Emergency First Aid: Essential Techniques and Treatments
First Aid: Essential Standards and Techniques
Remain calm and act promptly. If an accident occurs, assess the scene. Note the number and severity of injuries, and quickly scan the area for sources of danger or gas. Leave the wounded lying on their back, although this may vary according to their condition (e.g., bleeding). Manage the casualty with caution. Examine the wounded thoroughly for fractures, shock, burns, etc. Only do what is essential. Keep the patient warm with blankets or jackets. Do not give water to an unconscious person. Reassure the patient.
Trauma and Wounds
Wounds are injuries involving a break in the skin. They are classified into three types:
- Sharp: Open wounds caused by an object penetrating the skin without cutting, often appearing circular.
- Incised: Resulting from a clean cut, these wounds are linear and deep.
- Blunt: In addition to skin rupture, damage appears around the wound. There are several types:
- Simple: No loss of substance.
- Stellate: Different converging lines.
- Concordant: A point remains in union with others.
- Avulsion: A significant portion of tissue is torn away.
When an injury occurs, bleeding can become complicated as blood leaves the body. There are three types of bleeding:
- Arterial: Very dangerous, with blood moving or jumping in spurts.
- Venous: Blood flows more slowly and smoothly.
- Capillary: Blood appears in the form of drops (sheet-like).
Treatment for minor wounds is simple, often requiring only a bandage. For major wounds, act above the wound to inhibit bleeding and prevent infection. In extreme cases, tourniquets may be used, although these can produce ischemia (lack of oxygen below the cut).
Fractures
A fracture is the lack of continuity of bone, caused by trauma, shock, or overload.
Classification
- Closed: Intact skin but loss of functionality.
- Open: The bone is exposed outside the skin.
- Complete: Bone is separated from the other, producing crepitus (a grating sensation).
- Incomplete: Affects only part of the bone.
Symptoms
Except for spontaneous fractures (e.g., osteoporosis), symptoms include pain, edema (inflammation), immobility, limb deformity, and crepitus.
Infection: Occurs when there is contamination in the wound due to the introduction of a foreign body.
Dislocations
Dislocations occur when bones adopt abnormal positions. They often involve ligament injuries. Symptoms include severe pain, abnormal position, and inability to move the limb.
Sprains
Sprains involve the bone temporarily leaving its cavity but then returning, unlike dislocations. Symptoms include pain and swelling. Treatment involves applying cold, immobilizing the area, and seeking medical attention.
Lesions: Burns and Other Injuries
Burns
Burns result from exposing a body part to a heat source. If the injury is caused by boiling liquid, it is called a scald.
Classification by Depth
- First-degree: Affects the epidermis (superficial).
- Second-degree: Affects the dermis and epidermis, sometimes reaching the cellular tissue.
- Third-degree: Affects the muscle and other tissues.
Symptoms
First-degree burns present with erythema (redness), pain, warmth, and blisters. Third-degree burns result in necrosis (death of the affected area) and less pain than first-degree burns, with a risk of infection.
Frostbite
Caused by cold exposure, frostbite can lead to hypothermia at a general level. Localized frostbite can be severe enough to require amputation.
Electrical Burns
Electrical burns occur when electricity passes through the body, such as from touching an electrical socket. They can affect part or all of the body.
Sunstroke
Sunstroke results from the sun’s rays affecting the head. Symptoms include pain, redness of the white area of the eye, spasms, and fever. Treatment involves administering cold liquids, applying cold compresses to the forehead, and sometimes using cold showers.
Accidents Caused by Foreign Bodies
- Nose: Common in young children who may insert parts of toys.
- Pharynx: Usually caused by eating fish, where bones can get stuck in the throat.
- Trachea: Infrequent but dangerous, as it can obstruct the airway, leading to drowning or suffocation.
- Ears: Common in children, causing dizziness, ringing, coughing, and decreased hearing.
- Eye: If a foreign object can be removed with a clean tissue, do so. Otherwise, seek medical attention for removal.
- Skin: After removing a foreign object from the skin, the area must be cleaned and covered.
Poisoning
Poisoning can result from poisonous elements, bites (e.g., scorpion or snake), or ingesting indigestible substances.
Emergencies: Fainting and Shock
Fainting
Fainting is a momentary loss of consciousness due to a lack or alteration of oxygen in the blood vessels. Symptoms include paleness, weakness, cold sweat, and falling to the ground. Treatment involves laying the person down and elevating their legs.
Shock
Shock is more serious than fainting, involving a significant, total, and lasting loss of consciousness. Symptoms include suppression of reflexes, weak pulse, shallow breathing, sunken eyes, paleness, cold skin, seizures, and a dropped jaw.
Classification by Cause
- Traumatic: Caused by trauma (e.g., rupture).
- Hypovolemic: Caused by major bleeding.
- Anaphylactic: Caused by an accumulation of toxic products in the blood.
Urgency Techniques
Mouth-to-Mouth Resuscitation
Place the patient on their back. The rescuer kneels beside the patient, placing one hand under the patient’s neck and the other on their forehead. Pinch the nose closed with the thumb and index finger, leaving the mouth open. Inhale deeply and seal your mouth over the patient’s, providing breaths. Allow the patient to exhale passively.
Cardiac Massage
Cardiac massage is performed when the heart stops and mouth-to-mouth resuscitation is ineffective. It should only be done when the heart has completely stopped. Place the patient on a hard surface, lying on their back with arms along the body. The rescuer places one hand on top of the other over the patient’s sternum. With arms outstretched, perform compressions at a rate of approximately one per second. Alternate 30 compressions with 2 breaths of mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.