PC-DSD MEDICAL EMERGENCIES GUIDE REVIEW INTRODUCTION The steps a rescuer takes during the first few minutes of a medical emergency are critical -- they can mean the difference between temporary or permanent disability or between life and death. That's why first-aid knowledge and training are so important. They prepare you to intervene caimly and effectively in an emergency. In this review text you'll find easy-to-follow instructions on how to help in a medical emergency. You'll learn what to do and what not to do if you're the first one on the scene. So familiarize yourself with this material before an incident occurs. And keep in mind that reading this information is no substitute for formal instruction and practice. Contact the Red Cross or the American Heart Association to inquire about first-aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation CPR training. Remember,knowing what to do in a medical emergency can make a difference. Before you become a rescuer,be aware of your own sensitivities and limitations.If you are not cut out for hands-on assistance at the scene of a medical emergency,you can still help. The fact that you know how to get help and what to say can make a diffence. It's also important to exercise compassion and understanding for the victim's situation. Your job is to say calm and to reassure the victim without making false promises. Again, thinking ahead about this and the role you might someday have to play will make a difference in ensuring the effectiveness of your assistance. In this review text you will learn four basic steps to follow when you're the first one on the scene. You'll learn how to: 1. Assess the Situation 2. Set Priorities 3. Check the ABC's 4. Administer First Aid for Specific Emergencies. ASSESS THE SITUATION First aid is serious. Dedicate some time to learning how to help. Any time you spend doing this is time well spent,especially if you're ever called upon to help in a medical emergency. Your first step in a medical emergency must be to look around and ask yourself "Is the scene safe for me? "before attempting a rescue. Too often well intentioned rescuers become victims themselves when they risk their safety to help others. Don't think that rushing in will make you a hero. If the area is unsafe,go for help or put on the personal protective equipment that will permit you to assist safely. Protecting yourself from infectious diseases should also be a consideration. Anyone involved in the care of an ill or injured person can be at risk of acquiring an infectious disease, such as hepatitis,meningitis. Identifying a person as having a communicable disease can be difficult or impossible;therefore,rescuers must take protective measures to avoid coming in contact with any of the victim's body fluids (blood,urine,sputum, secretions). Protective measures should also be taken during cleanup and disposal of materials used to treat the victim. SET PRIORITIES After you've determined that it is safe for you to enter the accident area,approach the victim.As you do,look for signs of life. Determine if the victim is breathing. If spine or neck injury is suspected, don't move the victim unless there's a threat of fire,explosion,or other life-threathing danger.Tap the victim on shoulder and ask "Are you OK?" If the victim responds, identify yourself as willing to assist. Find out what is wrong and take steps to help the victim. Treat the more serious injuries first. It's important to stay claim and assure the victim while you're performing first-aid measures. CALLING FOR HELP How you're going to summon help should be another consideration. In most cases, the victim will need some type of emergency medical assistance, be it from emergency medical technicians,the company nurse, or a physician at the hospital. If you're not alone, tell someone else to go for medical assistance while you help the victim. If you are alone, yell for help. If no one comes, don't leave a victim who is in a life threatening condition until you've taken steps to intervene--steps that can keep the victim alive. When you do call Emergency Medical Services EMS, remember that there are certain things a dispatcher will need to know in order to get help to you quickly: The address and location of the accident including cross streets and specific directions to the exact location of the accident. Your name,phone number,and the number of nearby phone. A description of what happened and how many people need help.It's also a good idea to check the victim's wrist and neck for a medical alert tag and to report what it says to the dispatcher. Stay on the phone until the dispatcher tells you it's okay to hangup up. Remain calm and listen carefully--the dispatcher may give you valuable first-aid instructions for helping the victim help arrives. If the victim doesn't respond, check the ABC's. A- airway B- breathing C- circulation Doing this is crucial if there's a chance the victim isn't breathing or the heart has stopped. Certain life sustaining techniques may be required. These are discussed below. If breathing has ceased,you must first check the victim's airway for obstruction. If the airway is clear but the victim still isn't breathing you'll have to begin artificial ventilation (mouth-to-mouth breathing). Next, It's important to check circulation. If the victim's heart has stopped pumping blood(cardiac arrest), CPR must be administered by a qualified person. Irreparable brain damage can begin 4 to 6 minutes after respiratory and cardiac arrest. Cardiac arrest can strike the young as well as the old and may be caused by many conditions, including heart attack, suffocation, allergic reaction, drowning, choking,or electric shock. CPR involves the use of artificial ventilation and external chest compressions. During CPR, the rescuer maintains a steady flow of oxygen and blood for the victim, whose lungs and heart have stopped functioning. CHECK THE ABC's Here's how to check the ABC's: DO NOT = X Do not move the victim if you suspect a back or neck injury unless to restore breathing or circulation- and then only move the person as a unit. X Do not tilt the head back to open airway of a victim with a possible neck injury; just use chin lift technique. X Do not use your thumb to feel for a victim's pulse. A-Open the Airway (chin-lift maneuver) WHAT TO 1. Roll victim onto back, keeping length of the body aligned. DO If a back or neck injury is suspected, make sure neck and back are kept straight to avoid further injury to the spine. 2. The most common cause of airway obstruction is the tongue. To keep the airway open, place one hand on the victim's forehead and put the fingers of your other hand under the bony part of the chin. Press down on the forehead and lift out the chin so that the mouth is slightly open. If you suspect a spinal injury, do not tilt the head back; perform chin lift only. 3. If an obstruction to the airway is visible in the back of the mouth and the person is unconscious, remove the object with with your finger. Never place your fingers in the mouth of a conscious or semiconscious individual. B-Checking for Breathing 1. Place your ear above victim's mouth and nose. Listen and feel for air. Watch for the victim's chest to rise and fall for 3 to 5 seconds. 2. If the victim isn't breathing,start artificial ventilation (mouth-to-mouth breathing). MOUTH -TO-MOUTH BREATHING Pinch the victim's nose to close nostrils, keeping the airway open by the chin-lift maneuver. Take a deep breath and seal your lips around the outside of the victim's mouth, creating an airtight seal. Give the victim two full breaths, taking your lips off victim's mouth to inhale between each breath. Check for chest rising and falling with each breath you give. The rising of the chest during your exhalations indicates the effectiveness of your ventilation. C- Check for Circulation 1. With your finger, gently feel the carotid artery on victim's neck for at least 5 and and no more than 10 seconds to find pulse. To find the carotid artery, put two fingers on the victim's Adam's apple larynx. Slide your fingers to the side and direct them into the groove between the windpipe and the muscle at the side of the neck. This is where the carotid artery is located. Gently feel for a pulse. If PULSE IS PRESENT BUT THERE IS NO BREATHING - Continue artificial ventilation at a rate of one breath every 5 seconds until breathing is restored or help arrives. IF NO PULSE IS PRESENT - CPR is necessary. PRINCIPLES OF CPR CPR should be administered by a trained person, If you decide to enroll in a CPR course, here's part of what you'll learn: The following instructions our for one rescuer conducting CPR on an adult victim. For CPR to work, the victim should be lying flat on a firm surface with head at same level as the heart. To perform chest compressions when there is no no pulse, kneel facing the victim's chest. Using the hand nearest the victim's legs, locate the lower tip of the victim's breast bone. Run your fingers along the victim's rib cage to the notch where the ribs meet the breastbone in the center of the lower chest. With middle finger on notch, place the heel of the other hand next to the index finger above the notch. Place hand directly over notch. Inter wine fingers of both hands and pull upward and back, with heel of lower hand firmly in place. With shoulders back, straighten your arms, lean directly over the person, and lock your elbows. Use Straight-down pressure through both arms to push breastbone down toward the spine. Depress breastbone 1 1/2 to 2 inches. Release pressure after each compression, but don't let hands come off the person's chest. Do not pause between compressions. The compressions should be smooth, regular, and uninterrupted. Compression and relaxation time should be equal. After 15 compressions, breath twice into the victim's mouth. Perform this 15-to-2 cycle 4 times, then check breathing and pulse carefully. If no pulse is felt, continue CPR until the person is revived, until help arrives, or until you can no longer continue. If there is a pulse, but breathing is weak or absent, continue ventilation only at a rate of once every 5 seconds until the person revives. Continue to monitor pulse and breathing until help arrives.!! Thank you