LSC: Safety and First Aid Senior One

LSC: Safety and First Aid Senior One

Concept of First Aid

When you or any other person gets injured, usually there is that first treatment you give

before rushing the person to a clinic, if necessary. That first help is given using various

materials which could be local or manufactured (fig. 2.1).

This first help is what we call first aid.

Knowledge of the emergency measures, such as saving methods can help you prepare for

emergency situations. In order to feel more confident and more useful in an emergency,

you should know about first aid, its procedures and how to recognize various kinds of

injury cases that require medical attention.

During physical activities at school and even at home, injuries such as cuts, bruises and

even fainting can occur. In such cases, you need to have knowledge of the different local

materials that can be used for first aid or have access to a first aid box that contains first

aid items. The most important aim of first aid is to save life and stop further injuries.

You should note that, staying calm and sympathetic and being reassuring are part of the treatment. Encourage those who are injured to feel that they will recover soon, and that there is nothing to worry about. Do this even for minor cuts and scratches.

How to Conduct First Aid

In an emergency, you may have only seconds to save a life. The only person you may have to depend on is yourself. How would you handle such a situation if you were alone?

Properly administered, first aid can prevent or reduce pain and long-term effects of an injury; in some cases, it can mean the difference between life and death.

When a person is injured:

i) do not rush in and pick her/him up unless she/he is not seriously injured.

ii) do not move her/him unless it is dangerous or harmful for her/him to stay where she/he is.

iii) do not move her/him if she/he appears to have a fracture, or a back or neck injury until you are sure that movement is safe.

iv) check for breathing. If unconscious, immediately call for expert medical assistance.

v) stop the bleeding (she/he is bleeding) at once with a clean cloth and seek medical aid.

vi) there is need for maximum care while handling the bleeding sections of the casualty

vii) try as much as possible to avoid direct contact with blood as this possess a great risk of infections.

The DRABC Routine of First Aid

DRABC is an acronym in which each letter represents what action you take as you carry out first aid on a casualty. The letters are in order from what you start with as you carry out first aid. DRABC stands for Danger, Response, Airway, Breathing and lastly Circulation.

It involves checking for danger, whether the person is responding, opening the airway in case the person is unconscious, for breathing and then enabling circulation.

What do you do if an ill or injured person collapses in front of you? If you follow the DRABC routine, you could save a life. The aim of DRABC is to keep the person breathing until an ambulance arrives.

This is because without oxygen, the brain is damaged within just three or four minutes and dead within ten minutes.

The DRABC routine is as follows:

1. i) D is for Danger

• First stop and check for danger before you rush to help the casualty. There could be danger from equipment, fire, gas, falling masonry or fumes.

• If there is danger, do not put yourself at risk. Your own safety comes first. Shout or phone for help.

• If there is no danger, clear the area around the casualty. This could be stopping a game
• ii) R is for Response

• Shake the casualty gently by the shoulders and shout ‘can you hear me?’ as shown in Fig. 2.4.1

The DRABC routine is as follows:

1. i) D is for Danger

• First stop and check for danger before you rush to help the casualty. There could

be danger from equipment, fire, gas, falling masonry or fumes.

• If there is danger, do not put yourself at risk. Your own safety comes first. Shout

or phone for help.

• If there is no danger, clear the area around the casualty. This could be stopping a

game.

i) R is for Response

• Shake the casualty gently by the shoulders and shout ‘can you hear me?’ as shown in Fig. 2.4.1

If the casualty shows any response, he or she is conscious. You can tell from the response how weak the casualty is.

• If the casualty can speak, find out if and where he or she has pain. Do what you can to stop the condition of the casualty from getting worse. For example, stop severe bleeding and support broken bones. Send for an ambulance as soon as possible, if necessary.

• If there is no response, the casualty is unconscious. This is a very serious condition. Move on to resuscitation (make the person regain consciousness) following A, B and C.

iii) A is for Airway

• When a person is unconscious, the tongue can block the airway, so preventing this is the most important thing you can do.
• Loosen any tight clothing.
• Raise the chin and tilt the head black to open the airway fully.
• Remove any obvious fingers to scrap away any vomit.

If the casualty shows any response, he or she is conscious. You can tell from the

response how weak the casualty is.

• If the casualty can speak, find out if and where he or she has pain. Do what you

can to stop the condition of the casualty from getting worse. For example, stop

severe bleeding and support broken bones. Send for an ambulance as soon as

possible, if necessary.

• If there is no response, the casualty is unconscious. This is a very serious

condition. Move on to resuscitation (make the person regain consciousness)

following A, B and C.

iii) A is for Airway

• When a person is unconscious, the tongue can block the airway, so preventing

this is the most important thing you can do.

• Loosen any tight clothing.
• Raise the chin and tilt the head black to open the airway fully.
• Remove any obvious fingers to scrap away any vomit.

iv) B is for Breathing

Is the casualty breathing?

• Look for the chest rising and falling. Listen for breathing sounds. Feel for breathon your cheek. Moistening the cheek will help

If the casualty is breathing, do what you can to stop severe bleeding and support broken bones.

• Then place the casualty in the recovery position while you get help.
• But if the casualty shows no signs of breathing, move on to C.v) C is for Circulation

• Feel for the carotid pulse (major arteries in the head and neck), below the ear, at either side of the Adam’s apple.

• A pulse shows the heart is beating and the blood is circulating.
• Then give mouth-to-mouth ventilation (the kiss of life) to restore breathing.
• If there is no pulse, give both cardiac massage and mouth-to-mouth ventilation to restore circulation and breathing

What next when there is no circulation?

In case you perform the last step of the DRABC routine and the casualty is unconscious,

immediately you will need to perform the mouth-to-mouth ventilation to provide oxygen,

cardiac massage to boost circulation and lastly putting the casualty into a recovery position

as you wait for medical help. These procedures can be performed as elaborated below.

1. Mouth-to-mouth ventilation

In mouth-to-mouth ventilation, you force air from your lungs into the casualty’s lungs. The oxygen in this air can keep the casualty alive.

4. Make sure the casualty’s airway is fully open.
5. Pinch the casualty’s nostrils closed with your thumbs and first finger.
6. Take a deep breath. Then seal your lips firmly around the casualty’s open mouth. Breathe out smoothly and firmly until you see the casualty’s chest rise as shown below
7. Take your mouth away and breathe in. The chest will fall.
8. Repeat with 1 breathe every 6 seconds for one minute.
9. If breathing has not returned within a minute, phone for an ambulance. Get back to

the casualty as quickly as you can.

7. Continue with the mouth-to-mouth ventilation, if necessary.
8. If breathing also starts, place the casualty in the recovery position.
9. Check the breathing and pulse every three minutes.

Cardiac massage

Cardiac massage or external chest compression is a way of squeezing the heart so that blood is forced out of it and round the body. It is used in case of cardiac arrest. This is when  the heart stops beating; for example, during heart attack. Cardiac massage must be combined with mouth-to-mouth ventilation so that the blood gets oxygen too. Cardiac massage can be done as follows:

Call for an ambulance.

2. Make sure the casualty’s airway is open.
3. Start with 2 breaths of mouth-to-mouth ventilation.
4. Now use your weight to compress the chest 15 times as shown in Fig. 2.7 above. Do it smoothly and quickly, but faster than once per second.
5. Next, give 2 more mouth-to-mouth ventilation.
6. Repeat the pattern of 15 compressions and 2 mouth-to-mouth ventilations until help arrives. Don’t stop unless the casualty’s condition improves. (NB: skin colour may improve or casualty may move.) Check the pulse.

7. Continue with mouth-to-mouth ventilation, if necessary. Check the pulse every minute.

8. If breathing also starts, place the casualty in the recovery position. Check the breathing and pulse every three minutes.

1. The recovery position

It is the safest position for an unconscious breathing person. The head is tilted so that the tongue can’t block the throat. Since the head is a little lower than the rest of the body, vomit will drain from the mouth and not choke the person. You can safely leave a unconscious person in this position while you get help.

Attending to minor injuries

In life, you get different kinds of injuries or accidents depending on what we are doing whether at home, school or in our communities. Despite the place where you are, you should be able to save a life using the means available in terms of material. Lack of a manufactured first aid kit should never be an excuse for you not to give first aid. Below is a description of how you can attend to different kinds of injuries.

Minor Cuts and Wounds

Minor cuts can be caused by any sharp object such as knife, scissors, broken glass, blades or nails. Although the surface cut may be small, such objects can penetrate deeply and  cause more harm to the internal parts in the body. If not covered properly, dirt may get into the wounds, and so even minor scratches can become infected.

Action taken for cuts and wounds

i) Wash hands thoroughly before treating the wound.

ii) Gently clean away any dirt on the surface of the cut or wound.

iii) Using clean warm water and a little mild antiseptic, clean the wound and the surrounding area.

iv) Dress the wound with a clean bandage.

v) If the wound or cut is caused by a rusty object, a tetanus injection may be required.

Cramps

A cramp is a sudden pull in the muscle during a hard or long activity. It may be caused by lack of fluid or flow or blood to the muscles. It can cause sharp pain in the muscle.

Poor circulation or hard, long exercise in hot or cold conditions can cause a muscle to become cramped.

Action taken for a cramp

i) Gently stretch and straighten the cramped muscle.

ii) For a hand cramp, get the person to straighten the fingers and press down on the tips.

iii) For foot or calf cramp, get the person to stand, pushing down on the heel and toes.

iv) For thigh cramp, seat the person and straighten the leg. Lift the toes with one of your hands and press down on the knee with the other one.

1. Sprains

When the white tissue that binds bones and muscles together in a joint is torn, it is called a sprain. Sprains often happen to ankles, but can also affect wrists, elbows, knees and shoulders.

Signs and symptoms of sprains are pain and tenderness around the joint, restricted movement of the joint, swelling and bruising.

Warning! Do not move the joint if you suspect it is fractured.

Action taken for sprains (RICE)

i) R– Rest the joint in the most comfortable position.

ii) I– Apply ice packs that are wrapped in a piece of cloth.

iii) C– Apply a compression bandage that extends well beyond the site.

iv) E– Elevate the injured limb to reduce blood flow to the limb.

1. v) Seek medical aid.

Dislocations

When the bones are pushed out of their normal position, it is called a dislocation. Signs and symptoms of dislocations are intense pain, deformity, inability to move the joint, and swelling and bruising

Fig. 2.13: Dislocated shoulder

Warning! Do not move the joint if you suspect a fracture, and do not attempt to push the joint back into position.

Action taken for dislocations

i) Support and rest the joint in the most comfortable position

Fig 2.14: Support and rest for a dislocated joint

1. ii) Apply ice packs

iii) Seek medical aid immediately

1. Fractures

A fracture is a broken or cracked bone. There are two types of fractures: open and closed fractures as you will see in the science lesson.

 What is an open fracture?

 What is a closed fracture?

Signs and symptoms of fractures are: the sound or feeling of the bone breaking; intense pain around the break; deformity of the limb or inability to move it; tenderness when light pressure is applied; and the sound of bone-ends grating against each other.

Warning!

If possible, do not

• move the broken bone.
• shift the casualty unless it is essential for safety.
• administer any food or drink because a general anaesthetic may be needed.

Action taken for fractures

i) If there is an open wound, control bleeding and cover the wound with a clean dressing then apply a bandage, making sure it is not directly over the fracture.

ii) Support the fractured limb in the most comfortable position. Raise and rest the fractured foot or ankle on pillows or folded blankets.

iii) Do not attempt to straighten the fractured limb.

iv) Seek medical aid immediately.