Terrawest First Aid Guide

First Aid Guide

Welcome to TerraWest first aid guide, this first aid guide will assist you through any potential emergencies when taking part in your favourite outdoor activity, at Home or in the office, in this guide we have covered the following subjects:

  • First aid  DRABC Action plan

  • Getting Help

  • Bleedin

  • Burns

  • Bruises, Sprains and Strains

  • Eye Injuries

  • Foreign Body 

  • Chemical irritants 

  • Welding Flash

  • Fractures and dislocations

  • Head and Face Injuries

  • Heart Attack

  • Minor Injuries

    Blisters 

    Nosebleeds

    Scraps and Grazes 

    Splinters 

  • Poisoning

  • Shock

  • Spinal Injuries

  • Stings and Bites

First aid DRABC Action plan

D - Check for DANGER: to you , the casualty and others. Only move the casualty if necessary.   

R - Check for RESPONSE: Shake gently and shout. If conscious, check for other injuries. 

A - If unconscious turn on side and check AIRWAY. Clear any loose material in the mouth 

B - Check for BREATHING. Look for chest rise and fall; listen for breath sounds; feel for breath on check or hand.

  • If NO Breathing, roll casualty on back, Tilt head, and lift jaw to open airways. Seal nose, cover mouth, give up to five breaths to achieve at least two effective breath, each of which makes chest rise and fall.

  • If THERE is breathing, put casualty in a stable side position and check for other injuries 

C - Check for signs of CIRCULATION: Look for any movement, swallowing or breathing. Feel for neck pulse, take no more than 10 seconds. 

  • If CIRCULATION PRESENT, continue EAR (mouth to mouth breathing) at 15 breaths per minute (Adult) or 20 per minute (Child or Infant) until casualty starts breathing or help arrives. Check for signs of circulation regularly. Full breaths for adult, blow gently for a child, puff lightly for infant 

  • IF NO SIGNS OF CIRCULATION OR YOU ARE UNSURE, Pressure absent and start CPR, or call for helo if you do not have this skill. 

  • CPR RATE: Adult - 15 compressions, two breaths = 1 cycle, 4 per minute. Child or infant - 5 compressions, one breath = 1 cycle, 12 cycles per minute, press on lower half of breastbone.

  • COMPRESSION DEPTH: Adult: 5 cm, using two hands. Child (age 1 to 8 years): ⅓ depth of the chest, using heel of one hand. Infant (age to 12 months: ⅓ depth of chest, using two fingers only. 

Expired Air Resuscitation ( EAR )

Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation

Getting Help 

It is vital to get medical aid as quickly as possible. 

  • When more than one rescuer is available, one should start resuscitation while another goes for help.

  • For a lone rescuer, if the cause of the unconsciousness is injury, drowning or if the casualty is a child, resuscitate for 1 minute before going for help. If the casualty is an adult and no obvious cause of the collapse in apparent. Go for help immediately. Do NOT Leece a child when going for help. 

Bleeding 

Severe Bleeding 

Act promptly. Heavy blood loss can be life-threatening

Priority 1: Press hard on the wound, using sterile dressing if available, if not, use fingers or clean cloth pad. If blood soaks through, DO NIT LIFT dressing; reposition or replace pad to control bleeding. When bleeding stops, leave pad or wad of cloth in place and bandage tol hold firmly. Elevate the injured part unless fractured.

Priority 2: Call for medical aid, Stay with the casualty. Watch for signs of shock, If casualty loses consciousness, follow BRABC Step 2

Minor Bleeding 

Priority 1: Wash the wound using soap and water or sterile saline solution. Do not put antiseptic into an open wound - it may damage the tissue.

Priority 2: Cover with a clean dressing (Preferably sterile and non-adherent). Hold in place with a bandage if wound is a puncture or is dirty (e.g Animal bite), the casualty should see a doctor. 

Impaled Objects 

Do not pull out an impaled object. Control bleeding by pressing around it instead of directly on the wound. Put a pad around it before bandaging, to prevent pressure on impaled object. Seek medical assistance. 

Burns 

Priority 1: Stop the burning. Put out burning clothing with water or blanket. If a hot liquid spill, remove hot clothing quickly. If a chemical burn, do not walk in it or get it on your hands. DO NOT PULL OFF ANY CLOTHING STUCK TO THE SKIN. 

Priority 2: Cool the burned skin. Use gently running water form tap or hose (10 min. For heat burns, 20 min for chemical burns).

NB: If no running water available, immerse burnt part in cold water, or place clean wet clothes over the burn, changing the cloths every few seconds as they become warm.  

Priority 3: Cover the burned area. Use sterile non-stick dressing if available, otherwise any clean soft cloth. DO NOT USE LOTIONS OR OILS on burns. If the burn is larger than a 20 p piece and/or there are blisters, medical attention is necessary.

WARNING: Several diseases are transmitted through blood. ALWAYS TAKE BASIC PRECAUTIONS to prevent cross infection. Wash hands with soap before and after; wear gloves if possible when managing bleeding; cover cuts or scratches on your hands before touching casualty; use disinfectant to clean up spills; wash stained clothes; dispose of contaminated materials safely. 

Bruises, Sprains and Strains. 

Follow these steps: 

R - REST the injured part int he most comfortable position 

I - ICE covered in cloth, applied to injury for 15 minutes.

C - COMPRESSION bandage (firm, but not uncomfortably tight) 

E - ELEVATE the injured part unless you suspect a fracture

Eye Injuries 

If the eye has received a severe blow, or is bleeding the casualty should be referred to medical aid. 

Foreign Body

A speck on the white of the eye or under the lid may be removed with moistened corner of a handkerchief: turn back lid, lightly touch cloth or speck. Do not try to remove the foreign body on the coloured part of the eye. 

If a foreign body is stuck, or embedded the eye do not remove it. Cover the eye lightly with a bandage, make sure there is no pressure on eye lid. Ask  casualty to try and keep eye still. Seek Medcial Aid.

Chemical Irritants 

Gently flush eye with water, working form inner to outer corner for atleast 20 minutes, then seek medical aid.

Welding Flash 

As for penetrating foreign body: cover eyes, seek medical aid.  

Fractures and Dislocations 

Fractures 

Control bleeding and cover wounds. Immobilise using pillows or padding to keep limb still if close to help. If help is delayed pad hollows and secure splints with bandages. A broken arm may be supported with a sling. Ribs cannot be splinted: put padding. Then tie arm on injured side to chest with bandages.

Dislocations 

Dislocations may cause damage to the displayed joint. Do not try to put it back into place: this may cause more damage. Immobilise as is and seek medical aid. 

Head and Face Injuries

General principle 

Any hard blow to the head should be seen by a doctor. This is essential if the casualty has lost consciousness even briefly, assume that a neck injury is likely. Do not move casualty pad around head and neck, on cervical collar to immobilise (see p.13 ). If unconscious turn on side while supports head and neck and maintaining alignment with the body. 

Cuts to the head and face 

Even small cuts on the head bleed freely. Cuts to the face may need medical attention, even if minor. 

Tooth Knocked Out 

Gently clean dirt off the tooth with casualty saliva or milk if not available, use sterile saline. Put tooth back in the open socket. Ask the casualty to hold the tooth in place if possible, Wrap tooth in plastic or store in milk or sterile saline and rush casualty to the dentist. 

Heart Attack 

A casualty with chest pain may be having a heart attack, Ask about any previous attacks. If the casualty has some medication, help to get it. Otherwise, make as comfortable as possible (usually sitting up) and call medical aid. While waiting, attach for any breathing difficulty or other signs of increasing distress. Be prepared to resuscitate.

Minor Injuries

Blisters 

If Broken, clean with sterile saline solution. If unbroken, prick with a cleaned needle and gently express fluid, do not remove skin covering the blister. Cover with non-adherent dressing and apply padding and tape.

Nosebleeds

Sit, head forward. Pinch soft part of nose firmly for ten minutes, Do not blow nose or sniff for two hours. Apply cold ice pack to neck or forehead. If bleed persists seek medical advice. 

Scrapes and grazes 

Wash with running water to remove dirt. Cover with non-adherent dressing, bandage or tape dressing in place. Seek medical advice if anything is embedded in wound. 

Splinters 

Clean area with sterile saline solution. If the splinter is buried, seek medical aid. If the end is accessible, use sterile splinter probe to tease it out, grapes with forceps and remove. Apply sterile adhesive dressing.

Poisoning 

Priority 1: Follow DRABC Action Plan . If gas or inhaled chemicals, open windows and doors or turn off gas first. Do not attempt a rescue without assistance or protection. If any poison around mouth clean off or cover before starting EAR. 

Priority 2: Identify poisons: eg. look for container check label, estimate how much was swallowed. 

Priority 3:  Call poisons information centre (13 11 26). If no phone, follow antidote instructions on the label of poison container. 

Priority 4: Seek Medical assistance urgently

Shock

Shock is a progressive state of collapse which can lead to death. The casualty should lie down, legs raised. Keep warm but do not overheat. Do not give food or drinks; if the casualty is thirsty and fully conscious, moisten tips stay with the casualty. 

Spinal Injury

Indicators: Fall or misjudged dive, car accident, head injury. May have loss of power in limbs, feeling may be absent below site of injury. Anyone found unconscious should be assumed to have a spinal injury until proved otherwise. 

Priority 1: DRABC

Priority 2: Keep the casualty still and get urgent medical aid. If the casualty must be moved out of danger, immobilise head and neck first with a collar (can be improvised from the newspaper, rolled towel etc.). Keep the whole body straight while being moved.

Stings and Bites

1. Snakes, Spiders, Octopus

PRESSURE IMMOBILISATION 

Wrap wide bandage firmly around limb starting just above the fingers or toes and then as far as possible up limb. Splint, keep casualty still, get urgent medical aid, resuscitate if breathing stops (see page 2) 

2. Jelly Fish 

VINEGAR AND PRESSURE IMMOBILISATION 

Elood with vinegar for 30 seconds. Pick off tentacles bandage as for snake, If NO Vinegar, pick of tentacles, bandage only above stung area. Get help urgently: These stings can be fatal. 

3. Spiders

COLD PACK 

Do not bandage. Ice will relieve pain and reduce swelling. Seek medical aid immediately. 

4. Bee Sting 

COLD PACK

Scrape sting sideways to remove. Do not grasp sting or more poison will enter casualty. Apply cold pack to relieve pain. 

Some people are allergic to bee stings. If the casualty shows breathing difficulty or swelling around the mouth, remove the sting, bandage as for snakebite and seek medical aid. Be ready to resuscitate if breathing stops.

5. Animal Bites

Animal bites may become infected, especially small punctures  (e.g cat bites) or human bites. Clean wound area with running water or sterile saline solution and seek medical aid for any bite which has penetrated the skin.