First Aid Merit Badge

Transcription

1 First Aid Merit Badge Requirement 3 Do the following: a. Explain what action you should take for someone who shows signs of shock, for someone who shows signs of a heart attack, and for someone who shows signs of a stroke. Shock Shock symptoms include: pale, cool, clammy skin; rapid pulse; sweating; nervousness or agitation; disorientation; thirst; rapid breathing or gasping for air; nausea or vomiting; blue tinged skin; weakened pulse. Look for any injuries such as bleeding which you may be able to treat. Loosen any constrictive clothing around the neck, waist, and chest. Lay the person down on his back and elevate the legs about a foot. Maintain normal body temperature. Keep the person comfortable until medical help arrives. The five most common symptoms of a heart attack are: 1. Pain in the center of the chest 2. Nausea 3. Strange sweating 4. Feeling of weakness 5. Shortness of breath Heart Attack Have the person lie down. Ask the person if they have medication for chest pain, such as nitroglycerin. If so, get it and follow their instructions for its use. If the person is not allergic to aspirin, have them chew an aspirin. If the person stops breathing, start mouth tomouth resuscitation. If the pulse stops, begin CPR and continue until help arrives. Page 1 of 5

2 Stroke Signs of stroke are: 1. Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm, or leg, especially one side of the body 2. Sudden confusion, trouble speaking, or understanding 3. Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes 4. Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss or balance or coordinatation 5. Sudden severe headache Call 911 immediately and tell the operator the person has stroke symptoms. Have the person lay down with head and shoulders slightly elevated. Place the person on their left side if they are having difficulty breathing. Keep the chin slightly extended. b. Identify the conditions that must exist before performing CPR on a person, then demonstrate proper technique in performing CPR using a training device approved by your counselor. Unconsciousness, no movement, no respiration (breathing), and no pulse c. Explain the use of an automated external defibrillator (AED). An AED is a portable electronic device that can save the life of someone whose heart is beating too fast (tachycardia) or too chaotically (fibrillation) to effectively pump blood to the body. The AED provides an electrical shock, called defibrillation, to the heart, which allows the heart to reestablish an effective rhythm. d. Show the steps that need to be taken for someone suffering from a severe cut on the leg and on the wrist. 1. Have the injured person lie down and cover the person to prevent loss of body heat. If possible, position the person's head slightly lower than the trunk or elevate the legs and elevate the site of bleeding. 2. While wearing gloves, remove any obvious dirt or debris from the wound. Don't remove any large or more deeply embedded objects. Your principal concern is to stop the bleeding. 3. Apply pressure directly on the wound until the bleeding stops. Use a sterile bandage or clean cloth and hold continuous pressure for at least 20 minutes Page 2 of 5

3 without looking to see if the bleeding has stopped. Maintain pressure by binding the wound tightly with a bandage or clean cloth and adhesive tape. Use your hands if nothing else is available. If possible, wear rubber or latex gloves or use a clean plastic bag for protection. 4. Don't remove the gauze or bandage. If the bleeding continues and seeps through the gauze or other material you are holding on the wound, don't remove it. Instead, add more absorbent material on top of it. 5. Squeeze a main artery if necessary. If the bleeding doesn't stop with direct pressure, apply pressure to the artery delivering blood to the area. Pressure points of the arm are on the inside of the arm just above the elbow and just below the armpit. Pressure points of the leg are just behind the knee and in the groin. Squeeze the main artery in these areas against the bone. Keep your fingers flat. With your other hand, continue to exert pressure on the wound itself. 6. Immobilize the injured body part once the bleeding has stopped. Leave the bandages in place and get the injured person to the emergency room as soon as possible. Tell the dangers in the use of a tourniquet and the conditions under which its use is justified. Tourniquets are considered dangerous for several reasons. 1. Immediately after the application of a tourniquet everything on the end of the limb is cut off from its blood supply and is no longer being oxygenated. This can lead to cell death and nerve damage. 2. Without blood flowing through the injured extremity, the blood remaining stagnant within it will begin to clot. If those clots aren t removed or dissolved and the tourniquet isn t removed properly, they can enter the circulatory system and block vessels, which can cause problems such as stroke and cardiac arrest. 3. Toxins caused by cell waste build up in the blood below the tourniquet. The person s natural waste disposal might be overwhelmed after the tourniquet is removed, leading to organ and respiratory failure. A tourniquet should only be used: 1. As a last resort to control severe bleeding after all other methods have failed. 2. When an arm or leg has been partially or completely severed and bleeding is uncontrollable. Page 3 of 5

4 e. Explain when a bee sting could be life threatening and what action should be taken for prevention and for first aid. A sting can be life threatening if: A person is allergic to certain proteins in the venom. In about 2% of people, a bee sting can produce anaphylactic shock. Anaphylactic shock can be life threatening and requires emergency treatment. People known to be highly allergic to bee stings may carry epinephrine in the form of a self injectable EpiPen to treat anaphylactic shock. To prevent stings: Reduce your chances of being stung by avoiding brightly colored, white, or pastel clothing. Don t use cosmetics or perfume with floral scents. Food odors attract insects, especially yellow jackets, so be alert when cooking or eating outdoors, To treat stings: Minimal treatment such as a cold compress or ice pack is usually sufficient for a bee sting. Scraping a fingernail across the stinger can remove it from the skin. Clean the area with soap and water. For pain, take acetaminophen. An overthe counter steroid cream or antihistamine may be helpful if the sting is itchy. f. Explain the symptoms of heatstroke and what action should be taken for first aid and for prevention. Symptoms of heatstroke include: Heatstroke symptoms can include high body temperature; absence of sweating with hot, dry, flushed skin; rapid pulse; difficulty breathing; hallucinations or other strange behavior; confusion or agitation; or disorientation. To treat heatstroke: Get the person out of the heat and into a cool environment. If air conditioning is not available, fan the person. Spray the person with a garden hose, get the person into a cool shower, apply cool compresses, or give the person a sponge bath. Apply ice packs to the armpits, groin, neck, and back. Immerse the person in a tub of cool or cold water. Page 4 of 5

5 To prevent heatstroke: Avoid becoming dehydrated Avoid vigorous physical activity in hot and humid weather Drink plenty of fluids but avoid caffeine, tea, and alcohol Replenish electrolytes with sports drinks Take frequent breaks, and wear hats and light colored, loose, lightweight clothing Page 5 of 5