Give first aid correctly and save more lives

More often than not, we tend to panic in the incident of a burn, broken bone or chocking. The panic sometimes causes the untold disaster of shock which breeds other health complications. 

But right from primary school, we have been taught about first aid- the first treatment given before taking someone to hospital. It is wise not to overlook first aid treatment options as they may go a long way in curbing pain and restoring sanity.

Let’s explore different conditions that warranty first aid and how it is operationalised.

Broken bones:

When a broken bone is a simple fracture, Dr Edward Naddumba, an orthopaedic and the Director Naguru Hospital advises the one administering first aid to do the following:

Keep the injured bone still. If it is a broken arm or wrist, put it in a sling to rest it and keep it still. 

If it is broken leg or arm you can also make a home-made cast or splint. This is something to keep the injured bone still. You can make this from rolled up newspapers, a clean, smooth stick or something similar.

Take the patient to a health unit where they may be able to have an x-ray.

When the broken bone is a compound fracture;

“Cover the wound to prevent infection.  Apply pressure above the injury to stop bleeding and support the injured part with splints. Get help quickly,” Dr Naddumba says.

Emergency Obstetric labour:

Obstetrical emergencies are life-threatening medical conditions that occur in pregnancy or during or after labour and delivery. They include ectopic pregnancies where the fertilized egg implants itself in the fallopian tube rather than the uterine wall and placenta previa when the placenta attaches to the mouth of the uterus and partially or completely blocks the cervix. 

According to Margaret Kidega, the Principal of Mulago School of Nursing and Midwifery, it is necessary for one to immediately call a health facility to inform the doctors of the patient so as to prepare in advance.

“Immediately arrange for transport to go to the hospital and while there, a water infusion for resuscitation should be established and inserted in the patient,” she explains.

Poisoning:

According to www.wisegeek.com, the first and most important step for giving first aid for poisoning is to identify what poison has been ingested. There is very often no set first aid for poisoning that covers all poisons.

“It may be tempting to immediately flush with water and induce vomiting because it may be harmful for a certain poison,” reads the website adding that poisonous chemicals list first aid for poisoning directly on the bottle.

Read these directions carefully and do what is instructed. If symptoms persist, it is best to seek medical attention.

Nose bleeding: 

When a person begins to nose bleed, Dr Sam Enginyu, a senior health educationist in the Ministry of Health advises that he or she should be instructed to sit down and lean forward slightly. This is to allow the blood flow out. 

“Then use your thumb and index finger to grip the person's nose and pinch it firmly,” he explains. 

Hold the nose for at least five minutes.  He adds that if it has stopped, you do not need to continue to give first aid for but if it still bleeds, continue the first aid.

If nosebleeds last longer than 20 minutes, Dr Enginyu advises one to seek medical attention.

Burns;

Burns can be from electrical, thermal (heat, flames, hot objects or steam)or chemical sources. Burns are usually rated as either first, second, or third degree burns. First degree burns are when the skin reddens but without blisters. With second degree burns, blisters are present while third degree burns occur when the skin layers are destroyed and layers of fat or bone are damaged. 

Dr Enginyu advises that if it is a liquid chemical burn, pour as much water as possible on the burn to remove the chemical.

He also advises that blisters should not be broken and any jewellery should be removed if the limb swells.

“If possible, give the victim water to drink until he can be taken to the hospital,” Dr Enginyu says.

Chocking:

According to www.healthplus24.com there are two methods you can use to give first aid for choking. These methods are back blows and abdominal thrusts. To give back blows, you will deliver blows between the choking person’s shoulder blades using the heel of your hand. 

“To perform abdominal thrusts, put your arms around the choking person’s waist and make your thumbs look towards his or her body. With the person slightly tilted forward quickly thrust in five times,” the website advises.

Cuts:

When afflicted with a cut, Dr Apollo Ahimbisibwe, a general practitioner advises the one administering the first aid to immediately arrest the bleeding. This is done by tying a tourniquet (cloth or rubber band) above the cut to reduce pressure at which blood is flowing out.

 “Then clean it by making warm salty water run over it but avoid using soap as this may irritate it,” he says. 

After, he recommends one to apply spirit or iodine to disinfect it before taking someone to a health centre.

However, if a person loses consciousness right away, Dr Ahimbisibwe advises that he or she should be rushed to hospital before applying first aid.

So there you have it. The next time you are confronted with any such problems, do not panic. Take action by administering first aid. It may be the best resort.

ninsiima@observer.ug