give
you orders to do so. If you get poison on your skin, remove all contaminated clothing first. Then rinse
the skin with water for 15 minutes. Wash the skin with mild soap and water. Rinse again with fresh
water. If possible have someone call 911 while you are doing these steps. If the poison is inhaled
quickly get to fresh air. If the victim isn’t breathing, start rescue breathing. If the poison gets in the
victims eyes, flush the poison out with warm water for 15 minutes having the victim blink as much as
possible.
Snake Bites
If someone or you are bitten by a snake, get to the hospital; keep the victim still and in a reclined
position. Keep the bitten area below the heart and don’t apply heat or ice. The key here is that you
don’t want to maximize the blood circulation in the body because that is the only way that the poison
can travel through the body.