Head Injury First Aid

photo source: youtube.com

Head Injury described as the “silent epidemic”, is any trauma that leads to injury of the scalp, skull or brain.  Traumatic head injuries are a major cause of death, and disability but it might be best to refer to the damage done as traumatic brain injury.

The purpose of the head, including the skull and face, is to protect the brain against injury.  In addition to the bony protection, the brain is covered in tough fibrous layers called meninges and bathed in fluid that may provide a little shock absorption.

When an injury occurs, loss of brain function can occur even without visible damage to the head. Force applied to the head may cause the brain to be directly injured or shaken, bouncing against the inner wall of the skull. The trauma can potentially cause bleeding in the spaces surrounding the brain, bruise the brain tissue, or damage the nerve connections within the brain.

A head injury can be classified as either closed or penetrating.  In a close head injury, the head sustains a blunt force by striking against an object.  A concussion is a type of closed head injury that involves the brain.. In penetrating head injury, an object usually moving at a high peed, breaks through the skull and enters the brain.

What you can do?

• Use an ice bag to ease the welling of a bump.
• Do not take any medicine without consulting a doctor.
• If the victim is a child, wake him every hour or two to make sure he is responsive.
• If the victim is an adult, wake him every few hours to check breathing and responsiveness. Ask for the person’s name, age, and address to make sure he is not confused.
• Limit activity for 24 hours.
• Call emergency right away if the person has bleeding that won’t stop, confusion, headaches or vomiting or if you are unable to wake the person up.

Prevention tips

• Perform regular safety checks of sports fields, playgrounds and equipment.
• Follow all the warning signs and rules at water parks, swimming pools, and other public places.
• Avoid  participating in sports when you are ill or very tired.
• Be aware of drivers when cycling or skateboarding And obey Traffic Signals
• Never drive while under the influence of drugs or alcohol or ride as a passenger with anybody else who is under the influence
• Do not let them Children use sporting equipment or play sports unsuitable for their age. Do not let them use playgrounds with hard surface grounds.
• Wear appropriate clothing for the sport.
• Do not wear any clothing that can interfere with your vision, use blinking lights when driving at nights.
• Do not dive in water less than 12 ft deep. First, check the depth and check for debris in the water before diving.
• Discard and replace sporting equipment or protective gear that is damaged.
• Never slide head-first when stealing a base.
• Make sure younger children at all times, and do not let them use sporting equipment or play sports unsuitable for their age.  Don’t let them use playgrounds with hard surface grounds.

This video shows the first aid of Head Injury, about the symptoms, the causes and the right action.

     





   

Previous: Foreign Bodies | Next: Heart Attack

Hyperventilation First Aid

photo source: youtube.com

Hyperventilation occurs when a person takes quick, shallow breaths from the top of their chest, resulting in a reduction in the level of carbon dioxide in the blood. This is sometimes called over breathing. Rapid or deep breathing is sometimes seen in very serious conditions such as infection, bleeding, or heart attack.  Hyperventilation syndrome is more specific and relates to an over breathing pattern that happens under certain conditions. 

Take note of these symptoms:

• Bloating
• Rapid Breathing
• Burping
• Rapid Pulse
• Passing excess gas
• Dry mouth
• Fainting
• Hand and finger spasms
• Pressure sensation in the abdomen Numbness
• Spasms or cramps of the hands and feet
• Anxiety
• Muscle twitching
• Feeling of shortness of breath

Common causes include anxiety ,fear of irrational emotional outbursts, panic attack, stress, hysteria, cardiac disease, severe pain, bleeding, drugs (example: aspirin overdose) , pregnancy, ketoacidosis and similar medical conditions.Lung disease such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or pulmonary embolism. Another common cause is Infection specifically pneumonia or sepsis.

Action to take during hyperventilation:

During an attack, try too slow your breathing.  Take 1 breath every 10 seconds.  Do not breathe into a paper bag.   This can be dangerous because you may not get enough.  This can be dangerous because you may not get enough oxygen. You may need help to deal with the stress or anxiety that is causing you to hyperventilate.  Family, friends, clergy, your doctor or a mental health center may be able to help.

This video will explain what hyperventilation exactly is.It's causes and possible symptoms and you will also learn the difference between acute and chronic hyperventilation is explained. Finally, it is told what you should do when you have a (panic) attack of hyperventilation.

How to help someone who fainted?

photo source: youtube.com

Fainting is caused by a temporary reduction in the blood flow to the brain, resulting in temporary loss of consciousness.  Most often, you feel when you’re going to faint and you have enough time to sit down before fainting.

Symptoms

• Feeling dizzy, lightheaded, or unsteady on your feet
• Pale appearance
• Falling with no memory of what happened just before the fall

Causes

• Hot, humid weather or stuffy room
• Standing a long time in one place
• Excessive alcohol consumption
• Anxiety
• Sudden Emotional stress or fight
• Extreme Pain
• Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia), common in a woman in early pregnancy or a person on a severe diet.
• Anemia
• Heat Stroke or heat exhaustion
• Eating disorder, e.g. bulimia, anorexia
• Any condition in which there is rapid loss of blood., e.g., internal bleeding from peptic ulcer, tubal pregnancy, ruptured ovarian cyst
• Some prescriptions medicines such those that lower blood pressure, tranquilizers, anti depressants, or over the counter medicines taken in excessive amounts
• Any procedure of IUD in a woman that stretches the cervix, e.g., insertion of an IUD in a woman who has never been pregnant
• Head Injury
• Toxic Shock Syndrome
• Heart and Circulatory problems, e.g., abnormal heart rhythm, heart attack, stroke

What you can do?

• Catch the person before he or she falls.
• Have the person lie down with the head below the level of the heart.  Note that you have to check for breathing and a pulse. Raise leg 8 to 12 inches to promote blood flow to the brain.  If a victim who is about to faint can lie down right away, he may not lose consciousness.  If the person cannot lie down, have him sit down, bend forward and put his head between his knees.
• Turn the victim’s head to the side to the tongue does not  fall back into the throat.
• Loosen any tight clothing.
• Apply moist towels to the person’s face and neck.
• Keep the victim warm, especially if surroundings are chilly.

Prevention Tips

• Do not wear tight fitting clothes around your neck.
• Avoid turning your head suddenly.
• Avoid excessive exercise in hot, humid conditions. Drink a lot of liquids when you exercise.
• Stay out of stuffy rooms and hot, humid places.  If this is not possible, use a fan.
• Avoid activities that can put your life in danger  if you have frequent  fainting spells, e.g., driving and climbing high places.
• Drink alcoholic beverages in moderation.
• Get up slowly from bed or from a sitting position.
• Follow your Doctor’s advice to treat any medical condition that may be causing the fainting.  Take medicines as prescribed, but let your doctor know about any side a\effects.
• Avoid strenuous activities until heart-related causes of fainting are ruled out.

 

For pregnant women:

• Get out of bed slowly.
• Keep crackers at your beside and eat a few before getting out of bed.  Other suggested foods ate dry toast, graham crackers, and bananas.
• Eat small, frequent meals instead of  a few large ones.  Avoid sweets. Do not skip meals or go for a long time without eating.
• Do not sit for long periods of time.
• Keep your legs elevated when you sit.
• When you stand for a long time (e.g., in a line). Don’t stand still. Move your legs or contract your leg muscles to pump blood up to your heart,
• Take the vitamins and mineral supplements prescribed by your doctor.
• Never lie on your back during the third trimester of pregnancy.  It is better to lie on your left side or right side.

FIRST AID TREATMENT FOR FAINTING

1.       Lay the person flat in the ground.
2.       If the person is on a chair, push his head down between his knees.
3.       Never pour water over the head of someone who fainted, instead give him smelling salts.

In this video from How Cast, You will learn how a Nurse help someone who fainted.

Previous: Fracture | Next: Foreign Bodies

Foreign Bodies First Aid

photo source: healthmeup.com

Foreign Bodies usually get lodged in our eyes, ears, nose, airways and rectum.  If you've ever gotten a splinter or had sand in your eye, you've had experience with a foreign body.   A foreign body is something that is stuck inside you but isn't supposed to be there. You may inhale or swallow a foreign body, or you may get one from an injury to almost any part of your body. Foreign bodies are more common in small children, who sometimes stick things in their mouths, ears, and noses.

Some foreign bodies, like a small splinter, do not cause serious harm. Inhaled or swallowed foreign bodies may cause choking or bowel obstruction and may require medical care.

Symptoms

In the eyes:

• Swelling 
• Redness 
• Bleeding from surface blood vessels 
• Sensitivity to light 
• Sudden vision problems

In ears and nose

• Pain, hearing loss, a sense of something stuck in the ear 
• A smelly, bloody discharge from one nostril

In the airways and stomach:

• Difficulty swallowing 
• Spitting up of saliva

In the rectum

• Sudden sharp pain during elimination 
• Other symptoms will vary depending on the size of the object, its location, how long it has been in place and whether o not infection has set in.

Causes

• Dust, dirt, sand and other airborne materials lodge in the eyes.  More serious damage to the eyes can be caused by hard or sharp objects that penetrate the surface and become embedded in the cornea or conjunctiva (the mucous membranes around the inner surface of the eyelids)
• Children will sometimes put things including beans, pop corns kernels, raisins, and beads into their noses, ears and other openings.  On occasions, insects may also fly into the ears and nose.

What you can do?

• When treating tour eyes, move to a well-lighted area.  Hands should be washed and only clean preferably sterile---materials should make contact with the eyes.  If the particle is small, dislodge it by blinking or pulling the upper lid over the lower lid and flushing out the speck.  A clean cloth can also be used to pick out the particle.  Rinse the eye with clean, lukewarm water or an ophthalmic wash
• Remove foreign objects in the ears with tweezers.  Pour warm (not hot) mineral oil, olive oil, or baby oil into the ear canal to remove insects
• Apply the Heimlich maneuver to get rid of obstruction in the airways, which commonly occurs when food gets lodged in the throat.

Prevention Tips

• Parents and grandparents should toddler-proof their homes, store batteries in a locked cabinet, and properly dispose of  used batteries so curious preschoolers cannot fish them out.
• Parents should not allow children to eat while walking or playing
• Wear safety glasses while using tools
• Chew food thoroughly, and don't talk while chewing

 

Watch this video about the First Aid of Foreign Bodies

This video will show you on what to do during a child insert small objects into their nose?.

Previous: Fainting | Next; Foreign Bodies

Electrical Shock First Aid

photo source: www.mikeholt.com

Electrical Shock can cause serious injury including deep burns  and internal damage.  Electricity can also cause the heart to stop beating or to beat unevenly.

Causes

Anybody can suffer an electric shock indoors or out, whether from accidentally touching a frayed electric cord or being struck by lightning.  Even a mild electric shock can cause burns, and a major shock can be fatal.

What you can do?

• Call an emergency
• Do not touch or get within 20 yards of someone who is being electrocuted.  The electricity can leap across gaps and strike you.  Do not try to rescue the person until the current has been shut off.  If possible, turn off the electric current by flipping the main breaker or removing the fuse.
• When the person is no longer touching a live wire, check to see that he is breathing and has a heartbeat.  If the person has stopped breathing and you have been trained in cardio pulmonary  resuscitation (CPR), begin it immediately. 
• Cover the burned area with dry and sterile dressings.
• To prevent shock, lay the person on a flat surface and raise his feet 8 to 12 inches.  Do not raise the person’s feet if you suspect head, neck, back or leg injuries.  Cover the person with a blanket or coat to maintain body temperature.  Stay with the person until professional medical assistance arrives.
• You may approach a person who has been struck by lightning right away.  However, unless the person is in immediate danger, do not try to move him.  

How to do CPR? Watch this video

you can also watch: Baby CPR: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyBueL3Sm_g

This video will explain to you the first aid for electric shock .

photo source: aroundtheworldineightywaves.com/

Prevention Tips

• Use child safety plug in all outlets.
• Keep electrical cords of reach.
• Do not use  electrical appliances while showering or when wet.
• Have your home’s wiring inspected every 10 years.
• Do not talk on the phone or use electrical appliances during thunderstorm.
• If you are outdoors during a thunderstorm, seek shelter.  Avoid water, high ground, open spaces, light poles, mental fences, trees and tents.

How to treat a Fracture? (Fracture First Aid)

A fracture refers to a broken or cracked bone.

There are two types of fractures: open and closed.  A closed fracture means the bone has been broken but the skin has not been damaged.  An open for compound fracture, in which the skin is broken and bone is visible, is more dangerous and may involve severe bleeding.  Open fractures also are more likely to get infected.

Symptoms

• Swelling 
• Tenderness over the bone
• Shooting pain
• Visible deformity
• Increased pain with movement
• Bone protruding though skin

Causes

• Fall from height
• Motor vehicle accidents
• Direct blow
• Child abuse/ Abuse
• Repetitive forces e.g., running can cause stress fractures of the foot, ankle, and hip)

Complications

• Amputation
• Fat or pulmonary embolism
• Permanent disability or disfigurement

What you can do?

• Apply ice pack to the injury.  For open fractures, use clean preferably white wrappings.  Immediately applying cold will help decrease swelling and inflammation
• If you think there may be a broken bone, protect and rest the injured limb immediately.  To rest a bone effectively, immobilize the joint above and below the suspected fracture.  A fracture can be immobilized by wrapping something around the injured limb or fixing the limb to some other part of the person’s body called (splinting).  Magazines, cardboard or rolled newspaper can be used as splint.  Do not wrap too tightly or circulation will be cut off.  
• If a limb cannot be used at all and is most probably broken, see a doctor or go to the emergency room of the nearest hospital.  Minutes and hours are not crucial unless the limb is crooked, the arteries or nerves are injured, or the injury is causing great pain.  A fractured limb that is protected and rested is likely to mend well even if casting or splinting is delayed.

Prevention Tips

• Wear the following protective gear while motorcycling, skateboarding , biking or rollerblading: 
  - Helmets
  - Elbow pads
  - Knee pads
  - Shin pads
• Crate safe playing environment for young children.  Provide soft playing surfaces and uncluttered environments.
• Teach children how to play safely and look out for potential hazards
• Supervise children carefully, There is no substitute for adequate supervision, no matter how safe the environment or situation may be.
• Avoid falls by posting warnings and observing posted warnings

This video is about assessing a Fracture during First Aid. It will show the steps starting by examining the site of the injury to see if there is a protruding bone..

Previous: Electrical Shock  | Next: Fainting

Dehydration Treatment

Dehydration is the result of not having enough body fluids for your body to function well.

Symptoms include restlessness, irritability and the most common is thirst.

Travelers’s Diarrhea. There are well documented areas in Africa, Asia, Latin America and America and the Middle East where traveler’s diarrhea is a problem for tourists who visit.  There are many  organisms responsible for this which is transmitted by unhygienic food practices and water contaminated by human sewage.  Care in what one eats and drinks remains the most important means of preventing traveler’s diarrhea.

Additional Information

Don’t use thirst as a measure of when you will take a drink.  When you fell thirsty , it means you are already low on fluids.  The color and amount of your urine is a good indicator of the level  of dehydration.  If there isn’t very much urine and whatever there is comes out dark yellow, this means your body is low in fluids.

Complications

• Kidney damage
• Shock (paleness), rapid breathing, cold sweat, clammy skin, drowsiness, fast pulse rate, loss of consciousness)
• Death

Early signs of dehydration

• Increased Thirst, dry mouth, absence of tears
• Excessive sweating due to fever or exercise 
• Restlessness, irritability
• Fatigue, in adults

Late signs of Dehydration

• Confusion, lethargy
• Weakness
• Fainting
• Skin lacks its normal elasticity and sags back into position slowly when pinched into a fold 
• Decreased  urine output 
• Sunken eyeballs

The Causes

• Excessive sweating
• Severe heat stroke (Also read Heat Stroke) 
• Severe diarrhea or vomiting (Also read Vomiting)
• Heavy urine output
• Diabetes
• Not taking enough liquids, which is sometimes due to nausea or a loss of appetite

Actions to take:

• Drink plenty of fluids but not alcoholic, carbonated nor very sugary beverages
• If an infant or young child is dehydrated or if there is severe, uncontrollable vomiting, consult your doctor immediately
• Take oral rehydration salts (ORS), electrolyte tablets 
• If there are signs of shock, go to the emergency room of the nearest hospital
• Avoid caffeine containing drinks; these will induce diuresis.

Tips for Prevention

Dehydration is easier to prevent than to treat.  To prevent dehydration:

• Drink liquids throughout the day, whether you are active, inactive, or ill.  Those most at risk are the very young and the very old especially if they are ill with fever, vomiting or diarrhea.
• Monitor fluids intake and drink more than your normal intake if you are ill.
• Drink at least a quart of water or other electrolyte replenishing fluid every hour when sweating or doing exercise.
• Children have a lower tolerance than adults for high temperatures and should be monitored to make sure they drink at least 5 ounces of water every 20 minutes during exercise in warm or humid climates.

Preventive Measures against Traveler’s diarrhea:

• Use restaurants with reputation for safety and avoid food from street vendors.
• Eat cooked food, fruit that can be peeled .  Do not consume food that has been exposed for a prolonged period of time.
• Salads containing uncooked raw vegetables should be avoided.
• Be careful about eating partially cooked seafood like oysters or salmon.
• In areas of high risk, be wary of water . Drink boiled water or bottled carbonated beverages only and don’t use any ice on  your drinks.

Be aware on what to do when you or someone dehydrates. Know the first aid and symptoms in this video. According to this video, There are many types of dehydration, including that's induced by vomiting, hypernatremic dehydration and hyponatermic dehydration. Look for all the symptoms n, such as headache, nausea, muscles cramps and weakness with help from an EMT in this free video on dehydration.