VARIOUS INJURIES AND THEIR FIRST AID REQUIRED.

S/N INJURIES FIRST AID REQUIRED

1 Cardiac arrest (the heart is no Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) or using an

longer pumping blood) automated external defibrillator (AED)

2 Bleeding: Blood coming from a  Cover the wound with gauze or a cloth and
vein will ooze or flow but blood apply direct pressure to stop the blood flow.
coming from an artery will spurt.
 Don't remove the cloth.
Arterial bleeding needs to be
controlled as quickly as possible  Add more layers if needed.
because a person can bleed to
death very quickly. Pressure  The cloth will help clots form to stop the
should be applied to any areas of flow.
bleeding.  In most cases, applying a tourniquet may do
more damage to the limb than good.

3 Nosebleeds: cause of a nosebleed  Pinch the nose just below the bridge.
is digital trauma / picking it:
 Don't pinch the nostrils closed by pinching
Lean forward, not back. lower.

 Check after five minutes to see if bleeding

has stopped.

 If not, continue pinching and check after

another 10 minutes.

 You can also apply a cold pack to the bridge

of the nose while pinching.

4 Burns: First-degree burn:

Before you apply treatment to  Only the outer layers of skin are burnt.
burns, you need to identify the
 The skin is red and swollen, and looks similar
burn type and the severity of the
to a sunburn.
burn. There are four kinds of
burns: Second-degree burn:
No matter what caused the burns  Some of the inner layer of skin is burnt.
or how bad they are, stopping the
burn comes before treating the  Look for blistering skin and swelling.
burn  This is usually a very painful type of burn.
Third-degree burn:

 All of the inner layer of skin is burnt. The

wound has a whitish or blackened color.
Some third-degree burns are so deep, there
might not be any pain because the nerve
endings are destroyed.

 Fourth-degree burn: A burn that has

penetrated all tissues up to the tendons and
bones.

 Additionally, there are two kinds of burn

severities: a minor burn and a major burn.

 Minor burn: First-degree burns and mild

second-degree burns.

 Major burn: Moderate second-degree burns

to fourth-degree burns.

 Minor burns don’t usually need extensive

treatment, but you could:

 Run cool water over the afflicted area (avoid

icy or very cold water).

 Don’t break any blisters.

 Apply moisturizer over the area, like aloe

vera.

 Keep the burned person out of sunlight.

 Have the burned person take ibuprofen or

acetaminophen for pain relief.

 Major burns are very serious injuries that

require medical assistance. To help someone
who has suffered from a major burn:

 Do not apply ointments.

 Cover wound with loose materials to prevent

contaminants from infecting it.

 Take ibuprofen or acetaminophen for pain

relief if necessary.

 Do not break any blisters that may have

formed
 .

5 Blisters  Cover it to prevent continued rubbing and

pressure on it that can cause it to swell more
and possibly burst on its own

 Use a sterilized needle and make small

punctures at the edge of the blister
and express the fluid.

 Then apply antibiotic ointment and cover it

to protect it from further rubbing and
pressure.

6 Fractures  Don't try to straighten it.

 Stabilize the limb using a splint and padding

to keep it immobile.

 Put a cold pack on the injury, avoiding placing

ice directly on the skin.

 Elevate the extremity.

 Give anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen

or naproxen

7 Sprains  The symptoms of a sprain are almost exactly

the same as that of a broken bone.

 When in doubt, first aid for sprains should be

the same as broken bones.

 Immobilize the limb,

 Apply a cold pack,

 Elevate it,

 Take anti-inflammatory drugs

 See your doctor for further diagnosis and

treatment.

8 Bee Stings/ Stings  Get the stinger out any way you can to
prevent more venom being delivered. It's a
myth that any particular way is better or
 worse.

 If the person is known to be allergic to bee

stings, use an EpiPen to prevent anaphylaxis
or call the emergency heath line if none is
available.

 Use a cold pack to reduce swelling at the site,

but take care not to cause frostbite.

 Use an antihistamine like Benadryl

(diphenhydramine) to reduce swelling and
itching.

 Try ibuprofen or Tylenol (acetaminophen) for

pain.

 Monitor the person who was stung by signs

of anaphylaxis, including hives, redness or
itching in other areas of the body, and
shortness of breath.

9 Allergic Reactions:  Keep the person calm.

Allergic reactions occur when  Ask if they use an EpiPen and have one with
your body is hypersensitive to a them.
foreign substance. Bee stings,
 Have the person lie on their back.
certain foods, or drug ingredients
can cause allergic reactions  Keep their feet elevated 12 inches.

 Make sure the person’s clothing is loose so

they’re able to breathe.

 Avoid giving them food, drink, or medicine.

 If appropriate, use an EpiPen.

 Wait 5-15 minutes after using an EpiPen, If

the allergic reaction isn’t subdued, a second
dose may be required

 EpiPen, or “epinephrine auto-injector,” is a

small and ergonomic needle that’s used to
inject epinephrine (adrenaline)

10 Heat exhaustion:  Get the person to a shaded area that’s out of

the sun.
CAUSES: exposure to high
temperatures, UNDER strenuous  If there are no shaded areas available, keep
 activities or hasn’t had enough the person covered by any available
water. materials that can block sunlight.

 Give the person water and keep them

hydrated.
Symptoms include:
 Place a cool cloth on their forehead to lower
Cool, moist skin
their body temperature.
Heavy sweating

Dizziness

Weak pulse

Muscle cramps

Nausea

Headaches

11 Hypothermia:  Be gentle with the afflicted person.

CAUSES: prolonged exposure to  Don’t rub their body and don’t move their
cold temperatures. It begins to body in too jarring of a way; this could trigger
occurs when one’s body cardiac arrest.
temperature drops below 95
 Move the person out of the cold, and remove
degrees Fahrenheit.
any wet clothing.
Symptoms of hypothermia
 Cover the person with blankets and use heat
include:
packs.
Shivering
 Don’t apply heat directly to the skin because
Slurred speech or mumbling this could cause major skin damage.

Week pulse  Give the person warm fluids.

Weak coordination

Confusion

Red, cold skin

Loss of consciousness

12 Choking:  If choking is mild:

Mild choking  encourage the person to cough to try to clear

the blockage
If the airway is only partly
blocked, the person will usually  ask them to try to spit out the object if it’s in
be able to speak, cry, cough or their mouth
breathe. In situations like this, a
person will usually be able to  don't put your fingers in their mouth to help
clear the blockage themselves. them because they may accidentally bite you

 If coughing doesn’t work, start back blows

 Stand behind the person and slightly to one

side. Support their chest with one hand. Lean
the person forward so that the object
blocking their airway will come out of their
mouth, rather than moving further down.

 Give up to five sharp blows between the

person’s shoulder blades with the heel of
your hand (the heel is between the palm of
your hand and your wrist).

 Check if the blockage has cleared.

 If not, give up to five abdominal thrusts (see

below).

 Abdominal thrusts shouldn't be used on

babies under one year old, pregnant women
or obese people.

 To perform abdominal thrusts on a person

who is severely choking and isn’t in one of
the above groups:

 Stand behind the person who is choking.

 Place your arms around their waist and bend

them well forward.

 Clench one fist and place it just above the

person's belly button.

 Place your other hand on top of your fist and

pull sharply inwards and upwards.

 Repeat this up to five times.

 If the obstruction doesn't clear after three

cycles of back blows and chest thrusts, dial
the emergency health line to ask for an
ambulance, and continue until help arrives.

 The person choking should always be seen by

a healthcare professional afterwards to check
for any injuries or small pieces of the
 obstruction that remain.

13 Drowning  If someone is in difficulty in water, don't

enter the water to help unless it's absolutely
essential.

 Once the person is on land, if they're not

breathing, open the airway and give five
initial rescue breaths before starting CPR. If
you're alone, perform CPR for one minute
before calling for emergency help.

14 Electric shock (domestic)  If someone has had an electric shock, switch

off the electrical current at the mains to
break the contact between the person and
the electrical supply.

 If you can't reach the mains supply:

 don't go near or touch the person until

you're sure the electrical supply has been
switched off

 once the power supply has been switched

off, and if the person isn't breathing, dial
emergency health line for an ambulance

 Afterwards, seek medical help - unless the

electric shock is very minor.

15 Heart attack (HA)  If HA occurs, sit the individual down and

make them as comfortable as possible, and
Symptoms of a heart attack
call for an ambulance.
include:
 If they're conscious, reassure them and ask
chest pain – the pain is usually
them to take a 300mg aspirin tablet to chew
located in the centre or left side
slowly (unless you know they shouldn't take
of the chest and can feel like a
aspirin – for example, if they're under 16 or
sensation of pressure, tightness
allergic to it).
or squeezing
 If the person has any medication for angina,
pain in other parts of the body –
such as a spray or tablets, help them to take
it can feel as if the pain is
it. Monitor their vital signs, such as
travelling from the chest down
breathing, until help arrives.
one or both arms, or into the jaw,
neck, back or abdomen (tummy)  If the person deteriorates and becomes
unconscious, open their airway, check their
 breathing and, if necessary, start CPR. Re-
alert the emergency services that the
casualty is now in cardiac arrest.

16 Poisoning:  If the person becomes unconscious while

you're waiting for help to arrive, check for
The following advice is important:
breathing and, if necessary, perform CPR.
Find out what's been swallowed,
 Don't perform mouth-to-mouth resuscitation
so you can tell the paramedic or
if the casualty's mouth or airway is
doctor.
contaminated with the poison.
Do not give the person anything
 Don't leave them if they're unconscious
to eat or drink unless a
because they may roll onto their back, which
healthcare professional advises
could cause them to vomit. The vomit could
you to.
then enter their lungs and make them choke.
Do not try to cause vomiting.
 If the casualty is conscious and breathing
Stay with the person, because normally, put them into the recovery position
their condition may get worse and continue to monitor their conscious
and they could become state and breathing.
unconscious.

17 Shock: cause  Seek medical help immediately if you notice

that someone has any of the above signs of
Severe blood loss, severe burns,
shock. If they do, you should:
severe vomiting, a heart attack,
bacterial infection or a severe  dial emergency health line as soon as
allergic reaction (anaphylaxis). possible and ask for an ambulance

Signs of shock include:  treat any obvious injuries

pale, cold, clammy skin  lie the person down if their injuries allow you
to and, if possible, raise and support their
sweating
legs
rapid, shallow breathing
 use a coat or blanket to keep them warm
weakness and dizziness
 don't give them anything to eat or drink
feeling sick and possibly vomiting
 give them lots of comfort and reassurance
thirst
 monitor the person – if they stop breathing,
yawning start CPR and re-alert the emergency services

sighing

18 Stroke:  Call for emergency medical help straight

Symptoms away.

Sudden numbness or weakness in  If you think a person has had a stroke, use
the face, arm, or leg, especially the FAST guide:
on one side of the body
 Facial weakness – is the person unable to
Sudden confusion, trouble smile evenly, or is their eyes or mouth
speaking, or difficulty droopy?
understanding speech
 Arm weakness – is the person only able to
Sudden trouble seeing in one or raise one arm?
both eyes
 Speech problems – is the person unable to
Sudden trouble walking, speak clearly or understand you?
dizziness, loss of balance, or lack
 Time to for emergency help if a person has
of coordination
any of these symptoms
Sudden severe headache with no
known cause