If you cannot get immediate medical help, the following safety measures may provide emergency relief.
- In all cases except poisonous bites, the principle is get the poison out or off or diluted.
- Call Poison Control promptly for emergency help
In Delaware County, other Pennsylvania suburbs or Delaware 1-800-722-7112
In Philadelphia 1-215-386-2100 - Have the following information ready when you call:
Swallowed Poison:
- Give a glass of water or milk. Then call the poison control center, doctor, or hospital emergency room for further instructions.
- If advised to induce vomiting, administer syrup of ipecac (available from most drug stores) as directed.
- Get the victim to medical help. Take any vomit material and the poison container with you.
- Get into fresh, clean air.
- Loosen clothing.
- If not breathing, start artificial respiration (CPR) promptly.
- Call 911 for emergency help.
- Put the person in a sitting position, leaning forward.
- With a finger against the bleeding nostril, apply firm pressure for five minutes.
- Apply cold compresses to face and nose.
- If bleeding continues, get medical help.
- If a fracture of any part of the body or any injury to the head, neck or back is suspected, the patient should not be moved without medical supervision unless absolutely necessary.
- If a patient with a back or neck injury must be moved, keep the back, head and neck in a straight line, preventing them from being twisted or bent during movement. Use a board to help keep back, head and neck rigid.
- For other fractures, until you get medical help, place the injured part in as natural a position as possible without causing discomfort to the patient.
- Protect from further injury by applying splints long enough to extend well beyond the joints above and below the fracture. Any firm material can be used (board, pole, metal rod or even a thick newspaper or magazine). Pad splints with clothing or other soft material to prevent skin injury. Fasten with bandage or cloth at the break and beyond joints above and below it. Use pressure bandage to control bleeding (see Severe Bleeding, below).
- Call for emergency help and transport to a medical facility.
- Do not use any antiseptics or other materials.
- Place a thick pad of clean cloth or bandage directly over wound and press firmly to control blood flow.
- Hold in place with strong bandage, neckties, cloth strips, or hand.
- Do not make the tie so tight as to prevent circulation to the rest of the limb.
- In case of injuries to the groin, armpit, or neck, where ties cannot be used, control blood flow with finger or hand pressure.
- Raise the bleeding part higher than the rest of the body, unless bones are broken.
- If injury is extensive, treat for shock.
- Use Universal Precautions when you may come into contact with blood.
- Wear latex gloves while handling bodily fluids.
- Lacking latex gloves, a non-porous barrier should be placed between the source of the fluid and your hand. A barrier can be a plastic wrap or anything that does not absorb fluid. A barrier can also be created by using the victim’s hand directly on the source and then using your hand on top to apply pressure.
- Wash your hands thoroughly following this procedure.
- Shock usually accompanies severe injury or emotional upset. The signs are cold and clammy skin, pale face, chills, frequent nausea or vomiting, and shallow breathing.
- Call for emergency help and treatment.
- Keep the person lying down.
- You may elevate the feet if the face is pale and there are no head or chest injuries.
- If the face is flushed or there are head/or chest injuries, raise the head and shoulders.
- Minor burns may be immersed in cold water.
- Severe burns should be covered with dry, clean material to exclude air.
- Get medical attention.
- If the person is conscious and can swallow, give plenty of water or other non-alcoholic liquids to drink.
- Do not use ointments, greases, powder, etc.
- Until you get medical help, immerse the burned area immediately in cold water or apply clean, cold, moist towels.
- Chill water with ice if possible, but never add salt.
- Maintain treatment as long as pain or burning exists.
- In case of chemical burns, flush skin with plenty of running water.
- Cover burned area with clean cloth to exclude air.
- Avoid breaking any blisters that may appear.
- If burns are extensive, keep patient quiet and treat for shock.
- If the victim is conscious and cannot cough, speak, or breathe - give four back blows (between the shoulder blades), followed by four abdominal thrusts for adults, four chest thrusts for infants and children.
- For infants (under one year), the chest thrusts are delivered with two fingers over the breastbone between the nipples. The baby’s head should be lower than the chest for back blows and thrusts.
- For the child (ages 1 to 8), chest thrusts are given with the heel of one hand over the breastbone (the child should be lying down).
- If caused by fever, sponge body with cool water.
- Apply cold cloths to head.
- Lay on side with hips elevated.
- Never force anything into the mouth.
- Protect from injury.
- Don’t try to hold the person down.
- Call physician or 911.
Eye Contamination:
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Fainting
- Keep in flat position.
- Elevate legs and feet.
- Loosen clothing around neck.
- Keep patient warm- if necessary.
- Keep mouth clear.
- Give nothing to swallow.
- If breathing has stopped, start artificial respiration (CPR).
- If fainting is prolonged, have someone call for emergency help and transport to a medical facility
Sprains and Strains
Follow the R.I.C.E. rule - Rest Ice Compression Elevate
- Apply ice 24-48 hours to reduce swelling.
- If using ice, keep on for 15-20 minutes, then remove.
- Repeat at 2-4 hour intervals but do not keep on continuously.
- Rest as much as possible and keep affected limb elevated to reduce swelling.
- Support with Ace bandage wrap but be careful not to apply so tight as to cut off circulation.
Sudden Illness, When to Call for Help:
- person has lost consciousness or in the process of losing it or is abnormally confused.
- person has difficulty breathing or is not breathing normally.
- person has chest pain or pressure that won’t go away.
- person is vomiting or is passing blood.
- person has seizures, a severe headache, or slurred speech.
- person has persistent pressure or pain in the abdomen.
- person seems to have been poisoned.
- person has injuries to his/her head, neck, or back.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON FIRST AID ON THE INTERNET, GO TO . .
Mayo Clinic- First Aid Guide
http://www.mayoclinic.com/findinformation/
firstaidandselfcare/index.cfm
Center for Disease Control, Universal Precautions
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dhqp/bp_universal_precautions.html
Rescue 411 - Choking
http://library.thinkquest.org/10624/choking.html
Rescue 411 - Rescue Breathing
http://library.thinkquest.org/10624/
Rescue 411 - CPR
http://library.thinkquest.org/10624/cpr.html
Rescue 411 - First Aid
http://library.thinkquest.org/10624/1staid.html
Aetna Intelihealth - Harvard Medical School - First Aid Needs/Disaster Planning
First Aid Tips
http://www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH?d=dmtContent&c=
245126&p=~br,IHW|~st,24479|~r,WSIHW000|~b,*|
Disaster Basics
http://www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH?d=dmtContent&c=
245115&p=~br,IHW|~st,24479|~r,WSIHW000|~b,*|
Stocking your medicine cabinet:
http://www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH?d=dmtHMSContent&c=
360228&p=~br,IHW|~st,24479|~r,WSIHW000|~b,*|
http://www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH?d=dmtHMSContent&c=
361383&p=~br,IHW|~st,24479|~r,WSIHW000|~b,*|
Dr. C. Everett Koop – First Aid
http://search.drkoop.com/query?q=first+aid&submit=Go&st=s