African Hope Learning Centre

Staff First Aid course August 2012

First Aid Definition

• First aid is the temporary or immediate care given to a sick or injured person.

• First aid is used – To lessen pain– To prevent an injury from getting worse– To stop bleeding– To help a person be ready to transfer to a hospital

• Sometimes First Aid can save a person’s life.

When you find a sick person, you need to work out what is most

important to do first.

What do I do if I find a sick person?

FOLLOW THE LETTERS:

DRS ABC

• D anger? Will I be in danger helping them?

• R esponse? No response? Then follow the steps below:

• S end for Help! Get someone to find help.

• A irway. Put them on their side. Clear their airway quickly.

• B reathing. Roll them on their back. If they are breathing look to see what injuries they have.

• C irculation. If they are not breathing, they need CPR. We will not learn CPR today.

CPRWe are not doing CPR today, but if you are

interested in learning, please talk to me later.

What are some dangers?• Electricity. HIV-AIDS. Traffic. Angry people, drowning....

How can I get a response?• Talking, gently shaking shoulder, knuckles on their Chest,

pressing finger nails.

What is our plan to send for help?• Ambulance? Doctor? Person trained in first aid and CPR?

Why do we have to be so careful when we turn the person?• If there is a risk of Spinal (back) injuries

CHILD/ADULT CHOKING:

• Tell the person to relax and try to cough up food.• If they can not, bend them forward, (put child over your lap) and give them 5 hard smacks to their upper back. Check after each smack, if food has come out.• If still not out, give them 5 chest thrusts, one hand on back, one on chest bone, slowly push hard with heels of your hands.• If still not out, continue the above and take person to hospital.

BABY CHOKING:(under 1 year old)

If a baby is choking, it may have noisy breathing, be coughing, or silent - not breathing at all. • Put baby facing down on your arm, open babys mouth.• Give it 5 smacks to the middle of baby’s upper back.• Check mouth after each one, if still stuck, send for help fast.• Lie baby down on table, put two fingers on baby’s chest and give 5 sharp pushes, checking mouth.• If baby becomes unconscious, baby needs CPR fast.

If DRS ABC is finished, there are many other things you can do to provide more First Aid, and maybe save a life:

Look for:• Bleeding• Signs of Shock (we will cover this today)• Burns• Pain • Other injuries • Ways to make the person comfortable

BLEEDING:

1. Find the wound. Press on the wound with a pad (ask person to if they can). Push edges of wound together.

2. Lie the person down, and raise the bleeding part above heart (if arms or legs).

3. Put firm bandage over pad and wound. Do not make bandage so tight blood can’t get to body.

4. If pad becomes wet through, leave it on wound, and put another pad over the top.

5. Get help if required. .

BLEEDING:

A LOT of BLEEDING can kill a person. After DRS ABC, this is a very important First Aid activity. The best way to stop bleeding, is to keep pressure

on a wound, from you holding it, and then a bandage. Don’t just pat it dry. Press and hold dressing until bandage on.

SHOCK:

SHOCK is the name for a sudden drop in blood flow through the body. There can be many causes, not just heavy bleeding, also heart problems, bad burns and poisoning. Untreated SHOCK can kill people.

Signs of SHOCK: fast pulse, fast breathing, cold & wet skin, dizziness, feeling sick, pale skin/fingernails.

You may not see all of these at first – but if a person has been hurt, they may start to have these after some time. This is an emergency get to HOSPITAL!

SHOCK TREATMENT:(While you are waiting for help)....

Treat any cause of shock you can see – try to stop very bad bleeding, etc. Don’t leave the patient alone at all.Talk to the patient, encourage them. Lie the person down and put their legs up high so blood flows to their heart and brain. (Unless legs broken, or snake bite).Loosen tight clothing, make patient warm with a blanket.Give patient frequent little drinks of water (unless they have a stomach injury).Lie person on their side if they vomit, or are unconscious.

BURNS:

First quickly put fire out. How? Stop/drop/roll with blanket or jacket etc. If burn is from hot liquid,

immediately take hot wet clothing off so it does not continue to burn person.

When hospital is needed:• If burn on face, throat, genitals (private parts) or

hands.• If burn is deep. • If patient very badly burned (start treating for SHOCK

and get to hospital).

BURNS CARE (2):

1. Put all burns under cold running water for 20 minutes. DON’T put ICE on burns. Remove clothing/ jewellry from around wound.

2. DO NOT put any creams on the burn. DO NOT touch the burn or pop blisters. DO NOT remove clothes stuck to the burn.

3. Cover the burn with a non-stick dressing – like aluminium foil or plastic wrap. (A pad will stick).

BROKEN BONES:

Signs of Broken Bones:PainDifficulty MovingLoss of powerChange in appearanceSwellingBruising

BROKEN BONES CARE (2):

First Aid:•FIRST: DRS ABC and check for bleeding•THEN check for broken bones.•Keep person still.•Make a soft SPLINT to keep the leg/arm still (can do with newspaper). Bandage splint to body, and make it secure.•Check bandages are not too tight or loose every 15 minutes.

BROKEN BONES CARE (3):

For mild sports injuries, like a sprained (not broken) arm or leg, use this First Aid:• REST – arm/leg for a few days• ICE – apply wrapped ice packs 48 hours. Use for 20 minutes then leave off for 20 minutes.• Pressure – use a firm bandage (not too tight).• Elevate – lift up leg on pillows or arm in a sling.

HEAT STROKE:

HEAT STROKE is life threatening. Signs:•Mild Sickness: Feeling hot, tired, thirsty, headache, faint, cool-wet skin, grumpy.•This can become Heat Stroke: with fast breathing, fast-weak pulse, temp. >40C. •This can then lead to confusion, seizures and unconsciousness.

HEAT STROKE (2) CARE:

HEAT STROKE must be treated fast:If mild: remove excess clothing, lie down, give lots of water, sponge with cool water. If Heat Stroke: give lots of cold water to drink, put ice packs on armpits, neck and groin (where blood gets cooled quickest), cover with wet sheet. Get to hospital.

EYE INJURY:

Eyes injuries from burns, chemicals, smoke:

Open eye and wash in clean running water for 20 minutes. Then put a clean dressing over the eye and see a Doctor.

EYE INJURY (2):

Eye wounds:Lie person on their back, tell them not to move their eye.Cover with a clean dressing, DO NOT press it down onto eye and do not touch eye. If an object is stuck IN the eye, do not remove it,secure a cup over the eye to keep it still, and get person to hospital quickly.

Some Important Diseasesthat can affect Children

and our Students:

•Asthma•Diabetes• Epilepsy

ASTHMA:

Asthma is a common disease in children. It causes airways to narrow and difficultly in breathing. An attack may be caused by an allergy, exercise, and sickness.Signs of an Asthma attack:Difficulty breathing, loud breathing, fear, concentrating only on breathing, sweating.

Children can die from Asthma.

ASTHMA (2) CARE:

If a mild attack:Make them comfortable – sit up and lean them forward, with fresh air. Help them relax.Give them four puffs of a (blue) Ventolin Puffer. Use spacer if available.Wait four minutes. Repeat if no improvement. If breathing no better, or in a bad attack: Call for help, start taking them to hospital, giving Puffer while you do this.

DIABETES:

DIABETES is a disease which affects the level of sugar in a persons blood. There are 2 Diabetic students in our school. They should be able to tell you if there is a problem with their blood sugar. Both Low and High blood sugar can cause major problems to diabetics.

DIABETES (2) CARE:

LOW BLOOD SUGAR:Signs: hungry, sweat, irritable or aggressive, weak, confused. Treatment: Give them a sweet drink (NOT diet) like 7UP, or sugary candy. Give every 15 minutes until better. Then give heavier food – like a sandwich. A person with very low blood sugar may become unconscious. They must be taken to hospital immediately.

DIABETES (3) CARE:

HIGH BLOOD SUGAR:Signs: thirsty, hot dry skin, needing to urinate (wee) a lot, smelly breath. Treatment: Ask the person if they have medicine to take. If they don’t have treatment, take them to hospital, and give them water (only).

DIABETES (4) CARE:

If a Diabetic is sick but you do not know whether it is from Low Blood Sugar, or High Blood Sugar, give them a sweet drink and watch for improvement for 15 minutes. If none, take to hospital.

EPILEPSY:

An epileptic seizure can involve: crying out and falling uncontrolled, jerky movements a toilet accident frothing from the mouth biting tongue

EPILEPSY (2) CARE:

What you do: Try to protect the person from hurting themselves by using pillows etc.Time how long the seizure lastsDO NOT: Move the person unless in danger or if they have vomit in their mouth.DO NOT: Put anything in the person’s mouth.

EPILEPSY (3) CARE:

After the Seizure: Put the person on their side in the recovery position.Manage injuries from the seizureDo let them sleep, but watch breathing.Take the person to hospital if they were not known to have Epilepsy, if the seizure was longer than 5 minutes or if they have another seizure afterwards.

Now it’s your turn! We need 10 groups!

You each have 20 minutes to look at your First Aid Scenario and

work out how to Care for your sick person, then present it to the

group.

MY QUESTIONS:

Which hospital can we take students to in an emergency?

How do we get them to hospital in an emergency?

Which Doctor do we use?Who contacts Parents?

YOUR QUESTIONSand FEEDBACK?

?

THANKS FOR BEING PART OF THE FIRST FIRST AID COURSE AT AHLC!

Sarah Turland