SENIOR HEALTH

Safety First Aid & Prevention

If Not You…Who?

Worksheet – What would you do in this particular situation?

Consider This

40 million injury-related visits were made to the emergency department hospitals in 2003

Injuries resulted in more than 160,000 deaths in the U.S. in 2003.

Unintentional injuries cause most childhood deaths.

Steps in an Emergency

1. Recognize that an emergency exists2. Decide to act3. Activate the EMS system4. Give Care Until Help Arrives

Step 1 - Recognizing Emergencies

Use your senses Hearing, sight, and smell

Unusual Sights

Stopped vehicle on the roadside Broken glass Spilled medicine container Downed electrical wires Sparks, smoke, or fire

Unusual Appearances or Behavior

UnconsciousnessConfused or unusual behaviorTrouble breathingClutching chest or throatSlurred, confused, or hesitant speechUnexplainable confusion or drowsinessSweating for no apparent reasonInability to move a body partUncharacteristic skin color

Unusual Odors

Odors that are stronger than usualUnrecognizable odorsInappropriate Odors

Unusual Noises

Screaming, yelling, moaning, or calling for help

Breaking glass, crashing metal or screeching tires

Sudden, loud or unidentifiable soundsUnusual silence

Step 2. Deciding to Act

Emergency situations can cause mixed feelings These feelings may make one hesitate in helping

Recognizing an emergency yet failing to act. Because other people are there Not knowing the injured or ill persons condition Fear of catching a disease Fear of doing something wrong Fear of being sued Being unsure of when to call 9-1-1

Good Samaritan Laws

Are there laws to protect you when you provide help in an emergency situation?

YesThey protect citizens who act the same way

that a “reasonable and prudent person” would in the same situation.

A reasonable and prudent person would…

Move a person only if the person’s life were in danger

Ask a conscious person for permission before giving care.

Check the person for life-threatening conditions before giving further care.

Call 9-1-1 or the local emergency number.Continue to give care until more highly

trained personnel arrive.

Good Samaritan Lawsuits

Non-professionals are rarely sued for helping in emergencies.

If sued, Good Samaritan laws protect the responder from financial responsibility.

However if the caregiver left the injured person after beginning care then good Samaritan laws do not apply.

Step 3. Activate the EMS System

Calling 9-1-1Know your surroundings

Using a cell phone with an emergency number

Step 4 – Give Care Until Help Arrives

If you are trained in first aid, you can give help that can save a life in the first few minutes of an emergency.

The brain stops functioning after 3 minutes of unconsciousness. (death)

Remember to Get Permission

Get permission from the person to help them This is known as getting “consent”

If the victim is a child, consent should be obtained from the parent or guardian.

Do not give care to a conscious person who refuses it.

However, Do Call 9-1-1Permission is implied for an unconscious

person.

Review

What are the four steps in an emergency situation?

How Disease Spreads

Infectious diseases- those that can spread from one person to another- develop when germs invade the body and cause illness.

Most common- bacteria/ viruses

Bacteria

Bacteria can live outside the body and do not depend on other organisms for life.

The number of bacteria that infect humans is very small, but some can cause serious infections.

These can be treated with antibiotics.

Ex: Streptococcus Agalactia - Strep throat

Viruses

Viruses depend on other organisms to live.Once in the body they are hard to remove.There are very few medications that fight

viruses.The body’s immune system is the number one

protection against infection.

How do they spread?

Touching- Through blood or body fluids.

Breathing- Air, utensils, door knobs

Biting- Animals/ Humans

Preventing Disease Transmission

Avoid Direct Contact With bloodUse protective breathing barriers when doing

CPRUse bandages to cover cuts or open woundsDo not eat, drink or touch your mouth, nose, or

eyes before washing your hands.Avoid handling personal items while performing

first aid.Have a fully stocked first aid kit.Tell EMS that you have been in contact with

blood.

Wash Your Hands!

Use warm / hot waterWet hand before applying soap.Rub hand together for at least 15 seconds.Scrub under your finger nailsDry hand thoroughly with a paper towel.Use the paper towel to turn off the faucet

How would you clean a blood spill?

Clean the spill as fast as possible.Use disposable gloves and any other

protective equipment.Wipe the spill with paper towels.After the fluid is wiped, pour a solution of

10% chlorine bleach, and let it sit for 10 minutes.

Dispose of fluids and materials in a biohazard container.

Removing Gloves Step 1

Pinch the glove at the wrist, only touch the outside of the glove.

Pull the glove toward the fingertips without completely removing it.

The glove should be inside out.

Step 2

Remove the second glove.

With your partially gloved hand, pinch the outside surface of the second glove.

Pull the second glove toward the fingertips until it is inside out, and remove it completely.

Step 3

Finish removing both gloves.

Grasp both gloves with your free hand.

Touch only the clean interior surface of the glove.

Step 4

After removing the gloves….

Discard in an appropriate container.

Wash your hands thoroughly!