H.C. - Option 1 - First Aid (student notes) PDF

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Option 1 - First aid FQ1 - What are the main priorities for assessment and management of first aid patients? Priorities 1. Breathing 2. Bleeding 3. Burns 4. Breaks Primary survey D - Danger R - Response (COWS, Can you hear me, Open your eyes, What’s your name, Squeeze my hand) S - Send for help (000, 112) A - open Airway B - normal Breathing (LLF, Look, Listen, Feel) C - CPR D - Defibrillator (as soon as available) The primary survey refers to danger, response, airway, breathing, CPR and defibrillation. If the victim demonstrates signs of life throughout any step, they are to be placed in the recovery position. Describe: Danger refers to checking the mouth and throat for blockages and remove with their fingers. Look inside their mouth, see if you can see anything that could potentially block the airways and roll them over into the recovery position. Then use their fingers to remove any of the blockage visible. Explain: CPR refers to cardiopulmonary resuscitation which is manually pumping the heart. Place your hand in the middle of the sternum, and pushdown with straight arms to one third of the depth of the chest. The Brain can only survive around 6 minutes without oxygen. By performing CPR, you are manually pumping the residual oxygenated blood to the major organs, specifically the brain. Keeping the individual alive. Critically analyse: Response refers to checking response to determine the victim’s level of consciousness. Check victim’s level of consciousness by asking questions or giving commands such as ‘can you hear me?’ and ‘what is your name?’ The positive of checking for a response is that you are able to determine the patient’s level of consciousness. The negative is that gasping or involuntary jerking could be mistaken as responsiveness. A recommendation is to not only verbally seek a response buy also demand a physical response such as ‘squeeze my hand’ or ‘open your eyes’ this will confirm whether the patient is conscious or unconscious. Evaluate the effectiveness: Danger refers to checking for danger to yourself, bystanders and the friend. For example, check for gas, live electricity, tools, wires, oil, car, car exhaust. Checking for danger is significantly important so that you do not also end up getting hurt and are unable to help the other person or that the other person does not get injured further decreasing their chance of survival. Having two or more people helping you to check for danger makes it more time effective so that you can get to the patient quicker. S.T.O.P

Stop regime If you have established that there is no danger to life, use the STOP regime to assess the severity of other injuries such as injury to ligaments, tendons and muscle. STOP is an acronym for: ● Stop ● Talk ● Observe ● Prevent further injury Stop - Stop the athlete from participating or moving. Stop the game if necessary. Talk - Talk to the injured athlete: ● What happened? ● How did it happen? ● What did you feel? ● Where does it hurt? ● Does it hurt anywhere else? ● Have you injured this part before? Observe - Observe the following while talking to the athlete. General: ● Is the athlete distressed? ● Is the athlete lying in an unusual position/posture? Injury site: ● Is there any swelling? ● Is there any deformity? ● Is there any difference when compared to the other side/limb> ● Is there tenderness when touched? ● Does it hurt to move the injured part? Prevent: Severe injury Suspected head, facial, spinal, chest, abdomen injuries, fractures or major bleeding

Get help. Get professional help; don’t move the athlete

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Keep onlookers away Comfort the athlete until professional help arrives

Less severe Soft tissue injuries such as sprains, strains and muscle bruises

RICER regime. The first 48 hours are vital with soft tissue injuries

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Rest Ice Compression Elevation Referral

Minor injuries Bumps and bruises that do not impair performance

Play on. A few words of encouragement will help.

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Monitor any such injuries. Minor injuries should also be managed using the RICER

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regime.

(a) Setting priorities for managing a first aid situation and assessing the casualty Help b first, then a, then d, then c A1. Situational analysis FQ2 - How should the major types of injuries and medical conditions be managed in first aid situations? (a) Management of injuries

Type of injury

Signs and symptoms

Management

Cuts and lacerations ●

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Abrasions

Open wounds

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Scraped skin caused by a fall on a hard surface

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Incisions or lacerations

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Penetrating wounds

Fractures. These can be closed (skin unbroken), open (bone protrudes) or complicated (damage to organs).

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Deep wound from an object, for example, a bullet

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Sound from the bone breaking Pain at the site Swelling and deformity Tenderness Loss of power Difficult to achieve normal range of

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Cleanse thoroughly with sterile material Apply non stick dressing DRSABCD Control bleeding using pressure Cleanse thoroughly Apply clean dressing Seek medical attention Control bleeding using pressure Clean if possible Apply clean dressing Seek medical attention DRSABCD Control bleeding Immobilise with a sling or splints Observe for shock and treat if necessary Seek medical attention

movement Dislocations - this refers to the bone being dislodged from the joint.

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Swelling Discolouration Pain Deformity Tenderness Inability to move

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DRSABCD Support Apply ice Elevate if possible Seek medical attention

Head injuries and concussion

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Blurred vision Loss of memory Headache Change in size of one pupil Bleeding from nose or ears Abnormal response to commands

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DRSABCD Support the head or neck Keep airway open If conscious, lay in the lateral position Do not apply pressure to a bleeding head if a skull fracture is suspected Seek medical attention

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● Eye injuries

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Irritation to the eye Watering Redness Pain to the eye itself Inability to open

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Nasal injuries

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Pain Swelling Deformity Bruising

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Rubbing and removal of embedded objects must be avoided Lay in the lateral position Cover both eyes Seek medical attention Instruct casualty to breathe through their mouth Blowing the nose should be avoided Assume sitting position with head and shoulders leaning forward Apply pressure with the index finger and thumb to the soft part of the nose just below the bone Apply pressure for 10 minutes or until bleeding stops Seek medical attention

Burns. These can be caused by fire, chemicals, electricity and radiation.

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Severe pain Possible swelling Redness Blistering Shock

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Remove the casualty from the danger or the danger from the casualty (for example fire, soke, electrical wires with a stick or nonconducting implement) DRSABCD Hold burnt area under cold running water Remove jewellery and clothing only if it is not stuck to the skin Seek urgent medical attention

Note: Do not break blisters or apply creams, lotions or adhesive dressings Teeth injuries

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Bleeding from the mouth Dislodged tooth

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Electrocution

● Unconsciousness ● Electrical wires may be visible

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Chest injuries. These may

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Pain, usually on

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If the tooth has been loosened, keep it in place and seek immediate dental advice If the tooth has been knocked out, reimplant and splint to an adjacent tooth using aluminium foil, if possible. If not, place in milk or clean with the casualty’s saliva and seek urgent dental assistance. Most teeth can be saved if the root is not handled, hygiene is observed and attention is immediate. DRSABCD Cool burnt area under running water Seek urgent medical attention Place in a comfortable

range from bruised or fractured ribs to lung injuries. ● ●

Abdominal injuries. These are injuries to the stomach and pelvis caused in such instances as car crashes and tackles.

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breathing and coughing Difficulty breathing Tenderness when touched Shock Pain in the region Nausea or possibly vomiting Difficulty in breathing Possible blood in the urine or coming from the anus

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position Encourage shallow breathing Pad the injured area Seek urgent medical advice DRSABCD Loosen clothing in the area; for example, belts Lie patient on their back. Slightly elevate shoulders and bend the knees Do not allow the casualty to consume food or drink Seek urgent medical attention

A dislocation is when a bone is dislodged from a joint. For example, someone has dislocated their collarbone when they fell on it during a rugby scrum. To treat this injury you would apply DRSABCD, support the injury, apply ice, elevate it with possible with a bandage sling, then seek medical attention. The reason for following this procedure would be to reduce pain in the area and keep the patient comfortable until proper medical services arrive. FQ3 - What does the individual need to consider in adminestering first aid? (a) Physical environment Self protective strategies Protective strategies are strategies used to protect and prevent further danger to the first aider, bystanders and the patient. A1. Traffic accidents “You should never remove a casualty from a traffic accident.” Evaluate this statement. Potential dangers ● ● ● ●

Fire/explosion Sharp objects Moving patient could further injure them Broken glass

Protective strategies ● ● ● ●

Call emergency authorities Observe from a safe distance Reassure victim that help is on the way Hazard lights

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Fuel leakage Other cars

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Turn the ignition off Light the area

A2. Water environment Potential dangers ●

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You or patient might not have strong swimming capabilities putting each other in danger Could be a rip Could be electricity running through the water Dangerous animal in the water Big swell Water temperature Hazardous objects under water

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Look for a lifeguard, otherwise call emergency authorities Throw a lifebuoy to patient if available Check for any nearby electricity Approach feet first in water

A3. Electricity Potential dangers ● ● ●

Can’t always see it Can cause explosion Dangerous when in contact with water or conductor

Protective strategies ● ● ●

Touch with non-conductive material Check for sources of electricity and turn off Stay away from water and conductors

(b) Infection control and protection Six illnesses and diseases that can be contracted from cross infection while administering first aid are: 1. Common cold/flu - if the patient coughs or sneezes in your face 2. HIV/AIDS - saliva to blood or blood to blood 3. Hepatitis B - saliva to blood or blood to blood 4. Hepatitis C - blood to blood or needles 5. Chicken pox - skin to skin 6. Glandular fever - saliva, sneezing and coughing Cross contamination can be prevented by wearing gloves, cover lacerations, wash your hands before and after (c) Legal and moral dilemmas Legal decisions: ● Unclothing them

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Consent Don’t do anything you’re not trained to do Don’t legally have to help someone in NSW Document what you did

You have a moral obligation to help someone in need. Discuss the +/+ You might save their life + You might stop them from getting injured further + You can feel good about helping them + Might get a reward/publicity + Use your training in a real situation -

You could be breaking the law if they don’t give permission They could attack you You could be endangering yourself by helping them Not trained to help Can affect your mental health if they don’t make it

To ensure that you follow a commonsense approach when providing first aid you should apply the primary survey (DRSABCD) and only perform things that you have been trained to do or know you can do. Make sure not to rush and to assess the situation and get help asap if needed. Don’t put yourself or bystanders in danger. (d) Debriefing and counselling How can a first aider be supported after providing assistance in a serious situation? It is important for a first aider to use support strategies after aid has been provided in a serious situation. This can be done via debriefing and counselling. Debriefing is . For example, writing an incident report for a school injury. Counselling is . For example, going to see the school counsellor after giving first aid to a casualty which died....