Text 20, Some Advice on the First Aid

Study these examples of the First Aid and in pairs tell each other what to do under these circumstances.

Unconsciousness

If a victim of an accident gets knocked out he or she could have a fractured skull, bleeding from the veins or arteries within the skull or bruising to the brain substance. He or she could also have a spinal injury. Even if the unconscious persons "come to" within a few seconds and insists that they are all right, do not let them go away without being checked by a doctor.

Treatment

1. Send for an ambulance or get expert medical help.

2. Keep the injured person rested and covered with a blanket until he or she reaches a hospital. If they don't recover consciousness keep a check on their pulse and breathing until the ambulance arrives.

3. Check for spinal injures. This is most easily achieved by asking the patient whether there is any pain as well as requesting that they move their fingers and toes. The symptoms of spinal injury include severe pain in the back or neck spreading to the arms, legs or trunk, an inability to move the spine, arms or legs and either a tingling sensation or a numbness of the arms and legs.

If there is any possibility of a spinal injury do not move the patient. Wait for the ambulance to arrive and comfort the injured person. Do not give the patient anything to drink as this could delay the hospital giving him an anesthetic for the next four hours.

If victims receive a hard bang on the head and does not lose consciousness, still keep a close check on them. If in the next few hours they feel sick, drowsy or dizzy, get them to hospital.

What should be done if the injured person has stopped breathing?

- Send for an ambulance.

- Feel for a pulse at the wrist or neck. (With death bleeding suddenly ceases from a wound).

- If no pulse is felt and there is no breathing start mouth-to-mouth ventilation.

Mouth-to-mouth Resuscitation

1) Clear the mouth and throat of any debris. Remove dentures if worn.

2) Extend the neck by tipping the head backwards. Push and hold the jaw forward. These actions open the air passage, and lift the tongue.

3) Pinch the nostrils together to prevent air from escaping. Take a deep breath and blow into the subject's mouth until the chest rises. Take mouth away and the air will rush out again as the chest falls. Repeat five times.

4) If the chest does not rise, pull the person towards you and give two sharp slaps between the shoulder blades. This should clear any blockage in the airway.

5) Check the pulse before continuing ventilation. If there is no pulse begin extended cardiac massage.

6) If there is a pulse and the chest has risen, then repeat ventilation at the rate of one breath every five seconds until the person starts to breathe.

7) If there is no pulse then both cardiac massage and ventilation should be continued (Ratio of five compressions to one ventilation).

8) Once breathing has returned place the person in the recovery position until help arrives,

Cardiac Massage

Cardiac massage (heart massage) should only be attempted if there is no pulse (that is the injured person's heart has stopped beating).

1) Check for a pulse on the carotid artery. If the heart has stopped beating the skin will be pale and the lips bluish. The arms and legs will be limp and the pupils of the eyes will be dilated.

2) Place your ear for any heart beat, If you are sure that the heart has stopped beating then start heart massage.

3) Run your fingers up the inside of the rib cage until you feel the tip of the breastbone. Just above this is the massage point,

4) Start massage by placing the heels of your hands on top of one another over the lower part of the sternum keeping your arms straight press down firmly to depress the chest wall for about 4 - 5 cm. Then rock backwards to release the pressure. Repeat at the rate of 60 compressions a minute.

5) After five compressions the person giving the mouth-to-mouth ventilation should perform a ventilation. Repeat at the rate of five compressions to one ventilation.

6) Check the pulse regularly as each breath is given. Also check if the eyes and lips are returning to normal. Stop massage as soon as the heart starts to beat once more.

7) It may be necessary to continue with mouth-to-mouth ventilation even after the heartbeat has returned. As soon as breathing is fully restored, place person in the recovery position. Keep an eye on them until expert help arrives.

Exercise 4. Read the text below and look carefully at each line. Some of the lines are correct, and some have a word which should not be there. Tick the correct line and write the wrong word next to the number. There are two examples at the beginning.