Chapter 6 Environmental Emergencies

Heat-Related Illnesses & Cold-Related Emergencies Heat cramps-first signal that they body is having trouble with the heat. What to look for: painful muscle spasms. What to do: * move the person to a cool place to rest * give them fluids; sports drink, fruit juice or milk, water. * stretch the muscle and massage the area gently. * DO NOT GIVE THEM SALT that can worsen the cramps.

* when the cramps stop, the person can resume activity. Heat Exhaustion More severe condition than heat cramps. Often affects: athletes, firefighters, construction workers and factory workers. What to look for: * cool, moist, pale, ashen or flushed skin * headache; nausea; dizziness; weakness; and exhaustion. CALL 9-1-1 IMMEDIATELY

What to do until help arrives 1. rapidly cool the body 2. cover with ice bags 3. apply cooling methods for 20min. Or until body conditions improve. 4. give care for any other conditions found.

Cold-Related Emergencies Frostbite: Freezing of body parts Severity depends upon: Air temperature Length of exposure The wind * can lose fingers, hands, arms, toes, feet, and legs

What to look for 1. lack of feeling in affected area 2. swelling and skin appears waxy 3. skin is cold to touch or discolored 4. blisters, may turn black (signs of deep tissue damage). Call 9-1-1 for more serious frostbite or seek medical help as soon as possible

What to do until help arrives 1. remove wet clothing and jewelry 2. NEVER rub the area 3. rewarm affected area by skin-skin contact. 4. more serious injury: Soak in warm water, not warmer than 105 Keep the affected area in the water until normal color returns and it feels warm

5. Do not break any blisters. 6. place sterile dressing around area 7. Do not give ibuprofen or other nonsteroidal anti- inflammatory drugs

Hypothermia The body's ability to stay warm is gone A person will die if care is not given The homeless, elderly, the ill and young children are at risk.

Conditions that can lead to hypothermia 1. ingesting, alcohol other drugs and certain medication that can interfere with the body's ability to stay warm 2. impaired circulation 3. prolonged exposure to cold, wet/windy Condition or clothing.

What to look for: 1. shivering 2. Numbness 3. glassy stare 4. indifference 5. loss of consciousness If the person stops shivering before warming up, the condition has worsen, call 9-1-1 immediately

What to do while waiting for help: 1. care for any life-threatening conditions 2. carefully move the person to a warm place 3. remove wet clothing, put on dry clothing 4. wrap the body in a blanket or plastic sheet, cover the head to prevent heat loss

1. person maybe unconscious 2. check for breathing Severe hypothermia 1. person maybe unconscious 2. check for breathing 3. the body may feel stiff or ridged 4. be prepared to start CPR

Preventing heat & cold related emergencies 1. Do not go outside during the hottest or coldest part of the day. 2. Do activities according to temperature 3. take frequent breaks 4. dress appropriately 5. drink large amounts of fluids

4.signals for an allergic reaction Bites and Stings Insect Stings 1. look for a stinger 2. pain 3. swelling 4.signals for an allergic reaction

What to do: 1. Remove any visible stinger 2. wash the site with soap and water 3. cover and keep the site clean 4. Put a cold pack on the area to reduce pain and swelling 5. call 9-1-1 if the person start to have trouble breathing.

Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever It’s a bacterial infection Tick-Borne Disease Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever It’s a bacterial infection Occurs mostly the spring and summer Mostly occur in children

What to look for: Signs occur between 2 and 14 days Fever Nausea Vomiting Muscle aches or pains Lack of appetite Severe headache

Later signals: Rash- spotted rash Abdominal pain Joint pain Diarrhea Contact health care provider If left untreated it can become life threatening

Babesia infection protozoa infection Spread by deer ticks and black-legged ticks What to look for: 1. fever 2. sweats 3. chills body aches and headaches 4. no appetite 5. nausea 6. fatigue

The can cause a type of anemia that can cause jaundice and dark urine The can cause a type of anemia that can cause jaundice and dark urine. If untreated it can be life threatening. Seek medical help

Ehrlichiosis causes by the ehrlichia bacteria lone star tick Symptoms appear 5 to 10 days after the bite Fever, headache, fatigue, muscle aches Can develop: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, cough, joint pains, confusion rash. Seek medical help

Spread by deer tick and black- legged tick Lyme disease Spread by deer tick and black- legged tick Tick is very small, hard to see. The tick must be attached to the skin 36 to 48 hours to transmit the disease.

What to look for: A rash will appear just a few days after bitten. The rash looks like a bulls eye, and spreads outward. Some people never develop a rash. Fever, headache, weakness, joint and muscle pain.

Advanced stages of Lyme disease painful arthritis Numbness in the arms, hands or legs Severe headaches, long or short term memory loss, confusion Dizziness Problems in seeing or hearing Can cause heart problems Seek medical care immediately

Preventing tick-borne diseases Check for ticks immediately after outdoor activity Quickly remove any ticks Wash all clothing, check your pets

Removal of a tick Use a sharp pointed tweezers Get as close to the skin as possible Pull slowly and firmly do not twist Do not try to burn off a tick Do not apply petroleum jelly or nail polish to the tick Wash with soap and water, apply an antibiotic ointment If you can’t remove the tick, have them seek medical attention.

Mosquito-Borne Illness West Nile virus Passed on to humans and other animals from infected mosquitos Cannot be passed from person to person Less than 1% of people bitten by a mosquito will get WNV. Only 1 in 150 who are infected will become ill.

Preventing West Nile Virus use insect repellents containing DEET stay indoors at dusk and dawn, this is when they are most active. Good screens on your windows and doors Get rid of mosquito breeding sites, empty out standing water.

What to look for: 1. high fever 2. headache 3. neck stiffness 4. confusion 5.coma 6.tremors 7. convulsions 8. muscle weakness 9. vision loss 10. numbness 11. paralysis May last several weeks, can cause swelling of the brain and death. Seek medical care immediately if you have these symptoms

Spider Bites and Scorpion Stings Deadly spiders: Black widow Brown recluse Northwestern brown or hobo

Black widow: black, red or brown Has a reddish hour glass on the underside of its body. Brown recluse or fiddleback: has a fiddle shape of its back. The like dark place to hide.

Scorpions live in dry regions Live under rocks, trees Active mostly at night Only a few species sting can cause death Hard to tell the difference so they all should be treated as a medical emergency.

What to look for Black widow has the most painful bite. Rigid muscles in the shoulders, chest, back and abdomen. Restlessness, anxiety, dizziness, headache, excessive sweating, drooping or swelling of the eyelids

Brown recluse: Little to no pain A blood-filled blister forms under the skin. The blister increases in size then burst open Tissue destruction

Signs of spider bites & Scorpion stings 1. mark of a possible bite or sting 2.severe pain at the site 3. nausea and vomiting 4. stiff or painful joints 5. chills or fever 6. trouble breathing/swallowing 7. sweating or salivating profusely 8. dizziness or fainting, chest pains 9. elevated heart rate, infection at the site Call 9-1-1 immediately

What to do until help arrives Wash the wound thoroughly Apply an antibiotic ointment Bandage the wound Apply an ice or cold pack Encourage the person to seek medial care Keep the area elevated

Venomous Snake Bites 7000 people are bitten yearly Fewer than 5 die Rattlesnakes account for most deaths in the United States. What to look for: A bite mark Pain Swelling

When to call 9-1-1 A bite from a venomous snake: Rattlesnake Copperhead Cottonmouth coral

Call 9-1-1 immediately What to do until help arrives Wash the wound Apply an elastic bandage to slow the spread of venom: Check for feeling, warmth and color of the skin Place the end of the bandage against the skin and use overlapping turns The wrap should cover a long body section Check above and below the injure Check the snugness of the bandage Keep the injured are still and lower than the heart

Do not apply ice Do not cut the wound Do not apply suction Do not apply a tourniquet Do not use electric shock, such as from a car battery.

Animal Bites: Most serious possible result is rabies Transmitted through saliva Animals with rabies may act strangely May drool Appear to be partially paralyzed Act aggressively or strangely quiet If not treated rabies is fatal

What to look for: A bite mark Bleeding Call 9-1-1 if bleeding is serious, you think the animal may have rabies. Try to remember what the animal looked like and where you last saw the animal

What to do until help arrives Caring for an animal bite 1. control the bleeding first. 2. Do not clean serious wounds, they will clean it at the hospital 3. if bleeding is minor wash the area with soap and water. 4. apply any antibiotic ointment 5. watch for signals of infection

Marine Life Stings The stings are painful, can make you sick and some can kill you. What to look for: Possible puncture wounds Pain Swelling Signs of possible allergic reaction

When to call 9-1-1 If they do not know what stung them A sting on the face, neck and starts to have breathing problems Until help arrives: Get a lifeguard to remove the person from the water. If you know it is from a jellyfish, apply vinegar to the area for 30 seconds

If it is from a bluebottle jellyfish, also called man-of-war, use ocean water not vinegar to rinse the area. Do not rub the wound, apply pressure Once the stinger is removed, apply hot-water If the sting is from: stingray, sea urchin or spiny fish, flush with tap water Soak the area in hot water for 20min. And then bandage. Watch for infection.

Poisonous plants How to protect yourself or limit the effects of poisonous plants. Remove exposed clothing Wash the area with soap and water as soon as possible Wash exposed clothing Wash hands after exposed to pets Put a paste of baking soda and water on the area several times a day See a health care worker if conditions become worse.

Lightning In the United States lightning causes more deaths then any other weather hazard Kills 100 people yearly and injures or 300 Travels up to 300 miles per second Lightning can carry up to 50 million volts of electricity.

Preventing lightning injuries Pick campsites that meet safety precautions Know local weather patterns Postpone activities ,lightning can hit without rain. Watch cloud patterns and conditions Designate safe locations and move to it. Every 5 seconds between the flash of lightning and the sound of thunder equals 1 mile.

Find shelter quickly If the count is 30 seconds or less it is with in 6 miles. Wait at least 30 min. after the last clap of thunder before leaving the shelter Stay away from plumbing, electrical equipment and wiring Do not use a corded phone If there is a tornado alert go to the lowest interior level of a building.

In a lightning storm move downhill Seek uniform covering, low rolling hills if in a boat, get to land and seek cover Avoid all of the following: Metal anything connected to electrical power High places, tall trees Open places Damp, shallow caves and tunnels Overhangs Flood zones Fences

If lightning is striking near by you Squat down on an insulating material, Take off any metal Do not lie down, make as little contact to the ground as possible If you feel your hair stand up your skin get tingly Cover your ears with your hands Close your eyes Get your head close to your knees

Lightning injuries They are serious and can be fatal Unconsciousness Dazed, confused behavior Trouble breathing No breathing Burn marks on the skin or other open wounds Muscle injuries, broken bones

Call 9-1-1 if a person is hit by lightning What to do until help arrives Perform CPR if needed Give care for injuries Be ready to care for any other injuries that may develop, hypothermia if the person is wet.