How not to get lost and provide first aid: 12 training videos
Text: Ksenia Akinshina
It seems to us that the danger will never touch us. But forewarned is forearmed: unfortunately, unforeseen cases are not so rare and no one is immune from burns, sunstroke or a sudden acute allergic reaction. Few of us have taken first aid courses, and more often we just get lost when we need first aid. We asked the doctor Ksenia Akinshina to share the most important tips and pick up informative videos about what to do if the person nearby became ill.
Basic principles and safe posture
Before helping others, you need to make sure that nothing threatens you. Unfortunately, heroism and self-sacrifice, although valuable, in a typical situation can cost the lives of both the saved person and the “hero”. Assess the situation, call the number 112 and call for help; only then can the victim be dealt with. In many cases, including loss of consciousness, injury, or after seizures, a person must be placed in a safe position that allows him to breathe calmly.
If you witnessed an accident, you do not need to assume the role of a professional rescuer and try to get a person out of the car at all costs. It is necessary to call for help, to try to fence the place of the accident, to stop the bleeding, if any. After that, your task is to talk to the victim until the doctors arrive, psychologically support, distract, encourage, joke. But to drag a person by the arms and legs out of the car is possible only in one case - when the possible consequences of transportation will be less than her risk of her absence. For example, when the car caught fire.
Temperature burn
It is logical that the place of the burn should be cooled, but we usually do this not long enough. As a rule, a burned person pours cool water on a sore spot until pain passes — no more than a minute — and then smears the burn with cream, kefir or sour cream. In this case, the tissues are still full of excess heat, and the substance on top lays down with an airtight pillow and does not allow it to go free. So the burn only gets worse. It is better not to stop the water for ten minutes - then there will be a completely different conversation.
For superficial burns, they should be cooled with cool (not icy) water for ten to fifteen minutes, and if you suspect a deep burn, infection, or any other complication, it is better to consult a doctor. As for sunburn, they are easier to prevent than to cure: always use sunscreen, it is better with the maximum factor, and you are more in the shade. If you are still burned in the sun, you should try to cool and moisturize the skin; Panthenol can be used to speed recovery from a burn. Do not forget to drink water to prevent dehydration; anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen will not interfere.
Heat or sunstroke
After a long stay in the sun or in a hot room, a person may experience severe weakness, severe headache, nausea, stunnedness, lack of confidence in movements, staggering gait, increased heart rate and breathing; the temperature may rise and the person may even faint. What to do in this case? Quickly move the victim to a quiet cool room or in the shade, put on his back, direct air flow at him, give cold water, take off or undo cramped clothing. If possible, you need to apply a compress from towels moistened with cold water or wipe the body with cold water.
Electric shock
The most important thing is to make sure that nothing threatens you. If a person is lying in a puddle, and sparks are pouring around, do not rush to check the pulse. First you need to disconnect the current source. If you see a wire, discard it from the victim with a dry, long wooden or plastic object (something like a mop handle). Only after that you can begin to help: cool the burns, put in a safe posture, call an ambulance, start cardiopulmonary resuscitation, if needed.
Foreign body in the airways
If someone choked, others often advise patting him on the back. Unfortunately, such a “help” at best will only increase the cough reflex (and 99% of people who have choked clearing their throat without it), at worst - a piece of food will fall into the airways deeper with all the ensuing consequences, from the need for medical intervention to death from respiratory arrest . No need to knock on the back, even if asked.
If a person can breathe, ask them to take a few very slow breaths and sharp exhalations, slightly leaning forward. As a result, coughing will intensify and the foreign body will fly out by itself. If the situation is more serious, you need to receive Heimlich, which is shown in this video. By the way, the author of this maneuver, an American doctor, Henry Heimlich, first used it and saved the life of an elderly woman when he himself was 96 years old.
With small children, blows to the back are effective, only they should be performed in a certain position, be strong and directed clearly between the shoulder blades. After them, you need to perform five of the same strikes on the sternum, as shown in the video.
Severe allergies
An acute allergic reaction is a clear reason to call an ambulance. The appearance of red spots on the skin, swelling of the face and lips, coughing, breathing problems are symptoms of a severe allergic reaction. Call an ambulance and try to calm and distract the victim until the doctors arrive. In some countries, people who know about the propensity for severe allergies are given automatic syringes with adrenaline; if a person during an allergic reaction points to his bag, check - maybe there is a medicine that can save his life.
Fainting
The cause of fainting is an insufficient supply of oxygen to the brain. Before losing consciousness, a person may experience dizziness, ringing in the ears, blackening of the eyes, weakness, nausea, nausea, and lack of air. It happens that cold sweat appears, hands and feet become numb, skin becomes pale, and breathing is rare. A person with such symptoms should be placed or put in as soon as possible, provided with access to air and unbuttoned tight clothing.
If you yourself feel that you may lose consciousness, try to sit down and stay in a public place so that you can be helped if needed. If you want to help a person who has already become unconscious, the algorithm is the same: a safe posture and a call to 112, if the victim breathes, or a call to 112 and cardiopulmonary resuscitation, if there are no signs of breathing.
Epileptic seizure or convulsions
One of the common misconceptions is the belief that a person who has had a seizure of epilepsy needs to loosen his teeth and put something between them. This is justified by the fact that a person in a fit can bite his tongue out. In fact, this is impossible: during an attack, all the muscles of a person are in good shape, including the tongue, which is tense and will not fall between the teeth. As a maximum, a person can bite the tip of the tongue, and although the blood is slightly mixed with the foaming saliva, it creates the appearance of unprecedented destruction, and the myths about bitten off languages are fueled.
Also, one should not physically restrain cramps; it is better to try to protect the person from possible injuries. If you really want to help, kneel at the head of the victim and put something soft under the head to prevent strikes on the ground. When the active phase of the attack passes, that is, the convulsions are over, carefully place the person in a safe position on the side; after convulsions, a phase of sleep begins, which does not need to be frightened and confused with loss of consciousness.
Drowning
The main thing in the rescue of a drowning man - do not let him drag himself under the water. You need to swim back, grab your hair or armpits, turn it face up and keep your head above the water surface. After this, you need to hold the person with your hands away and return to the shore. After that, first remove water from the respiratory tract; for this victim you can put a stomach on your knee. When the airway is passable, provide the necessary first aid: if a person breathes, then put him in a safe position, and if not, start resuscitation. And be sure to call an ambulance.
Stroke
To understand that a person has a stroke, ask him to smile, pronounce any sentence coherently, raise both hands. The external signs that are most often striking are an asymmetrical smile, when one of the sides of the face does not respond well to a person, a stutter, confused speech. At the same time, the arms rise not one level, but the tongue deviates to the side when protruding. If you suspect a stroke, immediately call an ambulance.
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation
Sometimes the situation is so serious that it is necessary to maintain a person’s life until an ambulance arrives. First you need to restore the patency of the upper respiratory tract - to remove all that is there with a circular motion of the fingers from the oral cavity. During an indirect massage of the heart, the victim should lie on a hard, flat surface. Your arms should be straight; In order to push your chest into the necessary three or four centimeters, you need not only the strength of your hands, but also the weight of your entire body. The speed of the heart massage is two strokes per second; for every thirty pressings, two breaths are performed. However, in the newest recommendations there is a reservation that indirect heart massage itself is more important than artificial respiration, and if you are not sure that you will do everything correctly, you can only perform a heart massage.
Cover: paul prescott - stock.adobe.com