Signs & symptoms

• This shock may occur within a few seconds to minutes.
• His chest feel tight and will have difficulty in breathing.
• His face may swell up.
• He may become unconscious.

Treatment

• Remove the sting
• If he develops shock, lay him on his back. Raise the feet, keep, the head low and turn him one side if he vomits.
• Keep him warm using blanket or rug
• Loosen tight clothing around the neck and waist.
• Do not give anything to drink/eat
• Shift him to the hospital

Foreign body in eye

Wings of insects, coal dust from steam engines, metal pieces from lathes, loose eye lashes get lodged under the eyelids. They may get lodged in the eye ball also.

Management

• A void rubbing the eye.
• Seat the casualty so that light falls on the eye. Pull the lower lid down if the F.B (Foreign Body) is floating, remove it with a narrow moist swab or corner of hand kerchief twisted to a fine point.
• If the foreign body is under the upper eye lid, ask the casualty to keep clean water in the hand and blink briskly in the water.

If unsuccessful

• Pull the upper lid forward and upward (fold) then using moist swab remove the foreign body.

Embedded foreign body

• If the foreign body is embedded in the eye particularly at the cornea (the black of the eye) do not touch it, apply a soft pad bandage to the eye and take the casualty to the hospital.

Penetrating foreign body

•  Apply the pad; take the casualty to the hospital.
• When corrosive acid, alkali or juices from plants are suspected, blink the eyelids under water a number of times or flushing the eye using water is the best first aid.
• Then apply the pad and take the casualty to the hospital.

To know more about first aid click here

Read more on World health organisation’s tips on  Medical kit and toilet items

K K Pradeep
Tejus crisis and Trauma Foundation

The post Bites from bees- What can be done as a first aid for insect stings? appeared first on Health Vision.

A burn is an injury caused by

• Dry Heat – fire / a piece of hot metal
• Electric Burn – High tension wire
• Friction – Contact with revolving wheel / object.
• Corrosive Burn –

Acids – Hydrochloric Acid, Sulfuric Acid

Alkaline– Strong Ammonia

Scald- is an injury caused by moist heat, such as boiling water, steam, hot oil/tar.

Effects of burn /scalds

• Reddening of skin – blister formation and destruction of the skin.
• Pain is very severe
• Burns leads to shock when burn is severe – septic infection.

Treatment

• Handle the casualty after washing your hands
• Avoid handling the affected area more than necessary
• Do not use lotion of any kind
• Do not remove / lift burnt clothing and do not break blisters
• Cover the area with neat & clean cloth
• Bandage firmly / if blister is present bandage lightly
• Immobile the affected area.

Degrees of burns

• I Degree – burn causes epidermal (surface layer of skin) injury with redness of the skin
• II Degree – burn causes partial destruction of dermise (inner layer of skin below epidermise) with damage to the epidermis giving rise to blister formation.
• III Degree – burn causes complete epidermal and dermal (inner layer of skin below epidermise) destruction and may extend even deeper.

Management of major burns

• Remove the patient to hospital as quickly as possible
• Nothing by mouth be given, as patient may require anaesthesia
• Any burns more than 30% needs hospitlisation.

Management- burns caused by corrosive chemicals

Acids

• Thoroughly flood the affected part with water
• Bathe the part freely with an alkaline solution (2 tsp of baking soda or washing soda in 1 pint of warm water.)
• Remove the contaminated cloth as quickly as possible

Alkaline

• Thoroughly flood the affected part with water
• Bathe the part freely with a weak acid solution
• Lime Juice
• Vinegar with equal amount of water
• Remove the contaminated cloth as quickly as possible
• Do not rub the affected eye/nor the other eye.

Helping a person whose clothes have caught fire

• Put out the flame either by using drinking water or any readily available water to douse the flame. Water cools the area & lessens the damage.

Or

• Wrap tightly with any piece of cloth, rug or coat.

Or

• Role on the floor and put of the fire.
• Do not allow the person to run about – more oxygen – more burn.

Management of minor burns

• Do not remove the clothing unnecessarily
• Do not open blisters.
• Cleanse the area with clean water
• Submerge/dip the burnt area in cold water
• Apply solution of salt and water
• Cover with dry dressing
• Do not apply any greasy substances
• Give warm drinks.
• Shift the casualty to the Hospital

Read more on World health organisation’s tips on  Medical kit and toilet items

To know more about first aid click here

K K Pradeep
Tejus crisis and Trauma Foundation

The post First aid for – Burns & Scalds appeared first on Health Vision.

Choking

Treatment:

•  Remove the food or loose teeth struck at throat using finger. Encourage coughing.
• If this fails, the victim has to bend over with head lower than the chest. Slap him between the shoulder blades using heel of the hand.
• If this fails, stand behind him clench your fist and put the thumb inward between the navel and bottom of the breast bone.
• Hold your fist with other hand, pull towards you with a quick upward and inward thrust from the elbows.
• Repeat up to 5 times.

Drowning

Drowning is the result of complete immersion of the nose and mouth in water. Water enters the windpipe and lungs, clogging the lungs completely.

Treatment:

• Act quickly. Remove sea weeds and mud from the nose and throat Start artificial respiration.
• Turn the victim face down with head to one side and arms stretched beyond his head, raise the middle part of the body with your hands round the belly. This to cause water to drain out of lungs.
• Remove wet clothes, keep the body warm
• Shift the casaulty to the Hospital as quickly as possible.

Fainting

Unconsciousness which may be sudden or the casualty may feel giddy and limp before fall. This common incident is due to an insufficient supply of blood to the brain – due to fall in blood pressure (unpleasant sight, a fright or bad news can also causes fainting)

The warning signs are

• A person may become pale
• He may yawn frequently
• Skin is cold and damp
• Beads of sweat appear on the face, neck and hands.

Treatment

• Get the head quickly to the ground, legs up so that circulation of blood to the brain increases. See that there is plenty of fresh air.
• Loosen the clothing around the neck, waist and chest. 1901   Give tea/coffee to drink

Epilepsy

Treatment

• Remove any objects against which he might injure himself.
• Place the handle of a spoon or other hard object wrapped in a hand kerchief between his back teeth to prevent the casualty from tongue biting
• Wipe away the froth from the mouth

Read more on World health organisation’s tips on  Medical kit and toilet items

To know more about first aid click here

K K Pradeep
Tejus crisis and Trauma Foundation

The post Remember these first aid to help the victim – Choking, Drowning, Fainting and Epilepsy appeared first on Health Vision.