First Aid
Knowing how to treat an infection, scrape, or other injury is very important. If an injury is severe, go directly to the nearest emergency room. If the injury is one that you can handle, here are some tips to tell you what to do and when. Follow up with your doctor if you aren't sure, or if there is any change in the injury.


First Aid Kit for your homeIt's a good idea to keep a first aid kit in your home and in your car, in case of emergencies. Here are some items that should be kept inside:
Sterile adhesive bandages
Gauze pads
Ace bandage
Antiseptics
Scissors
Non-prescription drugs (ie: aspirin)
Thermometer
Soap & moistened towelettes
Safety pins
Band-aids
Latex gloves
Sunscreen
Any other items needed for family members (ie: special medications)


First Aid for skin injuries
*Small Cuts - Wash cut with fresh soap and water. Apply a clean bandage.
*Large Cuts - Press down on cut with clean bandage to stop bleeding. If bleeding doesn't stop, tie a tourniquet to control it. Seek medical help as soon as possible.
*Scrapes: Press lightly with wet sterile gauze and soap to clean; then apply clean sterile bandage.
*Bruises: Rest injured limb. Wrap ice in a washcloth and apply to injury. Consult your doctor if you have any doubt or questions.
*Puncture Wounds: Wrap in clean bandage and consult your doctor.
*Splinters: Wash the area around and including the splinter, then remove it with tweezers. Wash area after removal. Consult your doctor if you have any problems or questions.


First Aid for burns
Sunburns:
***First Degree - causes skin to turn red. Be extra cautious when young children acquire a sunburn...there could be serious damage. A good treatment is to massage aloe vera on the inflamed area every hour; this increases moisture and relief (Avoid products with alcohol, mineral oil, paraffin waxes or coloring).
***Second Degree - cause skin to turn red and develop blisters. For relief, dissolve one pound of baking soda into a tub of cool water and soak in it for about 1/2 hour. Eat high-protein foods to help repair tissue damage, and drink plenty of fluids to prevent dehydration. Consult your doctor if you need pain relief (and stay out of the sun!).
***Third Degree - cause cell damage and breaks in the skin where infection can develop. This type of burn requires the immediate attention of a doctor!


Third Degree Burns: Keep injured person relaxed and remove their clothing around burned area (do not pull attached clothing from skin). Apply cool wet compresses to one area at a time. Get to a doctor immediately.


Electrical Burns: Move injured person away from power source (use wood or cloth; not bare hands); turn power source off. Ascertain injury and consult a doctor immediately.


First Aid for fractures
A fracture is a break in a bone. It is closed or simple when the skin stays intact, and open or compound when the bone breaks through the skin. First thing to do is to put a splint on the fractured area. If the skin is broken apply pressure first to control the bleeding. Do not move injured person if a neck or back injury is suspected...call for help immediately!


First Aid for strains and sprains
A strained muscle is one that is stressed or used beyond its ability. A sprain happens when the ligaments connecting bone to muscle is stretched beyond its ability and the ligament tears. The soft tissue surrounding the joint may be sore and swollen. Rest and elevate the injury. Apply cold compresses and consult a doctor if injury is severe (pain and swelling).


First Aid for seizures
The symptoms of a seizure may range from a loss of consciousness; an inability to speak; headaches; confusion; stiffening of the body for up to 20 seconds; to involuntary rhythmic jerking movements of different parts of the body. You should notify the doctor when any seizure-type episode occurs that you do not know how to control (ie: if you know you have epilepsy and know how to respond to it from a previous experience. Lay person on his/her side with their head lower than their hips. If the person appears to choke, pull forward on their chin to bring the tongue forward and open the airway. Do not put anything in their mouth. If the seizure is in a child who has a high fever, loosen their clothes and sponge them with warm water to help reduce their fever. Call a doctor immediately!


First Aid for shock
Shock can be caused by a variety of problems, including a severe allergic reaction; major blood loss; severe dehydration, serious infection; and can occur in a person with diabetes (If you or someone else has a history of allergic reactions, ask your doctor to prescribe an emergency kit of injectible epinephrine (Epipen or Ana-Kit), and learn how to administer it correctly). Symptoms include nausea, vomiting, weakness, cold and clammy skin, pale skin color; dizziness; a cold sweat; increased breathing and heart rate; and other unusual behavior. Call for emergency medical help immediately! While waiting, lay the person on his/her back and wrap them in warm blankets. Raise their feet about a foot off the ground to keep them at a higher level than their heart (this decreases stress on their heart). If person is vomiting, turn them on their side. If they are conscious and able to swallow, just give them water. If they are bleeding, follow actions to control it. If person is not breathing, begin CPR at once (see below).


First Aid for choking

If a person is able to speak or cough forcefully, you do not need to intervene (this means air is getting through the windpipe). However, if the person is unable to speak; makes gasps for air; turns blue; or clutches at his/her throat, act fast with the Heimlich maneuver. These particular foods pose a choking hazard and are dangerous for children under four years old: thick, sticky candies, hard candies, raw carrots, celery, grapes and raisins, hot dogs, chunks of meat, peanut butter, popcorn, and nuts. Every parent or person who cares for children should know how to do the Heimlich maneuver and CPR (see below).


***In children under 1 year old: Have someone call for emergency help and then immediately perform the Heimlich maneuver. Hold your infant resting face down on your forearm; keep his/her head lower than his trunk (Rest your forearm on your thigh). With the heel of your hand give five quick blows between your infant's shoulder blades. If he/she still isn't breathing, turn infant over to face you. With your fingers, give five quick compressions to the breastbone just blow the nipple line. Check for foreign matter in the infant's mouth. If you see anything remove it with your finger. Keep repeating the five back blows and five chest blows until the foreign object is expelled. If the child loses consiousness at any time during this procedure, stop the back blows and chest thrusts and begin CPR (see below).


***In children over 1 year old: Stand or kneel behind the child, and wrap your arms around his/her waist. Place the heel of one hand (thumb side) against child's abdomen, just above the navel and below the rib cage. Deliver a quick, forceful, upward push of your fist into the child's abdomen to force air up through the windpipe. Keep repeating until foreign object is expelled. If the child loses consiousness at any time during this procedure, stop the back blows and chest thrusts and begin CPR (see below).


***In older children and adults: Wrap your arms around the choking person with your hands on their abdomen. Deliver quick, forceful thrusts into their abdomen (in an upward motion), until the foreign object is expelled.


***First Aid for CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation)CPR can sustain life if a person's breathing and/or heart have stopped. When respiration stops, the body begins to be deprived of oxygen, which can cause serious damage. The following directions are not meant to teach you how to do CPR in times of crisis, but are meant to be used to refresh your memory after you have learned to properly do CPR from completing a course on emergency first aid that includes CPR training. Before you begin performing any CPR, immediately call for emergency help and then begin CPR!


Remember the basic ABCs of CPR:

A = Airway: Open the airway; take care for spinal injuries.

B = Breathing: Check for breathing; if person is not breathing, give 2 slow, full breaths.

C = Circulation: Check for a pulse; Carotid artery in adults (side of neck), and Brachial in infants (inside of arm just above elbow).



More detailed CPR instructions:
If there is a heartbeat & pulse, but person is not conscious and/or not breathing: Place person flat on their back. Lift head up (unless there is a neck injury) and lift jaw to open airway. Check for a pulse. If you feel a pulse, DO NOT do chest compressions on anyone with a heartbeat. Pinch the person's nose closed and blow a steady breath into their mouth (in infants: fully cover their nose and mouth with your mouth). Breathe at least 15 breaths per minute (infants: 20 breaths per minute); use only enough air to move the person's chest up and down. Continue until person begins breathing. If your breaths do not cause the person's chest to rise and fall, check their mouth for foreign matter and give two more puffs of air. If there is still no movement of their chest, perform the Heimlich maneuver (see above).


If there is no heartbeat or pulse: Lay person flat on their back. Check for a pulse.


For infants: place two or three fingers on the infant's chest just below the nipple line. For each compression, push the infant's breastbone down with your fingers straight down (not diagonally). For older children and adults: use the heel of your hand. Do not rock your body. Perform alternate cycles of chest compressions (100 compressions per minute in infants and young children; 80-100 compressions per minute in adults) and respirations (20 breaths per minute; 1 breath every 3 seconds). The complete cycle consists of at least 5 chest compressions followed by 1 breath. Check for a pulse and breathing every few minutes.