Emergency Response: First Aid for Common Injuries

Posted on Jan 31, 2025 in Medicine & Health

Cerebral Compression

  1. Call for immediate medical assistance.
  2. Monitor for a deteriorating level of response.
  3. Casualty may lose consciousness.

Chemical Burn

  1. Ventilate the area.
  2. Brush off any dry chemical from the skin.
  3. Flood the burn with water for 20 minutes to disperse and stop the burning.
  4. Remove clothing while flooding the injury.
  5. Monitor the casualty.

Chemical in Eye

  1. Flush with running cold water for 10 minutes.
  2. Ask the casualty to hold a clean pad over the eye.
  3. Send to hospital.

Drowning

  1. Help the person lie down on a rug or coat.
  2. Treat for hypothermia; replace wet clothes with dry ones.
  3. Call for medical assistance and work to restore adequate breathing.

Dehydration

  1. Have the person sit down.
  2. Give them plenty of fluids to drink.
  3. Allow them to rest.
  4. Monitor for dry mouth.

Drug Poisoning

  1. Ask the person what they have taken.
  2. Call for immediate medical assistance.
  3. Keep samples of any vomited material.
  4. Look for evidence of the substance ingested.
  5. Work to maintain breathing and circulation.
  6. Arrange for removal to the hospital.

Electrical Incidents

  1. Break contact with the electricity source.
  2. Alternatively, move the source away from both you and the casualty using wood, plastic, or other dry insulating material.
  3. Perform a primary survey of the casualty.

Eye Wound

  1. Tell the person to keep both eyes still.
  2. Give the casualty a sterile dressing or a clean, non-fluffy pad to cover the affected eye.
  3. Send to hospital to prevent further damage.

Electrical Burn

  1. Make sure that contact with the electricity source is broken.
  2. Flood the injury with cold water.
  3. Gently remove everything from the injured area.
  4. Place a clean plastic bag over the burn.
  5. Call for medical assistance.

Embedded Fishhook

  1. Cut off the fishing line.
  2. Send to hospital. If none is available, try to remove the hook.
  3. Clean and dry the wound and cover it to minimize the risk of infection.

Earache/Toothache

  1. Administer paracetamol.
  2. Use a hot water bottle wrapped in a cloth.
  3. Advise medical attention to relieve the pain.

Foreign Object in a Wound

  1. Control bleeding by applying pressure on either side of the object and raising the area above heart level.
  2. Rolled bandages make good padding.
  3. Send to hospital.

Fractures: Closed

  1. Support the joints above and below the injured area with your hands.
  2. Immobilize with slings.
  3. Place padding around the injury.
  4. Call for medical assistance.
  5. Secure the injured part to an unaffected part of the body.
  6. Treat for shock if necessary.
  7. Monitor the casualty.

Fractures: Open

  1. Cover the wound and apply pressure.
  2. Secure with a bandage.
  3. Immobilize the injured area.
  4. Send to hospital.
  5. Monitor to prevent blood loss, movement, and infection.

Facial Injury

  1. Call for medical assistance.
  2. Have the person sit down.
  3. Ask them to spit out any blood.
  4. Gently place a cold compress on the injury.
  5. Monitor the casualty.

Fractured Pelvis

  1. Help the person lie down on their back with their head supported.
  2. Keep their legs straight and flat.
  3. Place padding between the bony points of the knees and ankles.
  4. Call for medical assistance.
  5. Monitor for inability to walk, pain and tenderness in the region, and difficulty or pain passing urine.

Foot and Toe Injury

  1. Help the person lie down.
  2. Treat the bleeding.
  3. Place a dressing over the wound.
  4. Apply a cold compress.
  5. Place padding around the foot and apply a bandage.
  6. Send to hospital.

Flash Burn to Eye

  1. Ask the person to hold an eye pad against each injured eye.
  2. Send to hospital.
  3. Symptoms: Intense pain.

Frostbite

  1. Have the person put their hands in their armpits.
  2. Move into warmth before you thaw the affected part further.
  3. Warm the affected parts.
  4. Place the affected parts in warm water (40°C).
  5. Administer paracetamol.
  6. Send to hospital.

Foreign Object in Eye

  1. Instruct the person not to rub their eye.
  2. Examine the eye.
  3. Open their eye and pour water to flush out the object.

Foreign Object in Ear

  1. Send to hospital.
  2. Reassure the casualty.
  3. Goals: Prevent further injury, remove a trapped insect.

Foreign Object in Nose

  1. Instruct the person to breathe through their mouth.
  2. Have them try to remove the object themselves.
  3. Send to hospital.
  4. Symptoms: Swelling of the nose.

Fever

  1. Keep the person cool and comfortable.
  2. Give them plenty of cool drinks to replace fluids.
  3. Administer paracetamol.
  4. Monitor the casualty.
  5. Symptoms: Temperature above 37°C, pallor, may feel cold with goose pimples.
  6. Goal: Bring down the fever.