St John Ambulance Stampin First Aid

Nosebleed

2008-08-06T22:12:00.000-07:00

Bleeding from nose happens when tiny blood vessels inside the nostrils are rupture. This can happen as a result of a blow to the nose, sneezing, picking or blowing of nose. Nosebleeds may also occur as a result of high blood pressure.

Nosebleed can be dangerous when the casualty loses a lot of blood. If nosebleed is caused by head injury, the blood is usually watery and thin. The latter is a very serious sign as it indicated that the skull is fractured and fluid is leaking from around the brain.

Treatment

1. Ask the casualty to sit down and tilt her head forward to allow the blood to drain from the nostrils.

Picture courtesy of www.cprflorida.net

2. Ask the casualty to breath using her mouth as this can also bring a calming effect. Have the casualty to pinch the soft part of the nose. Reassure and help him if necessary.

3. Tell the casualty to keep pinching her nose. Advise her not to speak, swallow, cough, spit, or sniff because these actions may disturb blood clots that have formed in the nose.

4. After 10 minutes, tell the casualty to release the pressure. If the bleeding still continues, tell her to reapply the pressure for another two periods of 10 minutes.

5. Once the bleeding has stopped, clean the casualty's nose with lukewarm water while the casualty is still leaning forward.

6. Advise the casualty to rest quietly for a few hours. Tell her to avoid any nose blowing because this action could disturb clots inside the nose.

Note:

-If the nosebleed is severe, or if it lasts longer than 30 minutes in total, send the casualty to hospital in the treatment position.

Heart Attack

2008-07-10T17:49:00.000-07:00

A heart attack is most commonly caused by a sudden obstruction of the blood supply to part of the heart muscle. For example, because of a clot in a coronary artery (coronary thrombosis). Worst come to worst, the heart will stop beating.

Drugs such as aspirin, and medications that dissolve the clot, are used to limit the extent of damage to the heart muscle.

Ways to identify

Persistent, vice-like central chest pain, often spreading to the jaw and down one or both arms.
Breathlessness, and discomfort occurring high in the abdomen.
Collapse.
Sudden faintness and dizziness.
A rapid, weak or irregular pulse.
Profuse sweating.
Extreme gasping for air

Treatment

1. Make the casualty as comfortable as possible to ease the strain on his heart. A half-sitting position, with the casualty's head and shoulders well supported and his knees bent, is often best.

Images courtesy of http://www.dkimages.com/discover/Home/Health-and-Beauty/First-Aid/Unassigned/General-080.html

2. Call for ambulance. State that you suspect a heart attack. If the casualty asks you to do so, call his own doctor as well.

3. If the casualty is fully conscious, give him a full-dose (300mg) aspirin tablet and advise him to chew it slowly.

4. If the casualty has medicine for angina, such as tablets or a pump-action or aerosol spray, help him to take it. Encourage the casualty to rest.

5. Constantly monitor and record vital signs - level of response, pulse, and breathing - until help arrives.

6. If the casualty becomes unconscious, commence DR.ABC.

Hyperventilation

2008-07-09T21:56:00.000-07:00

Hyperventilation (excessive breathing) is a manifestation of acute anxiety and may accompany a panic attack. It may occur in susceptible individuals who have recently experienced an emotional or psychological shock.

Hyperventilation will cause abnormal loss of carbon dioxide from the blood, leading the chemical changes within the blood.

What causes them?

Casualty recently experienced an emotional or psychological shock.

Ways to identify

Unnaturally fast, deep breathing.
Attention-seeking behaviour
Dizziness or faintness
Trembling or marked tingling in the hands
Cramps in the hand and feet

Treatment

1. When speaking to the casualty, be firm but kind and reassuring.

2. If possible, lead the casualty away to a quiet place where she may be able to regain control of her breathing more easily and quickly. If this is not possible, ask any bystanders to leave.

3. If the casualty failed to regain control of her breathing, ask her to rebreathe her own exhaled air from a paper bag. Tell her to breathe in and out slowly, using the bag, about 10 times and then breathe without the bag for 15 seconds. She should continue on with this cycle until the need to breathe rapidly has passed.

Image courtesy of www.bachfloweradvice.com

4. Encourage the casualty to see her doctor about preventing and controlling panic attacks in the future.

**The End**

All the information above are from First Aid Manual 8th Edition.

Shock

2008-07-06T20:03:00.000-07:00

Shock is a life-threatening condition which occurs when circulatory system (which distributes oxygen to the body tissues and removes waste products) fails. Thus, immediate treatment is required to prevent permanent organ damage and death.

What causes them?

Severe blood loss.
Overwhelming infection
lack of certain hormones
Low blood sugar(hypoglycaemia)
Hypothermia
Severe allergic reaction (anaphylactic shock)
Spinal cord injury

Ways to identify:

A rapid pulse
Pale, cold, clammy skin; sweating
Nausea, and vomiting
Thirst
Rapid, shallow breathing
Restlessness and aggressiveness
Unconsciousness

Treatment:
1. Treat any possible cause of shock that you can detect, such as severe bleeding.

2. Lay the casualty down on a blanket to insulate her from the cold ground. Constantly reassure her.

3. Raise and support her legs to improve the blood supply to vital organs. However, be careful if you suspect a fracture.

Picture courtesy of http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/imagepages/17231.htm

4. Loosen tight clothing at the neck, chest, and waist to reduce constriction in these areas.

5. Keep the casualty warm by covering her body and legs with coats or blanks. Call for an ambulance.

6. Monitor and record vital signs - level of response, pulse, and breathing. If the person becomes unconscious, open airway and check breathing. Turn the victim's head to one side if neck injury is not suspected.

**The End**

All the information above are from First Aid Manual 8th Edition.

Cramp

2007-09-28T22:37:00.000-07:00

Cramps are painful spasms that occur during or immediately after activity. During a muscle cramp, the muscle goes into a hard and contracted state that you cannot voluntarily relax. Exercise-induced muscle cramps may well cause an athlete to temporarily stop what they are doing, but cramps generally have no serious long-term consequences.

What causes them?

overexertion
failing to stretch adequately before exercise
extreme hot or cold
dehydration
salt imbalances after sweating
low blood sugar

The most prevalent cause of muscle cramps appears to be overexertion, either exercising for a longer duration than normal or at a higher intensity. This is why cramps are common at the end of a long or strenuous activity, such as a marathon, or after a particularly high-intensity exercise, such as a sprint. Despite the fact that the risk factors are known, the exact cause of cramping is not well understood. One theory is that muscle cramps occur when muscles are shortened and repeatedly stimulated without being stretched.

Treatment :

Take the cramped foot in your hands. Elevate your foot on a pillow to the level of your waist.
Slowly, but firmly, move it in the opposite direction of the cramped position.
Spread some deep heat cream generously over the area and gently massage it for 5 to 10 minutes
Rest and stay off your foot. Give the muscle, tendon or nerve mass time to heal.
You can also give the casualty drink fluids, preferably a sports drink. An electrolyte imbalance can be the cause of muscle spasms, so rehydrating with an electrolyte sports drink can help restore balance.

How to prevent Cramps :

Don’t take salt tablets as it may cause dehydration, nausea and vomiting.
Before you begin and during the course of the exercise drink plenty of water.
Warm up before exercise. Working a cold muscle can cause cramping and injury.

***The End***

Arm Sling

2007-09-07T22:51:00.000-07:00

Triangular bandages are normally made of cotton and cut in the shape of a triangle. This type of bandage can be applied in two ways. Fully opened this type of bandage can be used as an arm sling. The triangular can also be used as a cravat. A binder placed around a victim¡¦s body to stabilize an injured arm in a sling, or to hold splints in place. It may be applied evenly over a dressing to supply pressure to a wound as well.

Ok, let us start our first lesson.

Stuation :
A boy fell from a tree, he injured his arm.

Treatment :

Approach the injured person and make sure that the surroundings are clear and safe.
If the injured person is conscious, ask him how the injury occurred, how badly it hurts, and if he or she thinks it's broken. The higher the impact and the worse it hurts, the more likely it is that there's a fracture.
Feel the area gently: Does the injured person react sensitively to your touch? Note if the pain is especially acute in one very small area (called "point tenderness"). Does it feel unstable? Are the surrounding muscles spasmodic? If so, there may be a fracture.
If he is unconsious, get a look at the injury: Look for discoloration, swelling, ease of movement, "joints" where there shouldn't be any, and differences from the equivalent (uninjured) body part on the other side of the person's body. These are signs of a fracture.
Assuring the signs and symptoms of the injury , apply ARM SLING to the boy.

Tips & Warnings :

Be extremely careful and gentle when touching the injured area. Fractures are very painful and can be made worse if handled carelessly.

ARM SLING

Splint the injury
Put a wad of clothing, or some other soft material, into the injured person's hand to maintain it in a functional position.
Gather at least two triangular bandages.
Orient one of the bandages so that the point opposite the long side of the triangle is pointing toward the same side of the injured person as the injured arm is on.

Keeping the elbow flexed at 90 degrees, position the arm so that the forearm is at a 30-degree angle to the ground, with the hand higher than the elbow.

Cradle the arm into the triangular bandage.
Pull the half of the bandage that is furthest from the injured person up and over the same side of the neck as the injury.
Pull the half of the bandage that is closer to the injured person up and over the opposite side of the neck from the injury.

Tie the two ends of the bandage together behind the neck.
Swathe the arm by first folding the other triangular bandage over several times: Start by folding the point opposite the long side so that it touches the long side.
Repeat folding in this direction until you have a long piece of cloth 3-4 inches wide.

Pull the bandage around the person: under the armpit opposite the injured arm on one side, over the injured arm on the other side. The bandage should be parallel to the ground.

Tie the ends of the bandage together.

Tips & Warnings :

You can use folded-over bandannas instead of triangular bandages. Or you could cut a bandanna in two, making two triangular bandages.
Make sure the elbow is contained in the sling; otherwise the arm may slide out of the sling. To do this, you may need to safety-pin the dangling elbow-end of the bandage to the rest of the sling.
If, however, leaving the elbow free is less painful for the injured person, then leave it free.
If you have more than two triangular bandages, you can use them to further secure the arm in place.
Be careful not to cover the fingers. They need to be accessible so that you can regularly check circulation, sensation and motion.
Don't tie the sling too tight. This could cut off circulation.
If sensation in the pinkie and ring finger diminishes, you may need to pad the elbow to relieve pressure on the nerves. Do so carefully, minimizing movement.

***THE END***

First Aid Kit

2007-09-07T20:54:00.000-07:00

What is first aid kit? A first aid kit is a collection of supplies and equipment for use in giving first aid, particularly in a medical emergency. First aid kit should be organised, properly stocked and available at all times. It’s a good idea to keep a range of first aid kits handy, for example in the home, in the car and at work.

These are the basic things that a first aid kit should have :

triangular bandages
crepe bandages
gauze dressings
elastic bandages
plasters
disposable gloves
adhesive plasters/tapes
sterilized forceps
sterilized scissors
sterilized kidney plates
Dettol
antiseptic cream
deep heat rubbing cream
EyeMo ( eye cleanser )
water
pencil and notepad
safety pin
torchlight

Kriteria-kriteria Bagi Seorang Pemberi Pertolongan Cemas

2007-08-23T07:22:00.000-07:00

Pertolongan cemas merupakan satu kemahiran yang berasaskan pengetahuan, pengalaman, dan latihan. Justeru, kita seharusnya memahami konsep-konsep yang diajar dalam kemahiran tersebut dan menggunakannya dengan bijaksana. Di bawah adalah kriteria-kriteria yang perlu ada dalam seorang pemberi pertolongan cemas semasa dia memberi rawatan.

menilai keadaan di sekeliling adalah selamat dengan hati yang tenang serta pantas dan kemudian meminta bantuan yang sewajarnya.
mengenal pasti seboleh mungkin kecederaan pada mangsa itu.
memberi rawatan yang sesuai kepada mangsa itu serta memberi penerangan yang diberi kepada mangsa itu walaupun dia sedar atau pengsan.
memastikan mangsa itu dihantar ke hospital untuk rawatan yang selanjutnya oleh pakar medik.

Apakah itu Pertolongan Cemas?

2007-08-17T01:23:00.000-07:00

Pertolongan cemas ditakrifkan sebagai bantuan permulaan atau rawatan pertama yang diberikan kepada seseorang mangsa dalam sebarang kemalangan sebelum ketibaan ambulans atau pakar medik.

Sebelum ketibaan pakar medik, orang yang memberi pertolongan cemas hendaklah

menyelamatkan nyawa,
mengehadkan kesan-kesan kecederaan dan
menggalakkan pemulihan.

Welcome To The First Aid Section

2007-08-16T22:27:00.000-07:00

This is the new section for the members of St John Ambulance to learn more about first aid. The SJAStampin team will update this website once a week so stay tune for more updates !!!