□ DOG BITE
A person may be bitten by a domestic dog or a stray dog. A domestic dog may or may not be immunized against rabies. If it is immunized, there is no risk of rabies in the victim. If it is not immunized, it can contract rabies from a rabid dog, and then its bite is dangerous.
Continue reading First-Aid: First-Aid for Dog Bite, Cat Bite, Rat Bite and Fish Bite
STING OF JELLYFISH
The effects vary from slight local reaction to large wheals, severe pain and sometimes swift death.
FACIAL FRACTURES
These include fractures of the nose, cheekbones or jaw. The airway may be obstructed by loose teeth, blood and saliva, or displaced, swollen or lacerated tissue. Absence or depression of cough reflex may result in aspiration of regurgitated stomach contents into lungs causing asphyxia. Bleeding may be profuse. Fracture of the lower jaw is diagnosed by the following features.
The objectives of first-aid are :
1. Apply cold pads or ice in a polythene bag — these soothe the pain.
2. Rest the affected part.
3. Make the patient comfortable.
4. Prevent further damage.
5. Get medical aid at the earliest.
Skeletal injuries can be classified as sprain, strain, dislocation and fracture. Adequate treatment given at the time of injury is very important in good anatomical repair and functional recovery. If it is not given, it may lead to further injury, shock and permanent disabilities, Sprain and strain are joint injuries in which there is no displacement of joint surfaces. In a dislocation there is displacement of bones at the joint. A fracture is partial or complete break in the continuity of a bone (periosteum).
Continue reading First-Aid: Causes of Skeletal Injuries and Types of Fracture
FRACTURE OF COLLARBONE
The clavicle fractures due to fall on the outstretched hand or on the tip of the shoulder. It is diagnosed by the presence of the following features.
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FRACTURE OF THE FOREARM AND WRIST
Radius and ulna, the bones of the forearm may be fractured across their shafts by a heavy blow. These fractures are often compound because the bones have little fleshy covering. The commonest fracture around the wrist is a Colles’ fracture, usually caused by a fall on the outstretched hand. It produces dinner fork deformity of the forearm and hand.
Continue reading First-Aid: Fracture of Forearm and Wrist, Hand and Fingers and Fracture of Rib
FRACTURE OF THIGH BONE
Fractures of the neck of the thigh bone (femur) at the hip joint are common in the elderly women, whose bones become more brittle after menopause. A fracture of the shaft of the femur develops due to severe force e.g. road accidents, or falls from heights.
Continue reading First-Aid: Fracture of the Thigh Bone Knee Joint. Knee Cap and Leg Bones
FRACTURE OF SPINE
The spine (vertebral column) is made up of a number of small bones called a vertebrae arranged one above another. The spine is supported by many strong ligaments and the muscles of the trunk. It protects the spinal cord contained within it. The spinal cord is delicate and if damaged, loss of sensation or power can occur in parts of the body below the injured area, e.g. upper limbs, lower limbs. Permanent damage will result if the cord is partially or completely transected.
DISLOCATION
This is a more severe injury than a sprain. It occurs when a strong force acts directly or indirectly on a joint pulling a bone into an abnormal position. It can occur as a result of sudden muscular contraction too. There is displacement of one or more bones at a joint. There is also tearing of ligaments, joint capsule, and tissues around the joint. Shoulder and hip joints are commonly involved in adults, while elbow, finger, and lower jaw joints are more commonly involved in children. The condition is diagnosed by the following features.