1. Basic First Aid What is First Aid?

2.  First Aid is the immediate temporary care given to an injured or ill person until he or she can get professional help.  In serious cases, providing the correct first aid can make the difference between life and death.  Anytime first aid is needed, it’s important to stay calm!

3. Universal Precautions  People infected with HIV or hepatitis B carry the virus in their blood. Because these diseases are communicable, touching contaminated blood carries a risk. For this reason, it is important to protect yourself when giving First Aid.  Universal Precautions: actions taken to prevent the spread of disease by treating all blood as if it were contaminated.

4. Universal Precautions  Wearing gloves when treating a victim.  Use a face mask or shield when giving first aid for breathing emergencies.  Cover any open wounds on your body with sterile dressings.  Avoid touching any object that had contact with the victim’s blood.  Always wash your hands thoroughly after giving first aid.

5. The First Steps  The first steps of First Aid:  Recognize the signs of an emergency  Decide to act  Call for help  Provide care until help arrives

6. Recognize the signs  Senses of hearing, sight, and smell will alert you to most emergencies.  See an accident?  Are you hearing people call out?  Smell smoke? Any smell that makes your eyes sting? Causes you to cough? Or makes breathing difficult?

7. Decide to Act  Evaluate the situation an decide what action is needed. Consider your strengths and limitations-unless you are trained in lifesaving, don’t dive into a lake to rescue someone who is drowning.  What should you do instead?

8. Decide to Act (cont.)  Your first responsibility in any situation is to protect your own safety. Never put your life in danger to help someone else.  Some people hesitate to help others because they are afraid of doing something wrong.  Good Samaritan laws- protect rescuers who act responsibly from legal action.  Getting help is often the best and only action for you to take, this alone can save a life.

9. Call for Help  In most of the United States, the number to call for all emergencies is 911. Dialing 0 for the operator is also an option and may be necessary in some small towns.  Stay calm, be ready to tell the operator the nature of the emergency and the street address or location.  The operator will inform the police, fire department, or emergency medical services.  Stay on the phone until the operator has all the necessary information.

10. Provide Care Until Help Arrives  Once you have called for help, provide care by staying with the injured person and protecting him or her from further injury.  Help the person maintain normal body temperature by providing a coat or blanket for warmth.  Carefully loosen any tight clothing, and provide shade if necessary.  Reassure the victim that help is on the way.

11. Moving a Victim  In general, you should not try to move a victim. Moving the person could cause pain or further injury.  Wait for professional help to arrive.  The only situation in which a victim should be moved is if he or she is in danger, such as in the path of oncoming traffic.

12. Discussion Questions  Why is it so important to know basic first aid?  Give three examples of ways you can provide help to an injured person until professional help arrives.  What are four universal precautions to take when giving first aid?

13. First Aid Kits  On a sheet of paper list equipment you would want to have in a First Aid Kit. Minimum of 5 pieces.  Instruments  Equipment  Medications  Dressings  Miscellaneous

14. First Aid For Common Emergencies  Sprains, bruises, and broken bones are a few of the common emergencies you may experience.  Others include: insect bites, burns, poisoning, foreign objects in the eye, nosebleed, fainting, heat cramps, and heatstroke.  Recognize the difference between minor conditions and more serious that needs professional medical assistance.

15. Sprains  Sprain: a condition in which the ligaments that hold the joints in position are stretched or torn.  Sprains usually result from a sudden force, often a twisting movement.  Swelling and bruising often accompany a sprain.

16. How to Care for a Sprain  R est: Rest the affected joint for 24 to 48 hours.  I ce: Apply ice to reduce swelling and pain. Place a cloth between the skin and the bag of ice in order to reduce discomfort.  C ompression: Compress the injured part by wrapping it in an elastic bandage.  E levation: elevate, or raise, the injured part above the level of the heart to reduce swelling.

17. Broken Bones  A fracture is a break in a bone.  An open fracture is a complete break with one or both sides of the bone piercing the skin.  A closed fracture does not break the skin and may be difficult to identify. Typical signs include pain, swelling, and misshapen appearance.

18. Insect Bites and Stings  Often cause pain and swelling at the site of the bite or sting.  Allergic reaction to bites and stings are much more serious, possibly life threatening.  If a person develops a rash, has difficulty breathing, shows signs of shock, or is known to be allergic to stings, they need professional help immediately!

19. First Aid for Bites and Stings  First Aid for insect bites involves washing the affected area and applying a special lotion for bites.  Insect stings: remove the stinger by scraping against it with your fingernail. Once the stinger is out, apply ice or a cold pack to relieve pain and prevent swelling.  Tick: the tick will burrow into the skin and needs to be removed very carefully.

20. Burns  First aid for burns depends on the amount of skin burned, the location of the burn, and the depth of the burn.  Burns to the eye or airway and burns caused by chemicals or electricity require special first-aid procedures-figure 19.9

21. Poisoning  A poison is a substance that causes hard when swallowed, breathed in, absorbed by the skin, or injected into the body.  About half of all poisonings involve medicines or household products.  Anyone who has been poisoned needs immediate treatment.  Call the nearest poison control center.

22. Foreign Object in the Eye  If you get a foreign object in your eye, DO NOT rub the eye.  Rubbing can cause injury. Try to flush the object out of your eye with clean water. Hold the rim of a small, clean glass filled with water against the base of your eye socket. Keeping your eye wide open, gently pour the water into the eye. If the object isn’t washed out, repeat the process.

23. Foreign Object in Eye  To help somebody else who has a foreign object in the eye, first locate the object. Gently pull the lower lid downward while the person looks up. If you do not see the object, hold the upper lid open and examine the eye while the person looks down. If the object is floating on the surface of the eye, lightly touch the object with a moistened cotton swab or the corner of a clean cloth.

24. Nosebleed  Nosebleeds can be cause by an injury, by being in a very dry place, or even by a cold.  Pinch your nose shut with your thumb and index finger and breathe through your mouth.  Keep the nose pinched for 5-10 minutes. If bleed lasts more than 15 minutes or if there is a lot of blood, get medical assistance.

25. Fainting  Fainting occurs when the blood supply to the brain is cut off for a short amount of time.  If you feel faint, lie down or sit down and place your head between your knees.  Leave the person lying down. Check the airway. If the person is breathing, raise the legs above the level of the head.

26. Fainting  If the person does not regain consciousness in one to two minutes, call for help. If the person is not breathing, call for help and start CPR if you are trained. (Lesson 6)  Loosing consciousness after a head injury is not fainting. Immediate CPR is needed if there are no signs of life.

27. Heat Related Illnesses  Heat cramps: are painful, involuntary muscle spasms that usually occur during heavy exercise in hot weather.  Heat exhaustion: a condition characterized by faintness, nausea, rapid heartbeat, and hot, red, dry, or sweaty skin.  Heat stroke: most serious form of heat illness.

28. Heat Cramps  Rest, cool down, and drink water or a sports drink that contains electrolytes.  Gentle stretching exercise and gentle massage may help relieve the cramps.

29. Heat Exhaustion  Take someone who shows signs of heat exhaustion to a shady or airconditioned place.  Lie down and slightly elevate the feet.  Loosen clothing.  Have the person drink cold, but not iced, water.  Spray the person with cool water and fan him or her.

30. Heatstroke  Heatstroke is life-threatening because the body’s normal process for dealing with heat, including sweating, close down.  The main sign of heatstroke is a marked increase in body temperature-generally higher than 104 F. Rapid heart and rapid and shallow breathing are other signs.  If heatstroke is a possibility, treat the person as for heat exhaustion and call immediately for emergency medical assistance.

31. Life-Threatening Emergencies  Choking  Shock  Severe Bleeding  Needing CPR

32. Choking  More than 3,000 people die from choking every year in the United States.  Abdominal Thrusts maneuver, which uses quick, upward pulls into the diaphragm to force out an obstruction blocking the airway. (Fig. 19.10)  If you are choking alone, give yourself the abdominal thrust.

33. Shock  Shock is a life threatening condition in which the circulatory system fails to deliver enough blood to vital tissues and organs.  Cause of Shock: injury, burns, severe infection, heat, poisoning, blood loss, and heart attack.  Signs of Shock: cool, clammy, pale or gray skin; weak and rapid pulse; slow, shallow breathing; pupils may be dilated, and the eyes may have a dull look.

34. Shock (cont)….  What to do?  Have the person lie on their back. Raise the feet higher than the heat and try to keep them from moving.  Loosen tight clothing.  Keep the person warm.  Do not give the person anything to drink.  If the person vomits or bleeds from the mouth, roll the person to their side to prevent choking.

35. Severe Bleeding  To stop severe bleeding:  Have the person lie down.  Raise the site of the bleeding above the level of the heart. (If possible)  Use protective gloves!  Apply direct pressure to the wound, using a clean cloth.  Apply pressure to the artery that supplies blood to the area of the wound. (Fig. 19.11)

36. CPR  CPR: Cardiopulmonary resuscitation  CPR is a first-aid procedure that combines rescue breaths with chest compressions to restore breathing and circulation.  Only people who have received proper training should perform CPR.

37. ABC’s of CPR  A-Airway: look inside the victims mouth. If you see anything blocking the airway, remove it. Lay the person flat on a firm surface. Gently tilt the head back with one hand and lift the chin with the other.  C-Circulation

38. B-Breathing  B-Breathing: look, listen, and feel to find out if the victim is breathing.  Look for the chest movement.  Listen at the victim’s mouth for breathing sounds.  Feel for exhaled air on your cheek.  If the victim is not breathing, begin rescue breathing.

39. Rescue Breathing  Pinch the person’s nostrils shut, take a normal breath and place your mouth over the victim’s, forming a seal.  Give two slow breaths, each about two seconds long. The victims chest should rise with each breath.

40. C-Circulation  Check for circulation by watching for some response to your rescue breaths, such as breathing, coughing or movement.  If there are no signs of circulation, a person trained in CPR should begin chest compressions immediately. (Fig 19.13)  If the victim responds but is not breathing normally, give a rescue breath every five seconds.