First Aid
Program
Mrs. Sapana Bhattarai
RN, BSN, MSN (Student)
Organized
by
Kent-NSA
(Nepalese Student Association at Kent State University, OH, USA)
Jan 6, 2007
What is First Aid?
First Aid- immediate care given to
injured or suddenly ill person
First Aid for Sprains & Strains
• Sprain- overstretching or tearing a
ligament, tendon, muscle
• Strain- overstretched or overexerted
muscle or tendon
• Pain and swelling
Sprains & Strains Continued…
First Aid
• Apply R.I.C.E. - rest, ice, compression, elevation
• R- Rest for 24 to 48 hours
• I- Ice area for 5 to 20 minutes hourly for 48 to 72
hours
• C-Compress area by wrapping tightly with
elastic bandage for 30 minutes, then unwrap for
15 minutes
• E- Elevate area to reduce swelling. Elevate it
while you sleep
Sprains & Strains Continued…
• Aspirin, ibuprofen to reduce inflammation
and pain
• Acetaminophen (Tylenol) to reduce pain
• Once injured area begins to heal, do
M.S.A. (movement, strength, alternate
activities)
First Aid for Broken Bones
Type of broken bones (Fractures):
 Simple or closed fractures: no broken bone
visible through skin, no skin wound near fracture
site

Compound or open fracture: partially or
completely separated bone, skin wound. Can
protrude broken bone through the skin
Broken Bones Continued…
Sign and symptoms:
 Swelling, deformity, pain, tenderness
 Inability to use injured part
If severe bleeding from open fracture:
 Monitor for shock, breathing and pulse
 Have victim lie flat
 Elevate victim's feet 8 to 12 inches
 Cover victim with blanket to keep warm
Broken Bones Continued…
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Remove clothing covering wound. Cut clothing away
Don’t move injured area
Use plastic bag or many layers of gauze pads to apply
direct pressure to wound to stop bleeding
Cover wounded area with clean cloth or dressing
Continue to apply pressure as long as wound bleeds
Add new dressings over existing ones
Broken Bones Continued…
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Immobilize injured area using splint. Make
splints from rolled-up newspapers, magazines,
blankets
Place splint above and below fracture hold in
place with strip of cloth
Broken Bones Continued…
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Broken arm- make a sling with triangular
piece of cloth. Place forearm in it and tie
ends around neck so arm is resting at 90
degree
Check pulse, swelling, numbness, If no
pulse, splint is too tight and must be
loosened
Take aspirin, ibuprofen or Tylenol
First Aid for Burns
Burns result from:
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dry heat-fire
moist heat- steam, hot liquids
electricity
Chemicals
Radiation- sunlight
Burns Continued…
First degree burns:
• Mild sunburn, brief contact with
heat source - hot iron
• Affect only outer skin layer
• Area appears dry, red, mildly
swollen
• Painful and sensitive to touch
Burns Continued…
First Aid
• Immediately place affected area in
container of cold water or under cold
running water for 5 - 10 minutes
• Do not apply ice or cold water for long
time
• Keep area uncovered, elevated. Apply
dry dressing
• Do not use butter or other ointments.
• Call your doctor if infection (fever,
chills, redness, swelling, pus)
• Take aspirin, Tylenol, ibuprofen
Burns Continued…
Second degree burns
• Severe sunburn
• hot liquids, flash from gasoline
• Affect skin's lower layers and
outer skin
• Painful, swollen, show redness,
blisters
• Skin develops weepy, watery
surface
Burns Continued…
For Second Degree Burns
• Immerse affected area in cold
(not ice) water until pain
subsides.
• Dip clean cloths in cold water
and apply them over and over
again to burned area for an
hour
Burns Continued…
• Do not break any blisters
• Avoid applying antiseptic
sprays, ointments
• Dress area with single layer of
loose gauze. Hold in place with
bandage
• Change dressing next day and
every two days after that
Burns Continued…
• Elevate burnt area higher
than body
• Call your doctor if infection
develops
• Take aspirin, ibuprofen,
tylenol
Burns Continued…
Third degree burns
• Outer, deeper skin layers, tissue,
organs.
• Appear black and white
• Swollen skin and exposed
underlying tissue
• Less pain
• May be no pain at all if destroyed
nerve endings
• Emergency treatment,
hospitalization
Burns Continued…
• Turn off electric current, "stop,
drop and roll" on floor or ground
or douse with cold water or wrap
victim in cotton blanket or rug
• Check breathing, pulse, shock
• Remove clothing, only if not stick
to burned area.
• Cut unstuck clothing
Burns Continued…
• Remove jewelry, if possible
• Elevate burned arm or leg above
heart level. If face burned, have
victim sit up
• Cool burned skin with cool
water
• Don't use cold water on large,
third degree burns. Don't
immerse in ice water
Burns Continued…
• Use cold compresses on burns of
hands, feet, face for 15-20
minutes
• Cover with clean cloth or sterile
dressing.
• Don't apply ointment, cream,
butter
• Don't give victim anything to drink
or eat
First Aid for Chest Pain
Causes of chest pain :
Heart attack
Chest wall or lung injury
Collapsed lung
Other causes :
Pneumonia or bronchitis
Heartburn
Anxiety
Chest Pain Continued…
Symptoms of chest pain due to heart
attack
Pain that spreads to arm, neck or jaw
Feeling of pressure, especially on left side
Shortness of breath or trouble breathing
Nausea and/or vomiting
Sweating
irregular pulse or heartbeat
Feeling anxious
Chest Pain Continued…
Ask victim if he uses heart medicine
(nitroglycerin). If yes, place tablet
under tongue. Give up to 3 tablets in
10 minutes
Keep victim in comfortable position
Do not have victim lie down, if he has
breathing problems
Half-sitting position is better with legs
up and bent at knees. Put pillow or
rolled towel under knees, support
back
Chest Pain Continued…
Reassure victim and stay with
him until you get help
Loosen any clothing around
victim's neck, chest, waist
Monitor victim for breathing, pulse
First Aid for Choking
Adults: Conscious Victim
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Choking is indicated by Distress Signal (hands
clutching throat)
If victim can speak, cough or breathe, don’t
interfere
If victim can’t speak, cough or breathe, give
abdominal thrusts (Heimlich maneuver)
Reach around victim's waist. Position one
clenched fist above navel and below rib cage.
Grasp fist with other hand
Pull clenched fist sharply and directly backward
and upward under rib cage 6 to 10 times quickly
Choking Continued…
In late pregnancy, give chest thrusts.
Stand behind victim. Place thumb of left
fist against middle of breastbone. Grab fist
with right hand. Squeeze chest 4 times
quickly
 Continue uninterrupted until obstruction is
relieved or advanced life support is
available.
 Have victim examined by physician
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Choking Continued…
If Victim Becomes Unconscious
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Position victim on back, arms by side
Shout for "Help". Call 9-1-1
Perform finger sweep to try to remove foreign
body
Perform rescue breathing. If unsuccessful, give
6-10 abdominal thrusts
Be on both sides of victim’s thigh
Put heel of one hand against middle of victim’s
abdomen above navel and below sternum’s
notch
Choking Continued…
Press inward and upward using both
hands with up to 6-10 abdominal thrusts
 Repeat sequence: perform finger sweep,
rescue breathing, perform abdominal
thrusts until successful or advanced life
support is available.
 If successful, have victim examined by
doctor
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Choking Continued…
Conscious Child (Over 1 year old)
 Abdominal thrusts same as adults
Unconscious Child (Over 1 year old)
 Abdominal thrusts same as adults.
 But Don’t do blind finger sweep in children
up to 8 years old. Do tongue-jaw lift and
remove foreign body only if you can see it
First Aid for Eye Injuries
Causes of eye injuries:
 Physical blow to eye
 Harsh chemicals like bleach and acids can
burn eye tissue and damage eyes
 grain of sand, fleck of paint, sliver of
metal or splinter of wood- scratch cornea
and cause infection
 Insect bites
Eye Injuries Continued…
If foreign body sticking into eye:
 Do not try to remove object
 Do not press, touch or rub eye
 Wash hands with soap and water
 Cover affected eye with paper cup or
other clean object
 Hold paper cup in place with tape without
putting pressure
Eye Injuries Continued…
Gently cover unaffected eye to keep
affected eye from moving
 If alone, do not cover unaffected eye,
avoid side to side or up and down eye
movement. Phone or yell for help
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Eye Injuries Continued…
If severe blow to the eye
 Close the eye
 Put cold compress over injured area, not
directly on eye. Can use ice in plastic bag
or bag of frozen vegetables
 Do not use firm pressure
 Keep victim lying down with eyes closed
 If alone, phone or yell for help
Eye Injuries Continued…
If a cut to eye or eyelid
 Loosely cover both eyes with sterile cloth
or pad and gently tape in place
 Keep victim lying flat on back
 If alone, phone for help
 Loosely cover only affected eye with
sterile cloth or pad and keep your other
eye from moving
Eye Injuries Continued…
If eye exposed with harmful chemical
 Flush eye with water immediately
 Have victim lie down and turn his head to
side with affected eye lower than other
eye
 Hold affected eye open with your thumb
and forefinger
 Pour large quantities of warm water from
pitcher or other clean container over
entire eye from inside to outside corner
Eye Injuries Continued…
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Continue pouring water for at least 10 - 30
minutes
Loosely bandage eye with sterile cloth and tape
Do not touch eye
If both eyes affected- pour water over both eyes
at the same time or quickly alternate from one
eye to another
Or, place victim's face in sink or container filled
with warm water. Have him or her move his or
her eyelids up and down
Eye Injuries Continued…
To remove foreign object in the eye:
 Wash your hands
 Twist piece of tissue, moisten tip with tap
water, try to touch small piece with the
tip.
 If it is under upper lid, look down and pull
upper lid away from eyeball by grabbing
eyelashes
 Try to touch debris with tip of moistened
tissue
Eye Injuries Continued…
Do not rub eye. Never use tweezers
 Gently wash eye with cool water
 Cover eye with patch for 24 hours to
relieve pain
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First Aid for Fainting
Brief loss of consciousness for several
seconds or up to an hour
Causes of fainting:
 Low blood sugar
 Anemia
 Rapid loss of blood (internal bleeding or
external bleeding)
 Heart attack or stroke.
 Heat stroke or heat exhaustion
Fainting Continued…
Just before fainting, person may:
 Feel a sense of dread
 Feel dizzy
 See spots before his or her eyes
 Have nausea
Fainting Continued…
First Aid
 Catch person before he falls.
 Have person lie down with head below level of
heart. Raise legs 8 to 12 inches.
 If victim is about to faint lies down right away,
he may not lose consciousness.
 Turn victim's head to side so tongue doesn't fall
back into throat
 Loosen any tight clothing.
 Apply moist towels to person's face and neck
Fainting Continued…
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Keep victim warm
Don't shake anyone who's just fainted.
Don't try to give person anything to eat or
drink until fully conscious
Don't allow person who's fainted to get up
until sense of physical weakness passes.
Watch for few minutes to make sure he
doesn't faint again
Fainting Continued…
Self-Care
when you feel faint:
 Sit down, bend forward and put your head
between your knees, or
 Lie down and elevate both legs 8 to 12
inches
First Aid for Nosebleeds
First Aid
minor nosebleeds
 Sit with your head leaning forward
 Pinch nostrils, using your thumb and
forefinger to gently squeeze nasal septum
 Hold for 15 minutes, breath through
mouth
Nosebleeds Continued…
Apply cold compresses to area around
nose
 Elevated head above the heart for 24
hours
 Do not blow nose, lift heavy objects,
exercise for 24 hours
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Nosebleeds Continued…
After nose bleeding stopped:
 Keep nostrils moist :
 cool-mist
vaporizer or humidifier in your
bedroom, especially in winter.
 dab of petroleum jelly inside nostril.
Don't pick or rub nose
 Don't smoke, take aspirin or drink very hot
or alcoholic beverages for one week
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Questions…????
Thank You