Its all about first aid

1. Febronia
Fainting

2.  A faint, is a sudden, brief temporary loss of
consciousness that occurs when the brain does
not receive enough blood/deprived of oxygen.

3. Causes
 Reaction to pain or fright
 Emotional upset
 Lack of food
 Exhaustion
 Long periods of physical inactivity i.e. standing
still especially in a warm atmosphere
 Cardiac arrhythmias.
 Certain drugs esp the ones that lower blood
pressure

4. Signs and symptoms
 Brief loss of consciousness causing a fall
 Nausea
 Lightheaded
 Weak
 Shaky
 Deep abdominal pains
 Pale, cold skin
 Pounding pain in the head
 Cold, sweating

5. First Aid management for fainting
 If the casualty has not fainted but tells you that he
feels faint, quickly have him lie down; elevate his
legs. If he is in a sitting position, have him put his
head in between the legs.
 If the casualty has already fainted, keep him in a
supine position and elevate his legs.
 if the casualty falls against the furniture ,wall ,or
some other obstacle and doesn’t get into flat
position, he will not regain consciousness because
the blood flow to his brain will not occur.
 Do not allow a person who has fainted to sit upright
away; cerebral vascular accident can occur can
result

6.  Until proven otherwise, assume that the brain has
been deprived of oxygen .Establish an airway and
administer artificial ventilation if necessary.
 Monitor for possible vomiting.
 Make sure that he/she has plenty of fresh air (open
window/ fan etc)
 Loosen any tight clothing that may resist free
breathing.
 Make a rapid assessment for any life –threatening
condition that may have caused the fainting ;if you
determine that the casualty has a serious medical
condition, initiate appropriate care
 Check for any injuries that may have been
sustained during the fall, and give appropriate care.

7.  As he/ she recovers reassure after helping to sit
upright, do not allow a casualty who has fainted to
get up immediately and walk around after regaining
consciousness
 If the casualty fails to recover organize and refer the
patient to Health facility.

8. Prevention of Fainting
 Avoid stress, tiredness and hunger
 Do not stand up quickly from a lying or sitting
position
 Avoid standing for long periods
 Drink more water and try to avoid physical
exertion in case of being in a hot environment for
long periods of time

9. If you feel as if you are going to faint, you can
prevent it by:
 Drinking 2 glasses or cups of water, because this
can help you rehydrate. Caution: do not force
someone who feels faint to drink water.
Performing one of the following postures:
 lying down
 standing with crossed legs, preferably in
combination with tensing your leg muscles, by
tiptoeing or stretching the legs
 Squatting
 Sitting on a bed side with the head bent between

11. STRAIN
 Strains are soft-tissue injuries of the muscle due to
over stretching beyond their normal ranges of motion,
causing the muscles to tear.
Signs and symptoms of sprains
 Extreme tenderness to touch
 Cavity or indentation at the site of injury
 Weakness or loss of function
 Pronounced swelling

12. SPRAINS
 A sprain is an injury to a joint in which ligaments are stretched and partially
or completely torn,usually from the sudden twisting of the joint beyond its
normal range of motion.
 It can be very difficult to tell the difference between a sprain and a fracture
because the signs and symptoms are similar
Signs and symptoms of sprains
 Pronounced swelling
 Tenderness
 Deformity
 Painful movement of the joint muscle, swelling
 Warmth and redness of the injured areas
 Difficulty moving the injured part
 No pulse or weak pulse below injury site
 Discoloration of the skin

13.  Joints that are commonly sprained are the thumb,
and fingers, knee and ankle. Severe sprain may
rapture the ligament or dislocate or the bones that
form the joint.

14. First aid management for sprain and strain
 Note: In the field, it is difficult to distinguish
between sprain and strains and so, first aid
management for each is similar as described
below:
 Apply the RICE Procedures

15.  Rest. Have the casualty stay off the injured part
completely and not use the joint at all. Splint the
sprained joint to give it complete rest. Any movement
increases blood circulation to the joint, which increases
swelling.
 Apply Ice. Cold relieves pain and prevents or reduces
swelling and inflammation. Immediately put cold
packs, crushed ice, or cold towels on the injured area,
or immerse it in ice water for ten to twenty minutes at
a time everyone to two hours. Don't stop applying cold
too soon; it should be continued for the first twenty-
four to forty-eight hours. (Don't apply cold any longer
than twenty minutes at a time, or you could cause
frostbite; always remove the cold pack when the skin
becomes numb.) Although they have been shown not
to work as effectively, you could use a commercially
manufactured chemical cold like deep cold spray

16.  Compression. To limit internal bleeding and compress fluid
from the injury site., wrap a compression bandage (usually an
elastic bandage) in an overlapping spiral that supports the
entire injured area. The casualty should wear the bandage
continuously for 18-24 hours, except when applying a cold
pack.
The bandage should exert even pressure without being too
tight. Constantly reassess distal perfusion and motor/sensory
during applicatoin to identify whether the bandage has
accidentltally put on too tight and now is causing
vascular/nerve tissue compromise. Leave the fingers and toes
exposed so that you can make sure the bandage is not too
tight. Pale skin, pain, tingling, and numbness are signs that the
bandage is too tight.

 Elevate. Limits circulation, reduces swelling and encourages
lymphatic drainage. Elevate the injured area to heart level or
just above if you do not suspect fracture.

17. Dislocation
 A dislocation is the separation of a bone end from
a joint, leaving the bone end out of alignment with
the joint.
 This condition which comes as a result of sudden
twisting of joints leading them to be displaced
leaving their normal positions. This can be
caused by stepping in ditches, bad tackling in
sports like football.

18. Signs and symptoms
Signs and symptoms of a dislocation are similar to
those of a fracture. Key symptoms are:
 Pain around affected areas
 Difficulty in movement
 Deformity
 Swelling
 Restlessness
 Numbness or paralysis below the dislocation, if
the displaced bone end is pressing on a nerve.

19. First aid management for dislocation
 Immediately assess blood flow by assessing capillary
refill and checking distal pulses, and assess nerve
function by checking for loss of sensation, numbness,
or paralysis.
 Place the casualty in comfortable position
 Apply cold compress on the affected part
 Reassure the casualty
 Because dislocation is usually accompanied by
fractures, immobilize all dislocations in the position
found. Splint above and below the dislocated joint
with a appropriate splint that will keep the joint
immobile.
 Refer for secondary treatment
 Watch out for swelling

20. Note: DO NOT attempt to straighten the dislocation
or replace the bone ends back in its original
position.

21. MUSCLE CRAMPS
 It's not known exactly what causes cramps
although some theories exist-in any instance.
 Cramps are uncontrolled spasms of a muscle that
cause severe pain and loss (or restriction) of
movement
 Can follow physical activity, are a sign of
dehydration, may occur when a casualty loses
too many electrolytes (usually through heavy
perspiration), and sometimes occur during sleep.

22. First aid management
 Have the casualty gently stretch the cramping
muscle; gradual lengthening of the muscle can
relieve the intensity of the cramp by lengthening
the muscle fibers. Because cramps are extremely
painful, the casualty may need you to gently pull
the affected area to stretch out the muscle. If the
muscle is in the calf of the leg, standing on the
affected leg will lengthen the muscle and help
relieve the cramp.
 Apply steady, firm pressure to the cramping
muscle with the heel of your hand.
 Apply an ice pack over the cramped muscle

23.  If the cramp occurs during or after heavy physical
activity, have the casualty drink a commercial
electrolyte drink or lightly salted water (1/4
teaspoon of salt dissolved in a tea cup of water).

24.  Thank you
 The end
 Turn next slide for group four and five assignment
 Presentation is Wed.14th .2016

25. Group four;
 Define a wound
 Explain the types of wounds
 Give the first aid management of wounds
 Explain the first aid management of a foreign
body in the eye
Group five
 Define a fracture
 What are the causes of fractures
 List the signs and symptoms of fractures
 Describe the first aid management of fractures