Accidents where you've to apply first aid
Today we write the second part of our article: what has to be known before performing first aid.
In order to practice first aid (FA): be in cold blood, be agile and take your phone to call emergy number: 112. While doing FA, protect yourself from the COVID-19 with: individual protection equipment, mask, gloves and if the victim is already conscious, encourage him/her to put on a mask. Also, renounce to the mouth to mouth technique due to COVID-19.
We will practice FA in real accidents:
1. What to do in case of a vascular accident?
Practice cardiorespiratory resuscitation:
Is there a defibrillator in the place where the injury was caused? Look at this link. In case you don't have access to it, proceed as follows:
Make compressions to restore blood circulation. Choose to perform 100 to 120 compressions per minute to boost circulation.
2. Actions in case of refusal during the food swallowing or in case of be drawned in the pool:
The most important thing not to do: give back blows, give water.
Wrap your arms around the waist of the person who is choking.
Put your finger with one of your hands and place the side of your finger between the belly button and the lower part of the person's body.
Place your other hand on your finger and apply a quick pressure to the person's abdomen.
Repeat the pressure so that the object is expelled so the person can breathe again.
In the swimming pool: watch over children less than four years, various functional and people over 65 years. In this sense, apply the 10/20 rule : look at the swimming pool every 10 seconds and check that it is possible to reach those who are swimming with their arms in less than 20 seconds.
Take the person of the water and guarantee a safe environment, call 112 and warn the lifeguard. In pools with a water surface area of more than 200 sqm, it is mandatory to hire this professional.
Evaluate the victim's state of consciousness and breathing to see if he or she has a heart attack. In this case you have to practice CPR, as indicated above.
3. Acting before electrical or thermal burn:
The most important thing not to do: apply ointments or other substances. In the case of electrical burns, do not touch the affected area so as not to damage the electrical current.
Check that the blood circulates and that there is no air obstruction. The keys proceed as with a thermal cream:
Eliminate the burn cause.
In absence of skin contact, the burned area must be refreshed with water. With a clean, wet and fry the pain will slowdown. With this same wet towelette, you can gently embolize the wound or apply soft dressings.
4. Clean open wounds:
Wash hands to prevent an infection.
Wish the wound with water.
Use the pressure to tie the sagnat with a wet net because it is not attached to the wound.
5. Cut hemorrhages
The most important thing not to do: to tilt the head, cover the nasal orifices with a cap or gas, and do not let the sound makes impossible the formation of the clot.
It requires the affected person to position the head so that it does not cause blood to flow.
If the person presents a hemorrhage, differentiate whether it is arterial or venous. If it is arterial, we will know by the blood colour dark red color and if it is venous, the blood will flow continuously and its color will be red.
5.1 In case of arterial bleeding:
Put the person in an horitzontal position and elevate the injured extremity.
Apply pressure for two minutes to stop the bleeding.
5. 2 In case of venous hemorrhage:
Place the person in an horizontal position.
Place the person in an horitzontal position. If the bleeding is very persistent, the wound should be pressed for five minutes.
6. Combat alergies
This case presents a peculiarity: it is not easy to detect its severety but at the time the reaction is very strong and intense when it comes into contact with the allergen. From Feliu we recommend to have present what we know that triggers an allergic reaction (many times this list is in your medical history).
Any such allergy could trigger a potentially fatal anaphylactic xoc. So in this case you must call 112 and go to the hospital. Breathing we know how to face many types of allergy.
In the reactions caused by insect bites: if they cause an extreme swelling and greening, you can detect the insect bites. It must be removed with tweezers and the area must be cleaned with water and soap. Finally, it is necessary to give an antihistaminic.
For jellyfish bites: use thin gloves to clean them. Use a tweezer to remove the tentacles. The affected area is covered with physiological lime or water from the sea. It is necessary to apply cold during a quarter of an hour. If after this time the patient does not improve, go to a medical center.
Food reactions are of two types:
- Produced by immunoglobulin: it is essential to inject adrenaline and use an oxygen mask to balance the blood saturation. The transfer to a hospital is inevitable.
- Not caused by immunoglobulin: offers some type of serum based on sugar. Of course, note what is the ingredient that has caused the reaction to avoid it.
7. Strange elements which enter in the body and what to do:
They are elements that are introduced into our bodies for our orifices, and they have to be treated.
Warm up with water or serum for 20 minutes.
If the foreign water is incrusted, you can't tear away.
Do not use lilies or ointments, cover it.
Transfer the victim to a health centre.
Additional information about these foreigners to the link below of the Open Institute of Catalonia
8. Act against entrapments: learn to move the person in order to worse the wounds
When the accident happens, it is because he/her can't escape. "The appropriate method must be used according to the type of injury that the victims are presumably suffering, the state they are in and the availability of people, devices and mechanical elements".
9. How to deal with mechanical trauma: contusion, muscle injury, corner, dislocation and fracture
With the RICER protocol, we mention the Open Institute of Catalonia point 1.2
R for Rest: to avoid activities that supposed no pain or effort.
I for d'Ice: applying gel to the affected area will reduce pain and inflammation. During the first 24 hours administer it for 15 minutes every two hours, and the following 24 hours, every four hours. The thing you have not to do: massages
C for Compression: it is important to dam up the affected area. The embalming has to start just below the injury and has to increase by approximately one pam per envelope of the affected area.
E for Elevation: the injured area must be kept elevated then the inflammation is reduced.
R de Referral: it is important that the doctor evaluate the injury.
10. Dealing with seizures from neurological accidents:
The most important thing not to do: subject or move the person during the seizures because violent and involuntary movements can make it easier for the person to be hurt. You can't even banish the maltreatment in water. Do not give him/her: water, food or pills during the crisis.
Protect him/her in a place where they are not allowed to drink.
Once the convulsions are over: refresh the person and airs the environment.
You don't have to lose your cool.
Wait for the crisis end.
Crises usually last less than 45 seconds. Now, we enumerate occasions on the person has to be transferred to the hospital in case of convulsions:
1. If they last more than 5 minutes.
2. If the crisis is repeated in short periods of time
3. If you don't recover from your previous situation
4. If there has been significant trauma during the seizures.
5. If the person who has suffered the crisis is pregnant.
6. If it is about a person who does not follow epilepsy.
11. To avoid traffic accidents: put your seatbelt don't drink alcohol or consume drugs, respect speed limits and rest well becore the conduction.
In addition to the eleven accidents listed, we have four phenomena that we believe are not accident because can be avoided: hypothermia, heat stroke, hypoglycemia and carbon monoxide poisoning.
The first two, linked to extreme temperatures, are avoided by avoiding exposure to these climatic conditions, wearing appropriate clothing for them, and disregarding the keys of intense physical exercise. For the third, they can be prevented by a diet adapted to the diabetes that is most prevalent in the morning. Finally, carbon monoxide poisoning is avoidable read the Centre for the Desease Control from US tips.
At Finques Feliu we think and believe that we can help you at all times: share your concerns for the health and safety of your loved ones.
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