First Aids For Nurses

1. CONVULSION

3. CONVULSION
• A sudden, violent, irregular movement of the body
• Caused by involuntary contraction of muscles
• Associated especially with brain disorders such as epilepsy
• The presence of certain toxins or other agents in the blood
• Fever in children.

4. Keep Calm.
• Seizures may appear frightening to the onlooker.
• They usually last only a few minutes and generally do not require
medical attention.
• Remember that the person having a seizure may be unaware of
their actions and may or may not hear you.

5. Protect from further injury.
• If necessary, ease the person to the floor.
• Move any hard, sharp or hot objects well away.
• Protect the person’s head and body from injury.
• Loosen any tight neckwear.

6. Do not restrain the person.
• If danger threatens, gently guide the person away.
• Agitation during seizure episodes is common.
• Trying to restrain or grabbing hold of someone having a seizure is
likely to make the agitation worse and may trigger an instinctive
aggressive response

7. Do not insert anything in the mouth.
• The person is not going to swallow the tongue.
• Attempting to force open the mouth may break the teeth or
cause other oral injuries.

8. Roll the person on their side after the seizure
subsides
• This enables saliva to flow from the mouth
• Helping to ensure an open air passage.
• If there is vomit, keep the person on their side
• Clear out their mouth with your finger.

9. Talk gently to the person
• After any type of seizure, comfort and reassure the person to assist
them in reorienting themselves.
• The person may need to rest or sleep.
• If the person wanders, stay with them and talk gently to them

10. TIME IT
Note the time the seizure begins and ends

11. If a seizure lasts longer than 5 minutes, or repeats
without full recovery,
SEEK MEDICAL ASSISTANCE IMMEDIATELY.

12. Generalized seizure symptoms include
• Unconsciousness
• Muscle contractions and convulsions (which may appear as very dramatic
jerking movements)
• Tongue or lip biting
• Incontinence
• Clouded awareness.
• There may be weakness or loss of sensation.
• These symptoms may be brief or last a longer period of time

13. partial seizures.
• Some seizures only cause minor or mild symptoms
• Can be localized to a specific area of the body.

14. • An aura (a warning symptom)
• Often a strange sensation in the stomach
• Lip-smacking
• Fidgeting
• Lack of awareness of surroundings
• Confusion
• Sleepiness after the seizure.
• These symptoms typically last 30 seconds to 2 minutes
SYMPTOMS

15. Avoid any known seizure triggers
• Foods or medications
• Hormones
• Stress
• Lack of sleep
• Dehydration
• Sensitivity to light.

16. FAINTING
passing out or syncope
• A temporary loss of consciousness.
• Caused by a sudden decrease of blood flow to the brain
• An episode typically lasts a few seconds or minutes.
• Most fainting spells are not a cause for concern

17. Types of fainting
Vasovagal syncope.
• Involves the vagus nerve.
• Triggered by emotional trauma, stress, the sight of blood, or
standing for a long period of time.

18. Carotid sinus syncope.
• When the carotid artery in the neck is constricted
• Usually after turning your head to one side
• Wearing a collar that is too tight.

19. Situational syncope.
• Occurs due to straining while:
Coughing
Urinating
Moving your bowels
• Having gastrointestinal problems.

20. Causes of fainting
• Fear or other emotional trauma
• Severe pain
• A sudden drop in blood pressure
• Low blood sugar due to diabetes
• Hyperventilation
• Dehydration
• Standing in one position for too long

21. • Standing up too quickly
• Physical exertion in hot temperatures
• Coughing too hard
• Straining during a bowel movement
• Consuming drugs or alcohol
• Seizures

22. SYMPTOMS
• Dizziness
• Weakness
• Sweating
• Blurred vision, seeing spots
• Headache
• Sensation that the room is moving
• Ringing in the ears (see tinnitus)
• Nausea, vomiting
• Paleness
• Tingling or numbness of fingertips
and around lips
• Bluish cast to the skin
• Shortness of breath
• Incontinence (involuntary
urination or defecation)

23. What to do
• Ask them to lie down.
• Check for other injuries.
• Kneel down next to them and raise their legs, supporting their ankles
on your shoulders to help blood flow back to the brain.
• Ask other people to move away
• Open a window. (Make sure for plenty of fresh air)
• Reassure the casualty and help them to sit up slowly.