Everything First Aid Book: How to Handle Falls and Breaks, Choking, Cuts and Scrapes, Insect Bites and Rashes, Burns, Poisoning, and When to Call 911 (Everything Series)

322 Pages·2008·5.59 MB·English

by  Saubers N.

FIRST AID
BOOK
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Nadine Saubers, R.N.
The Series
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Visit the entire Everything® series at www.everything.com
THE
first aid
BOOK
How to handle:
Falls and breaks
Insect bites and rashes
Cuts and scrapes
Choking
Burns
Poisoning
Nadine Saubers, R.N.
Technical Review by Vincent Iannelli, M.D.
Avon, Massachusetts
Copyright © 2008 by F+W Publications, Inc.
All rights reserved. This book, or parts thereof, may not be
reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher;
exceptions are made for brief excerpts used in published reviews.
An Everything® Series Book.
Everything® and everything.com® are registered
trademarks of F+W Publications, Inc.
Published by Adams Media, an F+W Publications Company
57 Littlefield Street, Avon, MA 02322 U.S.A.
www.adamsmedia.com
eISBN-13: 978-1-60550-213-7
9-505-36895-1 :01
Printed in Canada.
J I H G F E D C B A
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication data
is available from the publisher.
This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative informa-
tion with regard to the subject matter covered. It is sold with the understand-
ing that the publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting, or other
professional advice. If legal advice or other expert assistance is required, the
services of a competent professional person should be sought.
—From a Declaration of Principles jointly adopted by a Committee of the
American Bar Association and a Committee of Publishers and Associations
Many of the designations used by manufacturers and sellers to distinguish
their products are claimed as trademarks. Where those designations appear
in this book and Adams Media was aware of a trademark claim, the designa-
tions have been printed with initial capital letters.
The Everything® First Aid Book is intended as a reference volume only, not as
a medical manual. In light of the complex, individual, and specific nature of
health problems, this book is not intended to replace professional medical
advice. The ideas, procedures, and suggestions in this book are intended
to supplement, not replace, the advice of a trained medical professional.
Consult your physician before adopting the suggestions in this book, as well
as about any condition that may require diagnosis or medical attention. The
author and publisher disclaim any liability arising directly or indirectly from
the use of this book.
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Acknowledgments
I’m deeply thankful to John Davis and Nancy Deville for
their support, which made so many things possible.
The Top Ten Steps in Emergency Response
1. Call 911 or shout for help until you know someone has
heard and called 911, or go for help (either you or
someone else needs to call 911).
2. Assess the situation, make sure it’s safe before you
proceed, and stay calm.
3. Check ABCs, and don’t move a person unless there is
a life-or-death reason to do so. Ask the injured person
what happened.
4. If a person is choking or can’t breathe and you are
trained in CPR, do the Heimlich maneuver and begin
rescue breathing. If the person doesn’t have a pulse,
start CPR.
5. For any bleeding, apply direct, even pressure.
6. Manage for shock if the person is chilled, short of
breath, nauseous, clammy, and pale.
7. Look for a Medic Alert bracelet, necklace, or identification
tag (or ID card or driver’s license) for any medical
history or special needs.
8. After you have stabilized the injured person, go get
professional medical help.
9. Don’t give the ill or injured person anything to eat or
drink, including medications.
10. Wait for the ambulance to arrive while comforting the
ill or injured person.
First-Aid Myths
this book’s intention is to give you solid first-aid principles
and an introduction to emergency response. The most
important first step in first aid is to do no further harm.
The correct principles for action are covered in detail in
the book, but the following list briefly outlines some of the
more common first-aid myths.
• Never slap a choking person on the back—let the per-
son cough and the object may dislodge itself. If the
person stops coughing or breathing, then perform the
Heimlich maneuver.
• Never cut and suck the skin of or apply a tourniquet
to a person with a snakebite. Sucking may introduce
more bacteria and spread the venom, and a tourni-
quet will cut off blood supply to the area.
• Peeing on a jellyfish sting won’t help the pain.
• Don’t breathe into a paper bag for hyperventilation.
• Don’t drink alcohol to warm up when cold, it will only
lead to hypothermia in cold weather.
• Don’t drink alcohol for a toothache or any other pain.
• Don’t put butter, Crisco, or any other type of grease
on a burn; grease can trap heat and lead to infection
and scarring.
vii
• Don’t put a raw steak on a black eye or any other
injury; the bacteria on the meat may contaminate the
wound or the eye.
• Don’t use hydrogen peroxide to clean wounds, it may
kill the body’s defensive cells that are rushing to the
wound to take care of invading bacteria.
• People don’t swallow their tongues during seizures,
so don’t try to hold the tongue or put anything in the
mouth. Don’t restrain the person either.
• Don’t squeeze the stinger on a bee sting or try to pull
it out with tweezers—this will squeeze venom into
the wound; use a credit card to scrape it away.
• Don’t throw your head back during a nosebleed—it
will cause blood to run down your throat and you
may vomit. Instead, lean forward slightly and pinch
your nose for ten full minutes.
• If you have something embedded in your skin, you
should not pull it out if there is a chance the object is
sealing a wound and preventing bleeding. Get medi-
cal help if you are not sure.
• Don’t continue to run with shin splints; running while
injured will increase your injury.
• Don’t put vinegar on a sunburn; instead, apply cool
compresses.
• You can’t stop motion sickness by staring at a point
on the horizon.
• Poison ivy is not contagious, but the oil is. If the oil is
on you, it can be spread to others.
• Don’t use rubbing alcohol to cool down a fever—it will
absorb into the skin and may cause further illness.
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