This document discusses various types of disasters including fire, explosions, floods, and earthquakes. It provides guidance on first aid for each type of disaster such as remaining calm during a fire, controlling bleeding for explosion victims, evacuating to higher ground during floods, and dropping and covering during earthquakes. The document also discusses the roles of nurses in immediate disaster response like assessing airways and providing first aid, and later roles like monitoring patients and preventing disease outbreaks. Rehabilitation for disaster victims is also summarized, including primary treatment, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, and assistance with readjustment.

1. Sharon Treesa Antony
Assistant Professor
Govt.College of Nursing
Kottayam

2. • Fire
• Explosion
• Floods
• Earth quakes
• Famines

3. Fire
• Do not get panic
• Be calm and take decisions quickly
• Try to find an emergency exit
• Do not try to jump down from window but call for help
from people standing below
• Never walk but crawl along the floor ( air is clearest at the
floor level)
• If you have to cross fire, wrap a wet cloth around your
face, hands and other exposed parts

4. First aid
• Lay the casualty down with burning side uppermost and
extinguish the fire by pouring water or wrap casualty
with wet cloth or heavy fabric to stop flames
• In case of accidental fires of ghee, oil and petroleum
substances, do not pour water because it may aggravate
fire, instead sand or mud may be used
• If your own clothes catch fire and help is not available,
extinguish the flames by wrapping yourself up tightly in
suitable material and rolling along the ground

5. Explosion
• Release of mechanical, chemical or nuclear energy in a
sudden and often violent manner with the generation of
high temperature and usually with the release of gases
like bomb blast.

6. First aid
• Make yourself safe. Initial blasts are usually followed by
secondary blasts.
• Assess treat and clear the least injured from the scene
• Identify and treat victims with external hemorrhage and
control bleeding
• Administer high flow oxygen if possible to all with
respiratory distress
• Identify victims with internal hemorrhage (from signs like
deteriorating mental status) and swiftly transport to
hospital.

7. Floods
• The best protection during flood is leave the area and go
to shelter on higher ground.
• Cars can be easily swift away, in just 2 feet of moving
water. If flood water rises around a car, it should be
abandoned.

8. During a flood watch
• Listen to battery operated radio for latest information on
storm and flood
• Move valuable household possessions to upper floors or
to safe ground if time permit.
• If instructed to do so, turn off all utilities at the main switch
• Be prepared to evacuate

9. During a flood, indoors
• Get your emergency supplies and leave immediately if
instructed to do so

10. During a flood, outdoors
• Climb to high ground and stay there
• Avoid walking through any flood waters

11. After a flood
• Give priority to help elderly people, infants and people
with disabilities
• Inspect foundations for cracks or other damage
• When entering buildings, use extreme caution.
• Wear sturdy shoes and use flash lights while examining
buildings
• Examine walls, floors, and windows to make sure that the
building is not in danger of collapsing
• Watch for animals like snakes in the building, flooded
electrical circuits, broken or leaking gas lines

12. Earth quake
• Participating in an earth quake drill is useful

13. During an earth quake
• DROP down onto hands and knees
• COVER head and neck and the whole body underneath a
sturdy table or desk.
• HOLD ON to the shelter until the shaking stops. Be
prepared to move with the shelter if the shaking shifts it
around.
• Give assistance to the needed
• Check the safety of the house before returning

14. Famine
• Extreme scarcity of food manifested in widespread
malnutrition and loss of life due to starvation and
infectious disease.

15. DISASTER
• A disaster is any sudden event or calamity which causes
great effect on the human population, plants, animals and
property.
1. Natural disaster: flood, earthquakes, tsunami,
2. Manmade disaster: fire, explosion,

16. Role of nurse in disaster
1. Immediate role
2. Late role

17. Immediate role
• Determine the condition of the casualty
1. Airway and breathing
If not breathing, give artificial ventilation
2. Pulse and circulation
If no pulse, give external cardiac massage
3. Bleeding: control bleeding
4. Consciousness: if unconscious, place in recovery
position
5. Presence of shock: keep casualty warm, keep legs
elevated if condition permits, monitor vital signs

18. Late role
• Reassurance to patients
• Periodic check up of casualties for sudden deterioration of
condition
• Administration of medications
• Maintain patient’s record
• Measures to control epidemics like cholera, dysentery,
malaria

19. REHABILITATION
• The process of helping a person who has suffered an illness or
injury restore lost skills and so regain maximum self-
sufficiency.
• after the initial trauma of disaster is over, there is a need for
rehabilitation of the victims due to :
1. Loss of loved ones
2. Disability
3. Loss of shelter
4. Loss of property

20. Rehabilitation includes:
• Primary treatment
• Physiotherapy
• Fitting of artificial aids
• Occupational therapy
• Readjustment and re-employment

21. Primary treatment
• For example a patient on plaster cast is instructed to
move joints to prevent stiffness

22. Physiotherapy
• Application of heat, maasage, active and passive ROM
exercises, hydrotherapy etc may be carried out in
individuals with paralysis

23. Fitting of artificial aids
• Artificial limb
• Walker
• Correction glasses
• Hearing aids

24. Occupational therapy
• Training the victims to do something worth while to help
him to be mentally rehabilitated.
• Carpentry, tailoring, leather work, typing, computer work

25. Readjustment and re-employment
• Reassurance is needed for the victim to get back to his
original job or find a new job suitable for his current
physical deficits.

26. THANK YOU