Health and Wholeness

Topic 8: First Aid and Early Intervention By: Ssemujju Stephen

First Aid is

Emergency treatment offered to a person before real treatment comes Aims to preserve life and keep conditions from getting worse

First Lesson:

First Aid: be a leader and ACT

Aid
Save the victim from further harm Assess events surrounding illness/accident to relay

relevant facts for health care

Comfort
Make the victim as comfortable as possible Reassure victim, family

Transport
Send someone to get help, or do that yourself
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Bleeding

Pressure Raise injured part above heart Person lies flat Loose wrap with clean cloth

Fractured bones: immobilize

Cardiac Arrest

Follow the ABC strategy Check for heart beat and breathing by feeling for a pulse and observing the chest for movement Is the airway clear? If not breathing give mouth to mouth resuscitation Maintain circulation by making chest compressions
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Choking: for children or infants

Hold across arm, head down, make several gentle blows with hand to back between shoulder blades

Choking: Adults

Grab from behind around waist Make fist with one hand, thumb pointing in Place fist half way between navel and bottom of breast bone Grab with the other hand Give several strong jerks.
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Choking: Help yourself!

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Poison

Common to Uganda = paraffin, medications or caustic acids Get to the doctor immediately! Try to dilute with water or milkon the way to the doctor Take the poison with you to the doctor so they know exactly what happened

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Fits or Seizures

Caused by brain disturbance from injury, disease, oxygen shortage, poisons, epilepsy. Convulsions are not contagious

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Help a person having a fit:

Ease fall, loosen clothing around neck Protect head: place something soft under head, shoulders Remove sharp objects/hazards Do not hold them down Do not put anything in their mouth Get medical help Myth: shoving onion in the mouth or putting a spoon in to keep from biting tongue: NO!
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Fire

If clothing catches fire, take off or pat out Stop, drop and roll! Remove clothing covering a burn

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Treating a burn
1.
2. 3.

Simple burn with no blister: cool water is enough; panadol for pain. Blisters: do not break; wash with cool, clean water. Leave to heal. Never smear oil, butter. Serious burns with charred flesh: needs medical attention. Wrap with VERY clean cloth and transport for care. Also keep up liquids if large area, add tsp salt and tsp bicarbonate of soda to 1 litre water, drink
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Simple cuts and scrapes

Wash with clean water (bottled or boiled) Get all bits of dirt out Wrap with a clean cloth or a bandage Put ice on if swelling Watch for infection: puffy, oozing yellowish liquid

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Infections and abscesses

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Infections and Abscesses

Red, swollen, hot, painful Pus or begins to smell bad Clean well with soapy water Apply detol, savlon or peroxide to disinfect Seek care if stays open long

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Snake bites

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Snake bites

Stay calm and quiet. Rapid action speeds heart rate. Get medical help. Wrap bitten area with a broad cloth very tight but still feel pulse Immobilize bitten area no movement. Myth: Cutting, sucking poison or use of black stones. It doesnt work

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Early Intervention
Early Intervention is identifying the early signs of an illness and taking steps to get help before it becomes serious.
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Why worry?

Many diseases begin with mild symptoms. When diseases progress, they start to affect organs and the chemistry in the body. It becomes more difficult for the body to fight. Eventually serious problems occur in the body and it cannot fight any more.

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Routine Screening

De-worming children Regular (annual) dental and vision Regular blood pressure checks Having health provider touch, press parts, listen to chest, look in eyes and ears and throat
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Key symptom areas

Fever (low=37.5C, high=39C and above) Vomiting, diarrhea Blood in urine or stool Skin, bumps, moles Strong pain anywhere Appetite Vision Teeth

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Warning signs, 1

Loose large amounts of blood Coughing up blood Very blue lips, nails Great difficulty breathing (doesnt improve with rest) Person cannot be wakened, or so weak they faint when standing 1+ days without urinating or drinking 26 Failure to pass stool or flatus

Warning signs, 2

Heavy vomiting, severe diarrhea lasting more than one day or more than a few hours in babies Black stools like tar, or vomit with blood Strong continuous stomach pains with vomiting Strong, continuous pain lasting 3+ days
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Warning signs, 3

Stiff neck, arched back, maybe stiff jaw Fit (seizure) with a fever or serious illness Fever over 39C or lasts 4-5 days Weight loss over extended time Blood in urine Sores that do not clear up Lump or mole that changes shape, colour
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See a doctor if:

Increasing severity (gets worse) Persistent (does not go away) Disables (it interferes with your ability to do daily activities) General view is that this is serious (you or others say so) Associated with other symptoms (e.g., more than one thing are going wrong at the same time)

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At the doctors

Describe symptoms: # days, where hurts Tell them about other health conditions you have whether they are related or not Dont expect treatment! Time alone may be enough.

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Make sure the doctor:

Understands your history with this problem and other problems you get treatment for Examines you: touch, listen and look Diagnoses you: tell you what it is Discusses the treatment Gives you contact information if there is a problem!

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Understand your medications

Name, dose Condition it treats Affect on sleep, work, appetite Reaction with other medicine you take When to take it (food or not, times of day) Take as needed or full course Never buy expired medicines
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The Whole Truth

Luke 10:30-36. Jesus said, A man was goingto Jerichorobbers stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went awayA priest passed bya Levite passed bybut a Samaritan bandaged his wounds, poured on oil and wine, took him to an inn and took care of himhe paid the inkeeper to look after the man. Which of these was a neighbour to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?
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