First Aid for Anaphylaxis : Assessing an Anaphylactic Reaction
Watch a first aid dramatization of how a paramedic assesses an allergic reaction in this free training video.
Expert: Josh Wells
Bio: Josh Wells is a firefighter and paramedic in Sedona, Arizona.
Filmmaker: Chuck Tyler
Duration : 0:2:44
Car Emergency Kit
Have you ever wondered what was in one one of those “Emergency” kits sold at the big box stores? I never did either until a few days ago. Pretty disappointing considering that in a true emergency this is all most people will have to depend on.
Duration : 0:8:54
Backpacking Health & Comfort : Backpacking Health: First Aid Supplies
Remember to bring pain relievers when backpacking. Learn about first aid supplies, health and comfort on backpacking trips in this free camping video for hiking and the outdoors.
Expert: Megan Rouch
Bio: Megan Rouch enjoys off-road unicycling. She has been riding unicycles for eight years. Miss Rouch has instructed unicycling and juggling at the Kent Cummins Magic Camp for the past seven years.
Filmmaker: MAKE | MEDIA
Duration : 0:1:0
First Aid First for Children
Clinicians working in a family practice are confronted with a huge number of cases of burns, stings, bruises and bites. However, parents have traditionally solved these types of problems without taking their children to an emergency room.
Nowadays, there are amazing first aid kits in the market. Many of them are assembled to meet the needs of families with children or for other specific purposes.
First aid first means safety first
The first thing families with children should learn about is safety. Preventing an accident is better than responding to one. Regarding children, however, we know that is almost impossible to have a completely accident-free environment. Consequently, parents should know something about first aid. First they should remember that children are often not able to express clearly what they feel or what have happen. Perhaps they were injured seriously for first time and therefore parents should learn to analyze the situation without necessarily asking what has happened.
Stings and bites
If you live in a place where insects could sting or bite your child, your first aid kit should include anti-swelling, instant ice packs, pain reliever, aseptic towels and an anti-inflammatory lotion. Remember that the reaction to a sting or a bite can be local (less severe) or systemic, which affects the function of the lungs or the heart. In the latter case, parents should call immediately the emergencies services, since a further diagnosis and treatment is very probably required. Symptoms of a systemic shock are abdominal or chest pain, dizziness, hives and difficulties breathing.
If there is simply a stinger, remove it gently and disinfect the region carefully. Protect it with an adhesive strip for at least one day. If it itches or hurts, an instant ice pack will be of some relief. Just don’t apply it directly to the skin.
Sunburn
Sunburns can equally be avoided but parents cannot completely discard that they will happen. For this case apply compresses or moisturizing gel. Aloe Vera is very effective in this case. If the pain is too intense, ibuprofen or acetaminophen may be used. As in the previous case, search professional medical advice if you think the burn is too severe.
Of course, there are other injuries and ailments that affect your child. A basic first aid course for infants and children can be a life saver, and can enable the parent to feel more confident in any situation where their children are.
Learn Triage and First Aid
Today’s article from Rome Newswire shows the effectiveness of first aid training. The trainer, a former nail salon owner, is passing on her knowledge of first aid to others, and the response is – pay it forward. Many people who put first aid first do decide to carry their knowledge forward to teach others. Read the full article, and pick up some first aid tips as well as, perhaps, an encouragement to put first aid first in your life this new year.
Article:
Students at the second part of the Community Emergency Response Team training program learned Saturday that there are three kinds of bleeding — arterial, venous, capillary — and how to treat a bloody wound.
“It’s very interesting and very educational,” said Edward Washington, who is taking part in the certification program so he can later teach other members of Lovejoy Baptist Church what he learned. “I plan to take an instructors course in March so hopefully I can instruct others.”
The CERT instructor explained the differences in the types of bleeding like so: Arterial bleeding is what victims in slasher movies experience, with bright red blood squirting from the wound; venous bleeding is when a vein is cut, causing a slower flow of darker blood; and capillary bleeding is must less serious, like road rash or a bad carpet burn.
The more than 30 students were taught to apply direct pressure to the wound, then elevate the wound if possible, and to squeeze a pressure point to slow the flow of blood to the wound. They also learned how to apply different kinds of bandages.
Cheryl Zirkelbach looked to be well practiced when the students paired up try out what they learned, and with good reason. Zirkelback is currently working on a master’s degree in emergency management at Jacksonville State University and is an intern at the local Emergency Managment Agency.
“I needed this experience. I needed to be out there and have the hands-on experience,” she said.
A former nail salon owner, Zirkelbach decided to go to college and ended up graduating from Shorter College with three bachelor’s degrees (communications, history and Spanish). She said she hopes to work in emergency management once she earns her master’s, and she’s open to working anywhere in the world.
“There’s always going to be a another disaster or another war somewhere,” she said.
Students learned how to treat other wounds as well Saturday, such as burns, breaks, sprains, shock and airway obstruction.
“They’re going to learn to triage,” said Vicki Wiles, CERT coordinator and a former student herself.
The program began last weekend with search and rescue training and will conclude Feb. 7 with a training exercise during which the students will have to put out fires, aid victims and treat simulated wounds.
“The search and rescue, that’s one of the hardest things,” said Zirkelbach. “When you’re going into a building and it’s dark and smokey you can get lost really easily.”