Contents
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For most of us, these situations seem so unreal that it is not worth thinking about them. They are, however, for a time. Until someone needs our help, or worse, we will be in need. If we do not perform one of these simple activities, life – ours, a loved one or a complete stranger – may simply end, although there is a chance that it will not happen. Check what must not be omitted so as not to sentence someone to certain death.
- In various types of accidents, there are actions that, if not taken, are almost tantamount to condemning the victim to death
- It often happens that we do not resuscitate for fear of hurting him, e.g. breaking his ribs
- The rule, however, is simple: the bones will heal and we will not restore the lost life. Reanimation always has the highest priority
- Failure to act in the event of convulsions is also a very dangerous situation. Hitting the head against the ground may fracture the skull, therefore the head should be stabilized quickly – belay or cover; it must not be held rigidly
- More information can be found on the Onet homepage
Stop the hemorrhage
Although we associate scenes of this type primarily with war movies, massive hemorrhages occur more often than we believe. Suffice it to say that hemorrhages are one of the most common causes of death from traffic accidents. However, haemorrhages are not the domain of street events. They can also happen at work, especially when we are in a production plant, during an explosion (e.g. in a gas cylinder), and even in a home garden or on a plot when mowing the grass.
Wounds can be stabbed, cut, lacerated or crushed, and blood flows out of them at different rates. Regardless of the intensity, the bleeding must be stopped as soon as possible.
If blood is flowing massively from the wound on the upper or lower limb, it is best to reach for a tourniquet, which can be used to stop the bleeding in a simple and effective way. If we do not have such a tool, we have to improvise and find something within the range that will fulfill its function. It can be a piece of clothing, such as a tie or a scarf, but it is important that it has the right width (laces or straps will not be appropriate), which we then restrain with something hard, e.g. scissors.
We use a tourniquet to stop a limb hemorrhage. If the hemorrhage came from elsewhere in the body, use a pressure dressingand when we don’t even have a garment. We avoid using materials that may stick to the wound and make its disinfection difficult (e.g. tissues, lignin, cotton wool, etc.).
Dressing materials that are worth having in your first aid kit can be found in Medonet Market.
It is worth remembering that if there is a foreign body in the wound (e.g. a rod, splinter, etc.), it should not be pulled out. Damage the bleeding around the object.
Clear the airways
Providing the victim with free breathing is a key element in providing first aid. It may happen that he has an object in his mouth, which is often the case during choking (e.g. with food, a toy). But In the event of an accident, a “foreign body” is also our own tongue and body fluids: saliva, blood, vomit.
In an unconscious person who is lying on his back, the tongue droops downwards and the lower jaw drops. This can lead to respiratory obstruction. Therefore yes it is important to ensure a patent airway through manual stabilization.
If the head is pointing downwards (this often happens in car accidents, when you are strapped in – the head “hangs” on the chest), it should be tilted and stabilized to allow for free breathing. How to do it? We place one hand on the forehead, and with the fingers of the other hand we grasp the chin, lifting it in such a way that the chin points upwards.
If the victim is unconscious, it is best to keep the victim in a safe positionotherwise (when he is not breathing), after opening the airway and checking his breathing, we immediately proceed to cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
The rest of the article is available under the video.
Resuscitate when the injured is not breathing
It can be a traffic accident, drowning or a heart attack, but also many everyday situations, such as choking or a sting. Cardiac arrest is a medical emergency that must be saved. Ideally, it should be done by a professional such as a paramedic or physician, but it takes too long for them to reach the scene.
The statutory average time of ambulance arrival, from the moment of receiving the notification, is eight minutes in the case of a city with more than 10 thousand. residents and a maximum of 15 minutes outside such a city. But even if the ambulance arrives within five minutes of being called, it is still too long for the injured party – The hypoxic brain begins to die at about four minutes. That is why it is so important to devote the time before the arrival of the ambulance to providing first aid.
Most of us are familiar with its scheme, even if we have never had the opportunity to prove itself in practice or take part in exercises in a first aid course. Despite this, we are afraid of resuscitation. The most common fear is the fear of making a mistake. We are afraid that we will misunderstand the situation, that we will start to resuscitate an unconscious but breathing person, that we will break their ribs, damage their lungs or otherwise harm them.
The rule, however, is simple: the bones will heal, and the lost life will not come back. This also applies when we suspect that the spine may have been injured. Many people are afraid that they will “stick a hand” to someone’s disability, but restraint is only recommended when the injured is breathing (but must be conscious, otherwise the priority is to keep the airways open). Therefore, we always first assess the situation, check the condition of the person, and only then decide whether resuscitation is necessary. This one always has the highest priority.
We do not have to be afraid of the legal consequences. The law is on the side of the rescuer because he acts in good faith when saving a life.
It is worth remembering that if we do not undertake resuscitation of a person who is not breathing, their brain will die in a few minutes (on average, four minutes), and the chance that an ambulance will arrive is negligible.
4. We react when someone is choking
Choking is one of the most terrifying events we can experience almost every day in our own home. Also is a life-threatening situation as the foreign body may cause suffocation if it obstructs the airway. It is estimated that this can happen within two minutes. Lack of reaction on our part as witnesses of the incident is a straightforward way to cardiac arrest in the victim.
What to do when someone is choking? First, we encourage the casualty to cough and only when the cough is ineffective, we proceed to further action.
If the person is conscious, strike five times vigorously between the shoulder blades. When this does not help, we move on to abdominal compression. Stand behind the person who is choking, bend him down, put your arms around him so that one hand rests under his breastbone, put your other hand around his clenched fist, then pull vigorously inward and upward. We perform this activity five times, then alternately strike five times and press the same number of times.
If this does not work, i.e. the victim is unconscious and is not breathing, we proceed to cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
5. Belay and cover your head in case of convulsions
It has been accepted that seizures are a condition experienced by people suffering from epilepsy. However, if you look at the statistics of rescue operations, it turns out that a lot seizures are more common in people who abuse alcohol.
Convulsions may vary in intensity, but often very strong convulsions occur during them, as a result of which the head hits the ground dangerously. Hitting the head against the ground may fracture the skull, therefore the head should be stabilized quickly – belay or cover; it must not be held rigidly.
It is also worth remembering not to put anything in the victim’s mouth. This myth, resulting from the fear that the victim will bite off or swallow their tongue, is unfortunately still alive. Meanwhile, putting any object in his mouth may break his teeth and block his airways.
So what to do in the event of seizures? We belay the head with our hands. If the seizure has passed or is not very intense, the person in convulsions should be unblocked, placed in a safe position and supervised until the seizure stops or the ambulance arrives.
6. Get the child or adult out of the closed car
Tragic reports of children who died on a hot day in a locked car appear almost every summer. These tragedies need not take place. Of course, the most important thing is the common sense of car owners and not leaving living creatures (not only children or adults, but also animals) in the vehicle when parked, especially when the weather conditions are dangerous (high temperature). However, we, as witnesses to the event, can also prevent these dramas.
If we find that someone is locked in the car, we must take action. His condition may indicate hyperthermia (overheating of the body), but it does not have to. The sight of a person locked in a car, especially a minor, is in itself an absolute indication for intervention. We do not need to know how much time the person has already spent in the car or whether the parking air conditioning is on. We do not hesitate, we take rescue measures.
First, we check that the door is not open, and if it is not, we safely break the glass and get the person / animal out of the car. Then we check its condition and, depending on it, take appropriate action (cool down, perform CPR if there is cardiac arrest, etc.).
It is worth remembering that death can also occur in the colder seasons of the year. Then, as a result of prolonged stay in a cool vehicle, hypothermia (hypothermia) can occur, which can also be fatal.
Remember!
Each of us is obliged to provide first aid to the injured person. If we fail to do so, we face criminal liability up to three years imprisonment (this is provided for in Article 162 of the Penal Code). There are only two exceptions: when first aid is too dangerous for us or when the injured person requires urgent medical treatment.
What is important, when giving first aid, we are protected exactly like a public official. In practice, this means that if someone attacks us while we carry out rescue operations, such a person will suffer legal consequences (similar to an attack on, for example, a policeman).
There is one more “consequence” of first aid. It’s the satisfaction of saving someone’s life or, failing that, trying to do so. Being responsible and sensitive to the needs of others is the best reason to look at yourself in the mirror with a clear conscience.
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