A medical emergency is an injury or illness that is acute and poses an immediate risk to a person’s life or long-term health and it’s extremely important to attend to these patients immediately.
First aid is extremely helpful to make a casualty feel comfortable before professional medical help arrives. Here are some of the most common medical emergencies that people experience and how to deal with them.
- Burns and Scalds: Avoid handling the affected area more than necessary. See that your hands are as clean as possible by washing them, do not apply lotions of any kind, do not remove burned clothing and do not break blisters. Finally, Bandage firmly except when blisters are present.
- Seizures: Loosen any clothing around the person’s neck, do not restrain them or put anything into their mouth, clear the area around them and stay with them till the seizure stops.
- Choking: Dislodge the respiratory tract obstruction by bending the patient’s head and shoulders forward, or in the case of a small child, hold them upside down and thump the back hard, between the shoulder-blades.
- Eye Trauma: Prevent the patient from rubbing the eye, and set them facing the light, standing in front of them. Pull down the lower eyelid, and if the foreign body is seen and isn’t embedded, remove it with the corner of a clean handkerchief, preferably white, twirled up and moistened with water.
- Electrocution: Don’t touch the injured person if he or she is still in contact with the electrical current. turn off the source of electricity, if possible. If not, move the source away from you and the person, using a dry, nonconducting object made of cardboard, plastic or wood. Lay the patient down on their back, with the head low and turned to one side. Loosen clothing around the neck, chest and waist.
- Fracture: Don’t move the patient till the injured part has been immobilised. Steady and support the injured parts at once, so that movement is impossible. Immobilise the fracture by the use of bandages or the use of splints.
- Heart Attack: Seat the patient in a comfortable position. If breathing isn’t normal or the patient is unresponsive, begin CPR( Cardiopulmonary resuscitation which involves chest compressions about 100 to 120 compressions a minute) on the person. This will help to double the chances of survival.
It’s important to repeat that one should remain calm during injuries and emergencies. It will help you provide better first aid until professional help arrives.