Before Giving Care
Unusual sounds, odors, sights and behaviors.
What are the signs of an emergency?
Being able to communicate and interact effectively with the person who is injured or ill can increase the person’s comfort level with you, and makes it more likely that you will be able to get the information you need in order to provide appropriate care.
Strategies for Gathering Information Effectively
Signs and symptoms of a heart attack vary from person to person, and can be different in women than they are in men. Even people who have had a heart attack before may not experience the same signs and symptoms if they have a second heart attack. A person who is having a heart attack may show any of the following signs and symptoms:
Signs and Symptom of a Heart Attack
Foods, Household Objects and toys.
What are the Biggest Choking Hazards?
difficulty breathing, is evidenced by signs and symptoms such as shortness of breath, gasping for breath, hyperventilation (breathing that is faster and shallower than normal), or breathing that is uncomfortable or painful. Respiratory distress can lead to respiratory arrest (absence of breathing).
What is respiratory distress.
A law that protects responders who act the way a "responsible and prudent person" would act if that person were in the same situation.
What is the good Samaritan law?
Pay attention to how the person introduces him- or herself. If the person gives a last name, consider addressing the person more formally (e.g., “Mr. Johnson” rather than “Bill”) as a sign of respect.
When the Injured or Ill Person Is an Older Adult
Call 9-1-1 or the designated emergency number immediately. Never try to drive a person who is experiencing signs and symptoms of a heart attack to the hospital yourself. EMS personnel can transport the person to the hospital safely while initiating care.
If you think that someone might be having a heart attack, you should:
A person who is choking typically has a panicked, confused or surprised facial expression. Some people may place one or both hands on their throat. The person may cough (either forcefully or weakly), or he or she may not be able to cough at all. You may hear high-pitched squeaking noises as the person tries to breathe, or nothing at all. If the airway is totally blocked, the person will not be able to speak, cry or cough. The person’s skin may initially appear flushed (red), but will become pale or bluish in color as the body is deprived of oxygen.
What are Signs and Symptoms of choking?
Many people have asthma, a chronic illness in which certain substances or conditions, called triggers, cause inflammation and narrowing of the airways, making breathing difficult.
What is Asthma
Call 9-1-1 or the designated emergency number for any emergency situation.
What to do to activate the EMS system.
A family member, caregiver or other person who knows the injured or ill person well can be a valuable source of information if the person is not able to speak for him- or herself. However, if the person is able to understand and answer your questions, speak directly to him or her, rather than addressing your questions to others who might be present.
When the Injured or Ill Person Has a Disability
Cardiac arrest is not the same as a heart attack. Remember, a heart attack occurs when blood flow to part of the heart muscle is blocked, causing part of the heart muscle to die. Cardiac arrest, on the other hand, occurs when the heart stops beating or beats too ineffectively to circulate blood to the brain and other vital organs.
What is Cardiac Arrest
Give chest thrusts instead of abdominal thrusts.
What to do if the victim choking is pregnant.
An allergic reaction can range from mild to very severe. A person who is having a mild to moderate allergic reaction may develop a skin rash, a stuffy nose, or red, watery eyes. The skin or area of the body that came in contact with the allergen usually swells and turns red.
What is Signs and Symptoms of Allergic Reactions and Anaphylaxis
Before giving first aid care, you must obtain consent from the injured or ill person (or the guardian if the person is a minor).
Obtaining consent to help
Next, check the person from head to toe. Before beginning the check, tell the person what you are going to do. Then check the person in a methodical way. Check one part of the body at a time, moving straight down the body from head to toe, and then checking the arms.
Checking from Head to Toe
When a person experiences cardiac arrest, quick action on the part of those who witness the arrest is crucial and gives the person the greatest chance for survival. The Cardiac Chain of Survival describes five actions that, when performed in rapid succession, increase the person’s likelihood of surviving cardiac arrest (Box 3-2). In the Cardiac Chain of Survival, each link of the chain depends on, and is connected to, the other links.
What is First Aid Care for Cardiac Arrest
The passageway between the mouth and lungs that allows life-sustaining oxygen into the body?
What is the Airway.
Epinephrine is a drug that slows or stops the effects of anaphylaxis. If a person is known to have an allergy that could lead to anaphylaxis, he or she may carry an epinephrine auto injector (a syringe system, available by prescription only, that contains a single dose of epinephrine).
What is Epinephrine
Washing your hands, staying away from scenes, and wearing protective gear.
How can you lower risk of infection?
If the person responds (such as by moving, opening his or her eyes or moaning) and is breathing normally, the person is responsive, but may not be fully awake. If the person is not fully awake but appears to be breathing normally, send someone to call 9-1-1 or the designated emergency number and to obtain an automate external defibrillator (AED) and first aid kit. Gather more information by interviewing bystanders (using SAMPLE as a guide; see Figure 2-1) and doing a head-to-toe check. Then roll the person onto his or her side into the recovery position (Box 2-2).
If the Person Is Responsive
CPR, or cardiopulmonary resuscitation, is a skill that is used when a person is in cardiac arrest to keep oxygenated blood moving to the brain and other vital organs until advanced medical help arrives (Figure 3-5). CPR involves giving sets of 30 chest compressions followed by sets of 2 rescue breaths. When you give compressions, you press down on the person’s chest. This squeezes (compresses) the heart between the breastbone (sternum) and spine, moving blood out of the heart and to the brain and other vital organs.
Certain behaviors can put a person at risk for choking, such as talking or laughing with the mouth full or eating too fast.
Risk factors for choking
Diabetes is a chronic condition characterized by the body’s inability to process glucose (sugar) in the bloodstream. An organ called the pancreas secretes insulin, a hormone that causes glucose to be moved from the bloodstream into the cells, where it is used for energy.
What are Diabetic Emergencies