1. FIRST-AID

2. In earlier chapters we have learnt about the diseases
caused by viruses, bacteria, fungi, protozoan’s. Insects and
words. Person affected by these diseases is taken to a
doctor for treatment.
However, some human health problems are to be treated
immediately to give relief to the patient from pain and
agony. This type of treatment is called First Aid.
In earlier classes, you have learn some of the first aid
treatments.
We will learn some more first-aid treatments for conditions
like heat stroke/sun stroke and –bites in this lesson

3. Heat Stroke/Sun Stroke:
Before we learn about heat stroke and sun stroke, we should know
how the skin regulates body temperature. We have already learnt
that skin is supplied with blood vessels. When the out side
temperature is high the thermal (temperature sensitive) reports
are stimulated and this results in increased blood flow to the skin.
The sweat glands extract water and salts from the blood and
produce more sweats. There will be an increase in sweating. When
sweat evaporates due to heat, it cools the body. In cold condition,
blood flow is slowed down to the skin, sweating will be reduced
and this helps in conserving heat in the body

4. When a person is suddenly exposed to hot conditions,
several changes occur in the body. There will be increased
sweating. It was mentioned earlier that sweat is formed by
taking water and salts from blood. When sweating
increases, more and more water and salts are lost from
blood. As a result, large amount of water and salts will be
lost from the body. This stage is called Dehydration.
Depending on the amount of water and salts lost from the
body, several of the body functions will be badly affected

5. Person working in hot conditions (such as near furnaces, boilers,
stoves or in hot sun) may faint suddenly. This is called Heat Syncope.
Such a person must be immediately shifted to a cool place and
allowed to rest and cool water or fruit juices should be given for
drinking.
Some people complain severe pain and cramps in the legs while
working in hot conditions. This is because of the loss of sodium
chloride from the body through sweat. This condition is called as Heat
Cramps. Such people must be asked to stop working and moved to a
cool place. They should be given cold water with a little salt dissolved
in it. Gentle massage relieves the muscle cramps

7. Prolonged exposure or working in hot conditions results in
conditions called Heat Exhaustion. This is due to loss of sodium
chloride or water or both from the body. It is essential to identify
the cause for heat exhaustion before the person is treated.
If the heat exhaustion is due to water loss, the person complains
of intense thirst and fever. If no first –aid is given in time, the
patient may loose consciousness and go into coma. As soon as the
symptoms are noticed, the patient must be moved into a cool
place and large quantities of cool water or fruit juices should be
given. If the patient is unable to drink, he should be immediately
taken to a doctor or hospital where sterile glucose solution will be
given directly I to blood vessels.

9. If the person complains of muscle cramps,
vomiting and diarrhea, then the heat exhaustion
is due to salt loss. In this condition the patient is
not thirsty and will not have fever. First –aid for
this is similar to that of heat cramps—patient
must be moved into a cool place and should be
given cool water with a salt or salted fruits drinks.
Salt tablets may also be given. If the patient is
unable to drink, he should be taken to the doctor
or hospital for treatment.

11. More serious problem of exposure to hot conditions is
Heat Stroke. This is usually seen in summer due to
hot sun and is commonly called Sun Stroke. In this
condition, patient initially complains headache,
dizziness, visual disturbances and fever (which may
be as high as 1050F-1070F). Blood Pressure will be
lower than normal and there will be no sweating from
the body.
If not treated at this stage, the person goes into
coma and may even die. This is because of the failure
of heat controlling mechanisms in the body.

12. In such cases, the patient should be
moved into a cool place, all the extra
clothing should be removed. The body
should be wiped with a cool wet towel
and wet cloth must be covered over the
body. If fan is available, then it should
be switched on. This reduces the body
temperature. This process should be
continued till the body temperature is
reduced to 1010F—1020F. Patient
should be given adequate bed rest till
the body temperature becomes normal.

13. Snake Bite:
Not all the of snakes we see, are poisonous. Only few of
them are poisonous. Before giving first-aid for snake
bite, it is essential to know which type of snake has
bitten the person. Common poisonous snakes in India
are –Indian Cobra (najanaja), King Cobra (
Ophiophagus Hanna), Common Indian Krait (Bungers
fascinates), Saw Scaled Viper (Echoes carination),
Russell’s Viper (Vipera russelli). Other snakes which we
see commonly in water, on trees and land are
poisonous to small animals but not to man. However,
sea snakes are highly poisonous.

14. When the snake bites, it injects venom through is fangs into
our body. The snake venom contains chemical substances
called Toxins. Some of these toxins affects the nervous
system-hence they are called Neurotoxins. Some of the toxins
affect the blood vessels and blood cells. They rupture the
walls of the blood vessels and blood cells (especially red
blood cells)-such toxins are called Hemolytic
Toxins(haemo=blood; lytic=breaking). Cobra and Krait venom
has neurotoxins and damage the nervous system. Viper
venom contains haemolytic toxins. The sea snake venom

15. Before treating snake bite, it must be
ascertained whether it is a poisonous snake or
not. A non-poisonous snake bite looks like ―U‖
and the blood that blood that comes out usually
clots outside the site where the snake has
bitten. A poisonous snake leaves one or two fang
marks which looks like a pin pricks at the site
where it has bitten. Blood and serum will be
oozing out of the wound. Initially, server local
pain, numbness, tingling sensation and local
swelling, redness are observed

16. If the venom contains neurotoxins, there will
be drooping of eye lids, faulty speech,
unsteady gait (walking), breathing trouble
and even paralysis may be observed. These
symptoms are seen in about two hours after
snake bite. If the venom has haemolytic
toxins there will be server blood loss
( heamorrhage), local swelling and server
pain. Due to the loss of blood heart
functions erratically and may even stop. The
patient usually will be anxious, tense and
will be in a state of shock –irrespective of
the type of snake (poisonous or non-
poisonous) bitten.

18. In cases of a poisonous snake bite, the person must be
allowed to rest and shifted to a less crowded place. Care must
be taken not to allow the poison to get absorbed into the
body. Any venom out side the site of injury should be wiped
with a wet cloth. About 5 cm. above the bite, towards the
direction of heart, a pressure bandage or a cloth must be
applied tightly. This is called a Tourniquet. This will reduce the
flow of blood towards heart and distribution of poison.
If no medical help is available, then the site of injury should
be cut and blood should be sucked out. Depending on the
time after the bite, about 50% of poison can be removed by
this method. It is not very useful after two hours of the snake
bite. Person who is sucking out the venom should not have
any injuries on his lips and in his mouth. If the patient has
breathing problems, then mouth to mouth respiration should
be given.

20. Now –a-days, anti-snake venoms are available. We
have already discussed how the anti-venoms are
prepared. The anti- venom comes in the form of
powder. Just before use, it is dissolved in sterile
distilled water and injected into the veins of the
patient. The antibodies present in the anti-venom
preparation bind to the toxins of the venom and
neutralize the action of venom. If the snake is
identified, then anti- venom to that particular snake
venom is given. If the snake is not identified, then a
polyvalent-anti-snake venom is injected. This
contains anti-venom to several know snakes.
Patient is also given mild sedative and drugs to
prevent shock reactions

21. Every year, about 15,000 people die due to
snakebites in our country. This is mainly because of
ignorance, superstition and lack of proper medical
facilities. The belief that mantras will cure snake
and scorpion bites is one of the reason for many
deaths. This leads to the delay in giving proper
medical care to the patient.
It must be mentioned that just because some
snake are poisonous, one must not kill the snakes
immediately after seeing them. Most of the snakes
are harmless. Indiscriminate killing of snakes will
disturb the ecological balance and increases rat
population. This is much more dangerous than
killing snakes as rats cause great damage to the
crops and stored food material

22. Points to Remember:
•First-aid relieves the patient from pain and
agony.
•Sweat glands in the skin help to maintain the
body temperature.
•Sweating increases in hot conditions and
decreases in cold conditions.
•Increased sweating in hot conditions results in
the loss of salts and water from the body which
leads to dehydration.
•Sudden fainting in hot conditions is called heat
syncope.
•Heat cramps which develop in hot conditions
may be due to the loss of salt or water or both
from the body.

23. Heat stroke or sun stroke is serious condition due to
prolonged exposure to hot conditions or hot sun.
Efforts to be made to reduce the body temperature
from 105oF- 107oF to 102oF in person suffering with
sun stroke.
Snake venom may have either neurotoxins or
haemolytic toxins.
When a poisonous snake bites, there will be one or
two marks of the fangs of the snake on the skin of
the person.
When a snake bites, efforts should be made to
reduce the absorption of venom by tying a cloth
above the site of injury.
Anti snake-venom are administered to neutralize the
snake venom.

24. Answer the question in 2 or 3 sentences:
How skin regulates the body temperature in cold
condition?
What is heat syncope?
What is the first-aid given to a person suffering from
heat cramps due to salt loss?
What are the symptoms of heat-stroke?
What are the symptoms of a neurotoxic venom?
By inspecting the snakebite, how do you find out
weather it is due to a poisonous or non-poisonou
snake?
How do you prevent absorption of venom after a
snakebite?
Why we should not kill snakes indiscriminately?

25. Fill in the blanks:
•When thermo receptors of skin are stimulated by heat,
blood supply to the skin is increased
•Dehydration of body is due to the loss of water and salts
•Sudden fainting in hot condition is due to the loss of heat
symope
•Muscle cramps in hot condition is due to the loss of salt
•Scientific name for Indian Cobra is najnaj
•Toxins that affect nervous system are called neurotoxins
•Hemolytic venoms cause the breakage of rbccells.
•Sea snake venom causes paralysis of muscles.
•A “U” shaped snake bite indicates that it is made by a
non poisonous snake

26. Choose the correct answer:
Naja naja is the name given to (A)
(A) Indian cobra (b) King cobra (C) Sea snake (D)Krait
Haemolytic toxins affect the (C)
(a)Nerves (b)lungs (c)blood vessels (d)kidney