Health III St. Ignatius

Preparation and Prevention Most overlooked: First aid kits Emergency Numbers Medical History Escape plans Smoke Detectors Carbon Monoxide Detectors

Definition First Aid : the immediate care given to a person who has been injured or suddenly taken ill. It involves treating the physical and emotional needs of the individual.

Leading Causes of Death in U.S. Ages 1-49  Unintentional Injury: 57,291  Cancer: 42,456  Suicide: 19,644  Homicide: 14,881  All Others: 85,868

Emergencies  4.5 million injury-related ER visits in US for 2009  Injuries caused 118,000 deaths in US in 2008  Unintentional injuries cause most childhood deaths  CVD causes 900,000 deaths/year  Strokes cause 160,000 deaths/year

Your Role in the EMS System  Step 1. Recognize that an Emergency Exists Step 1  Step 2. Decide to Act Factors  Step 3. Activate the EMS System EMS System  Step 4. Give Care Until Help Arrives Getting Permission Good Samaritan Laws

Recognize that an Emergency Exists  Be alert for:  1. Unusual Sights  2. Unusual Appearances or Behaviors  3. Unusual Odors  4. Unusual Noises back

Factors that Keep People from Acting  1. Presence of other people  2. Being unsure of ill or injured person’s condition  3. The type of injury or illness  4. Fear of catching a disease  5. Fear of doing something wrong  6. Fear of being sued  7. Being unsure of when to call 911 back

The EMS System  Responsible citizen calls 911  Dispatcher determines what help is needed  Emergency personnel care for and transport victim  Early arrival of EMS increases chances of surviving a life- threatening emergency back

Getting Permission to Give Care  Before giving care, you must have permission  Permission is known as “_______”  Tell victim your name, training, what is wrong, and what you plan to do  For conscious infant/child, ask parent for consent  What if victim is unconscious and/or parent is not present (if it’s a child)?  Consent is implied back

Good Samaritan Laws  All 50 states have Good Samaritan laws  Protect those who give care w/out accepting anything in return  “Reasonable and prudent”

“Reasonable and Prudent” Guidelines  Move a person only if person’s life in danger  Ask conscious person for permission before giving care  Check person for life-threatening conditions before giving care  Call 911 or local emergency number

The Chain of Survival 1 st Link – Citizen Response 2 nd Link – Call rd Link – First Responder Care 4 th Link – EMT Care 5 th Link – Hospital Care 6 th Link - Rehabilitation

Reasons to Learn First Aid You can make a difference between life and death. You can make a difference between a temporary and a permanent disability. You can make a difference in the rate of recovery.

How Disease Spreads  What are the most common germs?  Bacteria  Do not depend on other organisms for life  Treated with ___________  Viruses  Depend on other organisms for life  Few medications can fight viruses  How do bacteria and viruses spread?  Touching, breathing, and biting

HIV, AIDS and You  Transmission During First Aid  Unprotected direct contact w/infected blood  Unprotected indirect contact w/infected blood  HIV can’t enter skin unless there is a cut or break in the skin

Preventing Disease Transmission  Breathing barriers  Use bandage to cover any cuts, sores, scrapes, or skin conditions  Disposable gloves  Wash hands with warm water after care