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

first aid V

5.Nosebleeds-are very common among children and many start spontaneously.Unless they are a direct result of an impact to the nose,the cause may not be known.Simple treatment whereby the blood is encouraged to clot is usually effective.The priority is to protect the victim's airway and to try and prevent blood from being swallowed.
                    


How to treat Nosebleeds
1.Lean the child forward and encourage her to spit blood into a handkerchief or some other receptacle.
2.Pinch the child's nose just below the hard part at its top and apply firm pressure for 10 minutes(this is the amount of time it takes for a clot to form).If the bleeding has not stopped after 10 minutes,apply pressure for two further periods of 10 mins.if bleeding continues then take it to the hospital.
                   


                                     
                                            
                      
Once a bleeding has stopped,advise the child not to scratch,pick,or blow her nose,not to drink hot liquid,and not to exert herself,because all these activities can dislodge the clot and cause the bleeding to start again.
                     

shot of a child blowing his nose!

first aid IV

4. "Shock"
        -a physical condition that results from a loss of circulating body fluids that leads to a drop in blood pressure.
               
Potential Causes of Shock:
  ☺severe internal or external bleeding.
  ☺burns
  ☺severe vomiting,especially in children and elderly
  ☺persons w/ heart problems


                 


Signs and Symptoms
  ☺pale,cold and clammy skin
  ☺fast,weak pulse
  ☺fast,shallow breathing
  ☺dizziness and weakness
  ☺confusion
  ☺unconscious
  ☺breathing and heartbeat stopping
        

Treatment:
  ☺Warmth-wrap blankets and coats around her,paying particularly attention to the head,through which much body heat is lost.
  ☺Air-maintain a careful eye on the victim's airway and be prepared to turn her  into the recovery positions necessary,or even resuscitate if  breathing stops.try to keep back bystanders and  loosen tight clothing to allow maximum air to the  victim.
  ☺Rest-keep the victim still and preferably sitting or lying  down with her  legs raised to ensure that the  maximum blood and therefore maximum oxygen is sent to the  brain.
  ☺Mental Rest-reassure the  victim but keep your comments realistic.Do not say that everything is going to be  fine when it is  obvious that there is something seriously wrong.Let  the victim know that everything that can be  done is being done and that help has been called for.If she has other concerns,try to resolve these. 
                  
  ☺Treatment-treat the cause of the shock and aim to prevent further fluid loss.
 ☺Help-ensure that appropriate medical help is on the way.

first aid III

3. "Drowning"

            -when a person is drowning, the air passages close to prevent water entering the lungs. This also prevents air from entering the lungs, thus depriving the victim of oxygen and eventually leading to unconscious and death. Usually, only if the victim has been unconscious in the  water  for some time  do the lungs fill up the  water. More commonly, the water goes into the stomach. A secondary risk for the  rescued person is that he or she may  choke on vomits as  water in the stomach  forces the  stomach contents upward. A near-drowning person also  faces the  risk of hypothermia.Children and young adults are the greatest risk of drowning.

Rescuing A Drowning Person:


   Key Rule: Protect Yourself.
 If a person who is drowning will strike out and pull down even the  most  competent swimmer; dirty  can hide dangers such  as metal rubbish with sharp edges; and  cold water can cause muscle to cramp very quickly. If possible:
    ☺Reach the person from the  safety of solid ground using a pole, rope, or bouyancy aid to help himself out of the water.
                  
                   

    ☺If in  doubt about your ability to rescue the person safety, call for  emergency help.

     A. Vomiting

       -a person who  was nearly drowned is very likely to vomit.
              
Things to do:

     ☺If the victim vomits while you are resuscitating him,turn him towards you and clear out the mouth before  turning him into the back and  resuming rescue breathing.

     ☺If the victim  vomits while in the recovery position,clear out the mouth and keep a close eye on breathing to ensure that it has not stopped.

     ☺If the victim is conscious and becomes sick,encourage him to lean forward and  give  support while he is vomiting.

Treatment of a Near-drowning Victim 

   ☺Open  airway by  tilting the head,checking the mouth and lifting the chin.Check for  breathing for up to 10 seconds.
   ☺If victim is breathing,place into the recovery position.
   ☺If the victim is not breathing, provide rescue breathing before moving on to an assessment of circulation and full CPR.
   NOTE: no.1 priority is to ensure an open airway and ensure that the person is breathing.


      B.Hypothermia-is a lowering of the body's core temperature and is very common secondary problem of near-drowning.If untreated, hypothermia leads to the breathing and heart rate slowing down and  eventually stopping.

                                     

Things to do in case hypothermia occur in near-drowning person:
    ☺Place the victim on a blanket or layer of coats to insulate him from the  ground.
    ☺Remove wet clothing if you are able to replace it quickly with warm and dry clothing.If not,then cover the wet clothing with blankets and coats.
    ☺Warm the external environment if possible.
    ☺Seek medical help as soon as possible if hypothermia occurs in conscious person. 

First Aid II

2."Maintaining Airway,Breathing and Circulation"

          -the most important principle of first aid is ABC or resuscitation.This is a life-saving procedure that will enable you to decide whether a victim who has collapsed needs rescue breathing or CPR(cardiopulmonary resuscitation).The airway must be open,breathing must be checked and circulation must be assessed.Always follow the ABC sequence before giving any other treatment if the victim is unconscious.


a.Resuscitation-is the name given to the set of procedures that are applied when a person is not breathing and their heart has possibly stopped.The full set of procedures is known as cardiopulmonary resuscitation(CPR).Cardio relates to the heart and pulmonary to the lungs.

       A person whose heart has stopped(cardiac arrest),or who is not breathing(respiratory arrest),needs immediate treatment to improve the chances of survival.The best outcomes from cardiac and respiratory arrest are archieved when all the steps in tha chain of survival are in place:

Chain Of Survival:


☺Early call for help-Ambulances today carry a range of equipment and treatments vital to the survival of serious ill problem.Calling for an ambulance early is an essential part of the chain of survival,particularly for a victim whose heart has stopped.
                                           
☺Early CPR-the goal is to keep the person alive until emergency help arrives.Sometimes CPR alone will revive somebody whose heart has stopped but more often it is used to buy time until more advanced procedures are available.
                        


☺Early defibrillation-the most effective treatment for an adult whose heart has stopped pumping blood is defibrillation.It is a electric shock delivered in a very specific way to encourage the heart to begin beating effectively again.Defibrillators are carried in most ambulances.Their early use is an essential factor in their effectiveness,highlighting again the need for an early call for help.
                        


☺Early medical care-Medical treatments following cardiac and respiratory arrest are improving all the time.Early access to such treatments in the ambulance and in hospital play a major role in long-term survival rates.


                                        
The Principal Steps of Resuscitation
☺check for danger to yourself and the victim
☺check for a response from the victim
if there is no response,
☺open the airway
☺check for breathing

if there is no breathing,

☺give 2 effective rescue breaths
☺check for signs of circulation
if there are no signs of circulation
☺start CPR.

First Aid I

First aid is the provision of initial care for an illness or injury. It is usually performed by a non-expert person to a sick or injured person until definitive medical treatment can be accessed. Certain self-limiting illnesses or minor injuries may not require further medical care past the first aid intervention. It generally consists of a series of simple and in some cases, potentially life-saving techniques that an individual can be trained to perform with minimal equipment.

While first aid can also be performed on all animals, the term generally refers to care of human patients.

Aims:

The key aims of first aid can be summarized in three key points:

• Preserve life: the overriding aim of all medical care, including first aid, is to save lives
• Prevent further harm: also sometimes called prevent the condition from worsening, or danger of further injury, this covers both external factors, such as moving a patient away from any cause of harm, and applying first aid techniques to prevent worsening of the condition, such as applying pressure to stop a bleed becoming dangerous.
• Promote recovery: first aid also involves trying to start the recovery process from the illness or injury, and in some cases might involve completing a treatment, such as in the case of applying a plaster to a small wound

First aid training also involves the prevention of initial injury and responder safety, and the treatment phases.

Some Cases that mostly needs First aid!

1."Assessing a Victim"

☺First thing to do:

                           

Check the Response-by gently shaking the shoulders and asking loudly,"Are you all right?"and squeeze gently because there may be a neck injury.
a.Open the Airway-Place one hand on the forehead and gently tilt the head back.Open the victim's mouth and remove any obvious obstructions including dislodged dentures,but leave well-fitting dentures in place.

b.Place the fingertips of the other hand under the point of the victim's chin and lift the chin.If injury to the neck is suspected,handle the head very gently and try to avoid tilting the head.

if there is no response:-shout for help.If possible,leave the victim in the position in which you found him and open the airway.Apply the same techniques for a child as for adult.For baby,use only one finger under the chin and be very careful not to over-extend the neck when tilting the head back.

                                       

☺Second:

Check for Breathing-Keep the airway open and look,listen and feel for breathing for no more than 10 seconds.

•look for chest movement

•listen for sounds of breathing
•feel for breath on your cheek

                               

                     


☺Signs and Symptoms of a non-breathing casualty

•unconsciousness,stillness

•pale skin with possible blue lips

•no movement of the chest

•no feeling or sound of breathing



      

First aid on assessing a victim!