First Aid XI

11."Food Poisoning"

        -An acute, often severe gastrointestinal disorder characterized by vomiting and diarrhea and caused by eating food contaminated with bacteria, especially bacteria of the genus Salmonella, or the toxins they produce.Poisoning caused by ingesting substances, such as certain mushrooms, that contain natural toxins.

                    

If  Food Poisoning is suspected:

• Ask the patient if what food he has been eaten inn the last 48 hours.Food poisoning can take sometime to show(however, toxic food poisoning tends to act more quickly).Be alert to the possibility of ;food poisoning if there is any combination of the ff.

1. Strange testing food or food that has been left out in the heat.
2. Several people with the same symptoms.
3. Undercooked or reheated food.

 Signs and Symptoms:   
                            
                   

• Nausea and Vomiting
• Stomach cramps
• Diarrhea
• Fever
• Aches and pains
• Signs of shock

Symptoms of Toxic Poisoning:

• Dizziness
• Slurred Speech
• DOB
• swallowing

                                  

Food Poisoning Prevention

Safe steps in food handling, cooking, and storage are essential to avoiding food-borne illness. Bacteria cannot be seen, smelled, or tasted, which may be on any food.Follow the CDC food safety guidelines to keep contaminants away.

Safe shopping :

• Buy cold foods last during your shopping trip.Get them home fast.
• Never choose torn or leaking packages.
• Do not buy foods past their "sell-by" or expiration dates.
• Keep raw meat and poultry separate from other foods. Pregnant women should avoid foods that can carry Listeria and should discuss healthy foods during their pregnancy with their OB/GYN physician.

Safe storage of foods

• Keep it safe;refrigerate.
• Unload perishable foods first and immediately refrigerate them. Place raw meat, poultry, or fish in the coldest section of your refrigerator.
• Check the temperature of your appliances.To slow bacterial growth, the refrigerator should be at 40 F (4.44 C),the freezer at 0 F (-17.7 C).
• Cook or freeze fresh poultry, fish, ground meats, and variety meats within two days.

Safe food preparation:

• Keep everything clean!
• Wash hands before and after handling raw meat and poultry.
• Sanitize cutting boards often in a solution of one teaspoon chlorine bleach in one quart of water.
• Do not cross-contaminate. Keep raw meat, poultry, fish, and their juices away from other food. After cutting raw meats, wash hands, cutting board, knife, and counter tops with hot, soapy water.
• Marinate meat and poultry in a covered dish in the refrigerator. Discard any uncooked/unused marinade.

Thawing food safely:

• Refrigerator: Allows slow, safe thawing. Make sure thawing juices do not drip on other foods.
• Cold water: For faster thawing, place food in a leak-proof plastic bag and submerge in cold tap water.
• Microwave: Cook meat and poultry immediately after microwave thawing.

Safe cooking:

• Use a meat thermometer
• Cook ground meats to 160 F (71 C)
• Cook ground poultry to 165 F (74 C)
• Cook beef, veal, and lamb steaks, roasts and chops to 145 F (63 C)
• Cook all cuts of fresh pork, 160 F (71 C).
• Whole poultry should reach 180 F (82 C) in the thigh; breasts 170 F (76.6 C).
• Keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold.
• Never leave food out more than two hours (or more than one hour in temperatures above 90 F [32 C]).
• Bacteria that cause food poisoning grow rapidly at room temperature.
• Use cooked leftovers within four days.

                       

Causes:

                   

Treatment: 

• .Monitor and maintain the persons airway and breathing.If there are breathing difficulties, call 911. 

• .Help the person into a comfortable position. 

• Call for medical advice for medical and care. 

• Give plenty of fluids to drink, particularly if the person has vomiting and diarrhea. 

• Support the person if he/she vomits,providing a bowl and towel as necessary.

                   

First aid X

10."Miscarriage"

           -the loss of a pregnancy in the first 24 weeks.It the most common complication of early pregnancy.

                 

Causes:

• Chromosome Defect
• Physical problems with the uterus or cervix
• Immune Disorder
• Premature rupture of membrane and  Early labor
• Blighted ovum,Ectopic pregnancy,Molar pregnancy and Stillbirth

              

Types of Miscarriages:

• Threatened Miscarriage -This is caused by the fetus still in the uterus but has begun to show signs of early detachment like vaginal spotting.
• Incomplete Miscarriage -This is caused by fetus falling out but leaving behind some belongings like early placenta membranes.
• Complete Miscarriage -This is caused by all of the fetus and its allied tissues exiting.
• Missed Miscarriage -This is caused by the fetus dying in the uterus without being expelled.

 Treatment:

• Listen to the wants and needs of the woman.She will be very distressed and scared.When possible,help her to a position of privacy and if possible,ensure that she is treated by another woman and has support from her partner or friend.

   •If bleeding or pain is severe, or there are signs of shock,call 911.
                   


•Reassure the woman and offer her a sanitary pad or towel.
    
                    
                 



•Keep anything that is is passed from the vagina out of sight of the woman,for medical staff to examine.
                     

Signs and Symptoms:

1.Bleeding-this may be light spotting over a number of days and/or a sudden heavy blood flow.

2.Period-like pain or pain in the lower back.

3.Potential signs and symptoms of shock,caused by blood loss.

4.Passing the fetus and other products associated with birth this may just like a heavy blood clot).

first aid IX

9.Epilepsy-is a very common,best described as a rogue electrical discharge across the brain.As the body's functions are controlled by electrical impulses this discharge can lead to a number of physical reactions.Many things may start a seizure:tiredness,stress or flashing lights are common triggers.
                        


Major Seizure
 -this is what most people would recognize as epilepsy,and there are typically 4 stages:
1.Many people get a sense  that a seizure is likely occur.
2.The electrical impulses lead to a contraction in the muscles that causes the epilepsy sufferer to fall to the ground with a cry.This is known as the tonic phase.The victim's muscles may then go into spasm.This is known as the clonic stage.During this stage the victim will not be breathing.
                    
3.When the convulsion is over,the victim will be in a state of unconsciousness.
4.On recovery from unconsciousness,the victim will be very sleepy and will want to rest for some time.
                         
                                                   
                       



Treatment for Major Epileptic Seizure


1.During the seizure,do not try to restrain the person.The muscular contractions are so strong during a fit that holding a person down may lead to broken bones(yours and his).Do not attempt to put anything in the mouth.Try to protect the victim(move sharp objects out of the way,remove constrictions and,if possible,place a soft coat under the head)
                     


                                     
2.Once the seizure has finished,check the victim's airway and breathing and be prepared to resuscitate in the unlikely event that this is necessary.Place the person in the recovery position.
3.When the victim comes round,offer reassurance.The person may have lost control of bowel or bladder function so cover him up and,when he is steady on his feet,help him to find somewhere to clean up.He is likely to be very tired,so,if possible,find him somewhere to lie down and sleep.Most of all ask him hat he wants to do(most epileptics manage the condition very well and will have their own coping strategies..
                    
                                               Care and Treatment for Epileptic patient

First aid VIII

8.Abdominal Pain
         -is pain that is felt in the abdomen.The abdomen is an anatomical area that is bounded by the lower margin of the ribs and diaphragm above, the pelvic bone (pubic ramus) below, and the flanks on each side. Although abdominal pain can arise from the tissues of the abdominal wall that surround the abdominal cavity (such as the skin and abdominal wall muscles).
          -term abdominal pain generally is used to describe


Pain originating from organs within the abdominal cavity
                                                                                                    

Causes:
1.Inflammation(for example appendecitis,diverticulitis,colitis)
2.Stretching or distention of an organ (for example, obstruction of the intestine, blockage of a bile duct by gallstones,swelling of the liver with hepatitis)


Characteristics of the pain:

• The way the pain begins-for example,abdominal pain that comes on suddenly suggests a sudden event, for example, the interruption of the supply of blood to the colon (ischemia) or obstruction of the bile duct by a gallstone (biliary colic).

• The location of the pain.
• Appendecitis-typically causes pain in the right lower abdomen, the usual location of the appendix.
•  Diverticulitis-typically causes pain in the left lower abdomen where most colonic diverticuli are located.
• Pain from the gallbladder (biliary colic or cholecystitis)-typically is felt in the right upper abdomen where the gallbladder is located.

                    

Signs and Symptoms:

• The presence of fever suggests inflammation.
•  Diarrhea or rectal bleeding suggests an intestinal cause of the pain.
• The presence of fever and diarrhea suggest inflammation of the intestines that may be infectious or non-infectious (Ulcerative  colon or Crohn's disease).

Treatment:

• Make the casualty comfortable. Prop them up if breathing is difficult. Provide a vomit bowl.
• Give the casualty a Hot/warm water bottle wrapped in a towel to place on their abdomen.
• If the pain is severe or occurs with fever and vomiting call a doctor. Do not allow the casualty to eat, drink or smoke in case hospital treatment is needed.

If you suspect appendicitis,call for medical help.

First Aid VII

7.Choking can result in unconsciousness and


cardiopulmonary 

arrest. It is often caused by food or other foreign body lodged

 in the throat (airway). Indeed,choking caused by foreign

 body airway obstruction accounts for about 3,000 deaths

 each year. The recognition and proper management of 

choking is of key importance to safety in homes, restaurants,

 and other public places.

If you observe a “conscious” 

ADULT choking:

 -Ask, “Are you choking?”

 -If the victim can speak,

 cough, or breathe, DO NOT 

INTERFERE.

 -If the victim CANNOT speak, 

cough, or breathe, give sub 

diaphragmatic abdominal 

thrusts (the Heimlich 

maneuver) until the foreign 

body is expelled or the

 victim becomes unconscious. 

(Or in case of extreme obesity 

or late pregnancy, give chest thrusts.)

-Be persistent.

-Continue uninterrupted until the obstruction is relieved or 

advanced life 

support is available. In either case the victim should be 

examined by a 

physician as soon as possible.

If the Victim 

Becomes 

Unconscious:

 -Position victim on

 back, 

arms by side.

 -Call out “Help!”

 -Perform tongue-

jaw lift and finger 

sweep to try to

 remove the 

foreign body.

 -Open airway 

(head-tilt/chin-lift),

 and attempt 

rescue breathing.

 -If unsuccessful, 

give 6-10 sub 

diaphragmatic 

abdominal thrusts 

(the Heimlich 

maneuver).

-Repeat sequence: perform finger sweep, open the airway, 

attempt rescue breathing, and 

perform abdominal thrusts — until successful.

First Aid VI

6.Asthma attacks cause the muscles of the air passages to go into the spasm,making it very difficult for the asthmatic to breathe,particularly to exhale.Attacks may be triggered by an allergy or by stress.
                             
Treatment:
     An asthma attack should not be underestimated.While the preventive treatments are very effective,and the drugs to releive attacks usually work very well,left untreated,a serious attack can be fatal.The strain of a serious asthma attack can cause the breathing to stop or the heart to cease beating.You should be prepared to resuscitate.
a.Reassure the victim as this will have a positive effect on his breathing.
b.Help the victim into a sitting position,leaning slightly forward,as most people with asthma find this an easier position for breathing.
c.If the victim has medication,enable him to use it.Inhalers are the main form of treatment.
                                


Signs and Symptoms:
-History of the conditon(although some people may not realize that they are asthmatic and the first attack may be a very severe one)
-Difficulty in breathing,particularly breathing out
-Wheezing or otherwise noisy breathing
-Inability to speak
-Pale skin and potential blueness,particularly around the lips,caused by lack of oxygen
-Distress,dizziness,and confusion as it becomes harder to get oxygen into the body
-Unconsciousness and then breathing stopping
                                                                                                    


asthmatic patient