2. First Aid It is a fact that accidents do happen in the home, school and in almost all places. You may not to think of anybody, especially your love ones, as involved in any mishap, but you should be prepared to meet such emergencies. It is important to know how you should respond in emergency situations-what to do and what not to do. Knowing what to do in case of accidents will help much in responding confidently and coping with the situation. Importance of Possessing Knowledge in First Aid
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4. Kinds of Open Wounds A wound is any break in he skin or mucus membrane. The break becomes a good entry point for microorganisms to cause infection and an exit for blood loss. The wound may vary in terms of appearance, tissue damage, and cause.
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10. 4. Puncture is a small but deep wound that could possibly penetrate the inter-nal organs. It is caused by pointed objects, like ice pick, arrow, nails, and bullets. Clotted blood seals the wound resulting in possible infection. The absence of air and the presence of moist and warm environment contribute to the growth of microorganisms. Risks: internal bleeding and infection 1. If the pointed instrument is still embedded in the flesh, do not attempt to remove it. The embedded instrument could serve as a plug to prevent bleeding, and touching it might unnecessarily move the instrument and cause further blood vessel, tissue, and nerve damage.
11. Furthermore ,such precaution of not touching the tool of injury protects you from any liabilities. 2. Protect the embedded instrument from getting better. 3.Take victim to the nearest hospital.
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13. Wrap the severed part with a clean material, such as handkerchief use the clean side), put it in a plastic bag then pack it with Ice for preservation. 4. Take the victim together with the severed part to the hospital.
15. Bleeding from small wounds will stop even without first aid or after applying local or slight pressure. If the bleeding in severe, a major blood vessel may have been cut. In such cases, if bleeding is not stopped, the victim may die in few minutes because of the loss of blood. To stop bleeding, one has to act fast and do the following:
16. 1. Press the wound firmly with your bare hands or of possible with an absorbent material. The absorbent material will prevent your hands from slipping . 2. To lessen the flow of blood, elevate the wounded area above the level of the heart if the wound is on the limbs. 3. if bleeding stops, apply firmly any clean or possibly sterile absorbent dressing. Secure the dressing with a plaster or bandage. 4. Loosen the bandage if the victim’s fingers are becoming pale, blue or numb. 5. If the blood seeps through the dressing, apply another layer of dressing without removing the first layer. Removing it might disturb or remove the clotted blood that plugs the wound
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19. 2. On a black eye, do not apply ice. This could damage its delicate parts. Cold compress (soak in cold water) is an effective first aid. 3. Black eye should be checked by a doctor to determine any involvement of the delicate parts of the eye, especially if there is visual disturbance. 4. For bruised cases among the elderly, the physician should examine the victim for bone fracture. Elderly people are more prone to fracture because their bones are beginning to become brittle.
20. Dressing and Bandages The correct use of dressings and bandages can be helpful in rendering effective first aid. But inappropriate use could aggravate the injury or cause complications. There are commercially prepared dressings and bandages in drugstores but one can always improvise, especially in emergency situations. A Dressing. These are clean and absorbent materials. The commercially prepared dressings are usually sterile. If cotton will be used as improvised dressing, it should be lined with a gauze to prevent the cotton from sticking on the injured area. Besides causing pain when the fibers are being removed while the wound is being cleaned, the removal of the fibers could also disturb the tissues that have formed on the wound. Dressings are used for the following purposes.
21. 1. To protect the wound from germ-causing infection 2. To absorb blood, secretions, and other fluids that ooze from the wound 3. To prevent too much loss of fluids, especially in third-degree burns 4. To protect against pain caused by external pressure and irritation 5. To protect blisters from breaking
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23. B. Bandaging. Bandages are durable clean strips of absorbent material that can be used for the following purposes. 1. To keep the dressings and splints in place 2. To support and immobilize the injured part 3. To maintain pressure on dressings that control bleeding There are available gauze and elastic bandages in drugstores but one can always use the following items as improvised bandages. 1. necktie 2. scarf 3. handkerchief 4. wide ribbons
24. Precautions in Applying Bandages 1. Expose the fingers and toes so that blood circulation to these digital parts could be checked. 2. Loosen the bandage if the victim’s finger or toes show signs of discolorations ( pale or bluish ), numbness, and coldness to the touch. 3. If elastic bandage is being used, avoid stretching it too much.
