Reviewed in this page are the following areas of first aid treatment:
When treating for shock, lie the victim down on his/her back, elevate his/her feet, and cushion his/her head. Wrap a blanket around the victim to reduce heat loss. Lastly, keep the victim talking, and reassure him/her that everything is OK. This is very important, you must stop them from passing out, especially if a concussion is suspected.
Cuts and scratches are no big deal, provided you take care of the wound promptly and keep it covered. Wash the wound with soap and water, then if there is still bleeding, apply direct pressure to the wound until it stops. Then apply an antibiotic cream or ointment and cover with a sterile bandage.
WARNINGS:Never put a cut into your mouth, there are lots of nasty germs in there that promote infection. NEVER use hydrogen peroxide or rubbing alcohol on a wound, they actually break down scab tissue and it takes longer for the simple wound to heal. And last of all, directly apply used cheese to a fresh cut, they don't go well together.
As a rescuer, take caution not to come into contact with the blood, so wear an apron, goggles, gloves, and anything else you may deem essential to avoiding contracting any diseases. Quickly apply direct pressure to the wound, if the blood will not stop, apply pressure to the artery supplying blood to the area of the wound, and elevate the that area above the heart. As a last resort, a tourniquet may be necessary, but it is to be used only if no other means to stop the bleeding have worked. The best thing to do is to have someone call an ambulance while you try to get the bleeding under control.
Treatment for first degree burns is rather basic, run the wound under cold water, then, if necessary, bandage loosely with a moist dressing. Never apply creams or ointments to the burn, butter will do nothing for it.
Treatment for second degree burns must be carried out carefully to avoid popping the blisters. Soak the wound in cold water, then apply a moist dressing. Once again, no creams, ointments butter or margarine, they don’t help.
For third degree burns, call the Ambulance, do not attempt to remove clothing that may be sticking to the wound. You may apply a sterile cold, wet sheet over the burnt area to relieve some of the pain.
Blisters tend to start off as hotspots, common when hiking, if you feel one of these hotspots, stop immediately and apply moleskin to the area. This will reduce the friction over that part of skin and reduces the chances of a blister forming. Another precaution you can take is to cool down the hot spot with water, Ice or anything cold that is around you.
once a blister is formed, it is important that you do not break the blister because this will result in a very painful wound that is hard to keep clean, it also hurts to clean. If a blister does form, take a pad that is about a quarter inch thick and cut it in a semi-doughnut shape so that it fits over the blister, that way, it takes all pressure off of the blister, and stops it from popping. Remember to be patient, a blister will heal on its own.
Nosebleads are often mistreated, never have the victim tilt his head backwards or forwards, these methods are bad. Have the victim pinch his/her nose as high up as he/she can, then, leave the head in a neutral position, neither backwards or forwards. Then wait patiently for the bleeding to stop. For excessive bleeding or a long duration of bleeding, call an ambulance or 911
Symptoms of hypothermia include uncontrollable shivering, loss of coordination, slurred speech, chilly stomach and back. While all of these symptoms may be present, often times only one or two symptoms will show up.
To put it simply, in order to treat someone with hypothermia, Get them Warm. This warming up must happen, it will sometimes not be enough to give a victim a blanket and let him/her wrap up, chances are, the victim will not be producing their own heat, so they will need to be wrapped in an electric blanket, brought next to a fire, or accompanied in the blanket by some one. By accompanying the victim, your body heat will warm them up. This is one of the few physical ailments that can be cured solely with a hug.
Symptoms of Heat Exhaustion are, profuse sweating, disorientation, nausea, headache, rapid pulse and grumpiness. Although there are many different symptoms, not all of them must be present to diagnose someone with heat Exhaustion.
Treatment for heat exhaustion is simple, get the victim cool. Do this using cool water and wet sheet, Ice if its around, whatever you can find to get them cool. Remove the victim to shade and give them plenty to drink, stay away from hot cocoa and coffee, they wont do much to cool the victim down.
Unlike heat exhaustion victims, victims of heat stroke have hot and dry skin, or at least have stopped sweating. They are unconscious and have a high temperature, and a rapid weak pulse. they are dying. Victims may also experience headaches and dizziness, breathing may be rapid. All of these symptoms do not have to be present in order to diagnose someone with heat stroke.
Treatment for heat stroke resembles treatment for heat exhaustion in that you must cool the victim down. Only this time you must seek an ambulance use 911, this is defiantly an emergency.
Symptoms of a reaction include itching, redness, swelling , and blisters.
Having poison Ivy really stinks, and you don't want it, so, if you are out working in it, or walking through it then immediately afterwards you should wash the exposed area with soap and water, then wipe it with rubbing alcohol or Witch Hazel. If you already have Poison Ivy, then do not pop the blisters, its not good for you. Try soaking the area in cold or hot water. If this does not help, then try calamine lotion. If all else fails, then it's time to visit the doctor.
For Simple Fractures immobilize the injured area using a splint, a splint consists of one or more solid bars(sticks, table legs, anything...be resourceful) then using rope, string, Duct Tape....once again, you may have to be creative. Then strap the bars to the injury to stop it from moving, after the immobilization there may be a lot of pain, or there may be no pain, no matter what, get the victim to an emergency room.
Compound Fractures are a lot more dangerous, due to blood loss, you must stop any severe bleeding first, that is your first concern because it is very life threatening, so treat for major bleeding first, then when the bleeding is under control follow the procedures for a simple fracture.
A stretcher happens to be the best mode of transportation for an injured person. Strictures must therefore often be improvised in order to transport a victim. When improvising a stretcher, remember first off to be creative. A door, table, chair, basically anything that is flat and hard that a person can be laid on and transported. If you have two poles, it is also possible to make a stretcher in a few ways; dress the poles with sweaters, T-shirts or even pants to make a bed for the victim, run the poles through a sleeping bag, wrap a tarp in thirds around the poles, or anything else that you can come up with.
A fish hook stuck in your hand or some other part of your body can be really painful, and your first reaction will be to yank that sucker right out of there. For the love of God, DO NOT YANK THE FISH HOOK OUT. Many hooks have barbs at the end, which will tear your flesh to shreds. The actual treatment for removal of a fish hook is to push the barbed end of the hook out of the skin, making a new hole, then cut the barbed end off with a pair of wire cutters. After that, pull the hook out from the string side of the hook.
NOTE: This should remind us to keep a pair of wire cutters in our tackle boxes, for emergencies.
