First Aid and Safety

Fire Safety  Fire Prevention Devices  Smoke detector  Fire Extinguisher  Fire Safety Action  Most fatal home fires occur during the night  Establish escape plans and practice them periodically  Set a meeting place outside the home for everyone to meet at  Call fire department from a neighbor’s house

Electric Shock  Electrocution: death resulting from passage through the body of a high- voltage current  Preventing Electric Shock  Unplug immediately if something seems to be wrong  Inspect cords for fraying or cracked insulation  Do not place cords under a rug because they can be damaged by walking on them  Disconnect appliance by pulling on the plug not the cord  Never use appliances or power tools when clothing is wet or floor is wet

Natural Disasters  Hurricane: powerful rainstorm characterized by driving winds.  Preparation includes securing property and going to a shelter or evacuating the area as the National Weather Service instructs  Tornado: powerful twisting windstorm  Storm cellar or basement is the safest place to go, a hallway or bathtub away from windows will also work  If outside lay in a ditch, face down and cover yourself as best you can with bulky clothing, a blanket, etc.

First Aid  First Aid: the immediate, temporary care given to a person who has become sick or who has been injured  Administered in the seconds and minutes following an accident UNTIL proper medical attention arrives on the scene  Can be the difference between LIFE and DEATH

Priorities in and Emergency  The first 5 minutes of an emergency are the most important  It is important to remain calm and keep the following in mind  CHECK the scene and the victim  CALL or the local emergency number  CARE for the victim

Types of Emergencies  Open Wounds  Abrasion: a scrape that damages the outer layers of skin, accompanied with little or no bleeding  Laceration: a cut, can have smooth or jagged edges and are usually accompanied by bleeding, may also have nerve damage  Puncture: wound caused by a pointed object piercing the skin  Avulsion: results when tissue is separated partly or completely from a person’s body

First Aid for Open Wounds  Stop the Bleeding- apply direct pressure to the top of the wound or to a pressure point (one of a number of points along the main artery supplying blood to an affected limb), helps to prevent blood loss without cutting off circulation  Protect the Wound- clean cloth will help to protect wound from infection  Treat for Shock- keep victim laying down, maintain normal body temperature, and get medical help ASAP  Get Help- send someone for help, if alone leave the victim only AFTER you have performed first aid

Shock  Shock: failure of the cardiovascular system to keep adequate blood circulating to the vital organs of the body  Symptoms  Confusion, accelerated or slowed pulse rate, trembling, weakness in arms/ legs, pale or clammy skin, bluish lips/ fingernails, and enlarged pupils

Severe Burns  May be an inconvenience or a life- threatening condition  First Degree: superficial burns, involve the top layer of skin, healing takes 5 to 6 days  Sunburn  Second Degree: involve the top several layers of skin, skin will have blisters and appear blotchy, healing takes 3 to 4 weeks  Third Degree: most serious of burns, destroy all layers of skin as well as nerves, muscles, fat, and bones, looks black or brown

First Aid for Severe Burns  Stop the burning  Use water to cool the area, do not use ice  Cover the burn with a clean, dry dressing to help prevent infection  Bandage loosely and do NOT apply pressure to the burn  DO NOT put any kind of ointment on a burn as it can seal in heat  DO NOT break blisters  Keep area clean- minor burns  DO NOT remove clothing stuck to a burn  Burn victims chill easily so protect victim from drafts- severe burns

First Aid for Swallowing Poisons  Call the nearest Poison Control Center  Nationwide network  Toll free number  FOUND IN PHONE BOOK  Be prepared to give information about the victim, name of the suspected poison, amount of poison swallowed, and time it was swallowed  Poison Control Center worker will give directions further- dilute poison, give an emetic, call 911, etc.  EMETIC: an agent that induces vomiting, do not administer to someone who is unconscious

First Aid for Snakebites  There are only 4 types of poisonous snakes found in the US  Rattlesnake, copperhead, water moccasin/cottonmouth, and coral snake  Venom: a poisonous substance secreted by a snake or other animal  Wash the wound and immobilize the injured area  Keep affected area lower than the heart if possible  Call  DO NOT apply ice, cut the wound, etc.

Contact Poisoning  Plants  Learn what they look like (ivy, oak, sumac)  Skin rash at point of contact  Later blistering, swelling, burning, itching, and possibly fever may develop  Remove contaminated clothing, pour water over area, wash with soap and water, may require medical attention

First Aid for Choking in Adults  If the victim is unable to breathe, cough, or speak, begin first aid immediately by administering abdominal thrusts  ABDOMINAL THRUSTS (Heimlich Maneuver): application of sudden pressure on the victim’s diaphragm to expel the substance blocking the airway  Check, Call if victim cannot speak, breathe, or cough (ABC Check)  Stand behind victim, place thumb side of fist against middle of the victim’s abdomen  Grasp fist with other hand and give quick, upward thrusts

Rescue Breathing for Adults  Done if there ARE signs of circulation, but no breathing  Check to see if the person is conscious  Tap their shoulder and ask if they are alright  Call if there is no response  Care for the victim  Tilt their head back  Look, listen, and feel for breaths  Give 1 breath every 5 seconds (cycle lasts about 1 minute)  Recheck for signs of breathing and circulation about every minute

CPR: Life saving technique in which a heart that has stopped is forced to pump blood to the body by means of applied pressure  Airway  Open airway as for rescue breathing by doing a head tilt, chin lift  Breathing  Look for the rise and fall of the chest  Administer rescue breaths if there are no signs of breathing  Circulation  Heart is located below the sternum  Compressions on the sternum force blood out of the heart and into the blood vessels  Finding the correct position is crucial when giving compressions

CPR for Adults  Check, Call  Care  A,B,C check  Give 30 chest compressions  Give 2 rescue breaths  Do 2 more cycles of 30:2  Recheck for signs of circulation and breathing for no more than 10 seconds  KNOW that CPR will not usually revive a person, but can help to keep them alive until trained help arrives

More Common Injuries  Nosebleeds  Caused by nose being struck or dryness  Keep person quiet and still  Have person sit and lead forward  Apply direct pressure by pressing on the bleeding nostril  Apply a cold towel to the person’s nose and face  Place a piece of gauze between the upper lip and teeth to stop bleeding