First Aid tips

First Aid tips ........................................................................................................................ 1

Washing the hands ......................................................................................................... 1
Who should get always medical help.............................................................................. 1
What NOT to do: ............................................................................................................. 1
Risks................................................................................................................................ 2
What to have at hand ...................................................................................................... 2
Hematomas......................................................................................................................... 3
Bruises ................................................................................................................................ 4
Large wounds...................................................................................................................... 5
Small wounds or scrapes.................................................................................................... 6
Blisters................................................................................................................................. 7
Burns ................................................................................................................................... 8

I think that you should not play so hard as for hurting your bottom, but accidents do
happen.

This is neither professional advice nor a first aid manual. I´m just telling you what I did
when I had this tipe of problem. I’ve learned them from several sources, including the
Red Cross and the Boy Scouts.

If you use playing very hard, drawing blood, you should get yourself a course on first aid.
Don't limit yourself to reading this.

If you have any doubt, CHECK WITH A PHYSICIAN. It is better to call a doctor
unnecessarily than regretting after for not doing it.

Washing the hands

Wash your hands thoroughly with water and soap, making abundant lathe, and, if
possible, with an antibacterial hand wash. Rub between the fingers and clean under the
nails. If nothing else, rinse afterwards with alcohol. Don’t touch the faucet (or anything
else) afterwards.

Use sterile examination gloves (if available) when treating wounds or

touching blood, for your (and the wounded) safety.

Who should get always medical help

Those who have diabetes or other long time illness, those who take prescription drugs
that affect the immune system as cortisone medications, or are under chemotherapy.
These persons are more likely to develop an infection. Again, check with a doctor.

What NOT to do:

v DON’T DO FURTHER DAMAGE. If you are not sure about what to do, call for
medical help
v Don’t hit again on the place until totally healed (several days)
v Never touch a wound with your hands, mouth or non-sterile objects.
v Don’t wash the wound to the inside. Use movements to the outside.
v Don’t blow on a wound.
v Don’t touch or move blood clots
v Don’t try to close a wound with stitches. Only a professional can do it with no risk of
infection.
v Don’t put cotton, gauze or adhesive tape on or directly over the wound (it will stick to
it).
v Don’t use wet dressings or too loose or too tight bandages

Risks
v Loosing blood thru large bleeding
v Infection by airborne viruses, bacteria and contaminants spread by the implements,
hands and other body parts.
v Infection with a disease through blood or lymph (the colorless body fluid inside
blisters, which also appears in cuts and scrapes) left on the implements from a
previous scene. Some viruses can live long time outside the body. The HIV is short
lived, but the hepatitis virus, for instance, can live for weeks.
v Tetanus infection is caused by dirty implements or bytes. A puncture is especially
risky. Everybody should be vaccinated, and if you have not received a booster in the
last 5 years, you should get one before 48 hours of being wounded. Do not do it by
yourself. Check with your doctor.

What to have at hand

v Disposable medical exam gloves
v Antibacterial hand wash
v Thermometer
v Adhesive bandage strips
v Roller gauze and gauze pads
v Sterile dressings
v Medical tape
v Antibiotic ointment or antiseptic wipes
v Ibuprofen or paracetamol (acetaminophen) for relieving the pain. Aspirin can be
used if over 19, but it could keep the blood from clotting.
v Tweezers
v Scissors (for cutting clothes, gauze, tape)
Hematomas
A hematoma is like a large dark bruise, but it is hot and hard, tender and painful.

A bruise (see ARTICLE) is caused by the rupture of small blood vessels near the surface
of the skin. The blood disseminates on the surrounding tissue. A hematoma is caused by
the rupture of a large vessel, in which the bleeding accumulates in a pool. They can be
from small point like accumulations to a 2 inches blood bag.

Hematomas are dangerous because the accumulated blood, as it clots, puts pressure on
the surrounding tissue, undamaged blood vessels and nerves.

Small hematomas, like bruises, should heal by themselves.

What How
LOOK FOR HELP if:
the victim has a large hematoma
Or if he/she develops:
v Increased pain
v Fever of 101 degrees F or higher
v General ill feeling
Bruises
Unbroken skin, looks dark red or purple, and doesn’t whiten when pressed.

A bruise is caused by the rupture of small blood vessels near the surface of the skin.
The blood disseminates on the surrounding tissue.

DO NOT HIT again on the area until it disappears.

Not much can be done, but trying to minimize the damage:

What How
First 24 hours (or more, it the swelling persists)
Reduce swelling and Put ice, ice packs, even frozen vegetable
internal bleeding bags, over the area
• wrapped in cloth, not directly over the
skin
• no more than 15 minutes at a time.
Or
Soak in cold water.
Take a shower, seat on the filled tub
After 24 hours (or after the there is no more swelling)
Help reabsorbing Use warm compresses
Massage softly
Check for problems until Get professional help if the beaten
healed develops:
v Fever of 101 degrees F or higher
v Redness, swelling, tenderness at and
around the site of the bruise
v Increased pain
v General ill feeling
Large wounds
v Deep (more than the surface of the skin), or over half an inch long, or wounds with
jagged edges.
v Any wound that looks as it will need stitches.
v Any wound that doesn’t stop bleeding after 10 minutes of pressure
v Wounds that bleed in gushes
v Deep puncture wounds

What How
LOOK FOR HELP.
YOU SHOULD NOT TREAT IT BY YOURSELF.
Until getting help:
Try to stop or minimize v Press firmly over the wound with a
the bleeding sterile dressing (or gauze) or the
cleanest cloth you can find.
v If blood soaks over the dressing, DO
NOT REMOVE IT. Add another layer
and keep pressing until the bleeding
stops.
v Avoid restricting the blood circulation
(don’t press too hard).
v An ice pack or the like could be used
over the dressings to help stopping
the bleeding
v DON’T REMOVE large or deeply set
objects. Immobilize with bandages,
trying not to move them.
Small wounds or scrapes
Small wounds (in which only the skin is broken) usually bleed very little and the bleeding
stops almost immediately. Scrapes can be covered with blood, but usually the loss of
blood is small. Most will heal by themselves if cared for appropriately.

What How
Clean the wound Dirt inside the wound causes infection
and scarring. Wash with soap and
water.
Put the wound under a tap or take a
bath or shower. (it can restart the
bleeding)
If there are splinters or small things
locked in the wound, remove with
tweezers (carefully)
Try to stop or minimize v Press firmly over the wound with a
the bleeding sterile dressing (or gauze) or the
cleanest cloth you can find.
v If blood soaks over the dressing, DO
NOT REMOVE IT. Add another layer
and keep pressing until the bleeding
stops.
v Avoid restricting the blood circulation
(don’t press to hard).
Disinfect Apply a thin layer of antiseptic ointment
or cream.
Do not use tincture of iodine, rubbing
alcohol, merthiolate, mercurochrome, or
any other over-the-counter antiseptic on
the wound. They will delay the healing.
You can use them for sterilizing the
surrounding area.
Cover the wound With a sterile dressing or bandage strips
for avoiding infection and protecting the
wound.
v Bandages should not be too tight or
too loose.
v Do not use wet bandages, and
change them if wetted.
v Uncover by night, for aiding in the
healing
Check for infection until Get professional help if the injured
healed develops:
v Fever of 101 degrees F or higher
v Redness, swelling, tenderness at
and around the site of the wound
v Increased pain
v General ill feeling
Blisters
Do not puncture blisters. Let them heal by themselves.
If already opened, treat them as wounds.

What How
If open, disinfect Apply a thin layer of antiseptic ointment
or cream.
DO NOT use tincture of iodine, rubbing
alcohol, merthiolate, mercurochrome, or
any other over-the-counter antiseptic
into the wound. They will delay the
healing. You can use them for sterilizing
the surrounding area
If open, cover the area With a sterile dressing or bandage strips
for avoiding infection until a scab forms.
v Bandages should not be too tight or
too loose.
v Do not use wet bandages, and
change them is wetted.
v Uncover by night, for aiding in the
healing
Check for infection until Get professional help if the injured
healed develops:
v Fever of 101 degrees F or higher
v Redness, swelling, tenderness at
and around the site of the wound
v Increased pain
v General ill feeling
Burns
They are classified as
• 1st degree (skin reddened, no blisters, like sunburn)
• 2nd degree (skin deep, blisters, pink)
• 3rd degree (deeper than the skin, pale or charred appearance) . It can be less painful
than the others, because nerve terminals could be destroyed. GET ALWAYS
MEDICAL HELP

The risk depends also on the extension and position of the burn. Get medical help
immediately if the burned area is larger than 2 to 3 inches in diameter or if the burn is
on the hands, feet, face, groin, buttocks or a major joint.

All burns (while getting medical help)

What How
Cool down the burn Put under running water for at least 10
minutes
Do not puncture blisters
Lesser burns
What How
Cover the area With a sterile bandage until a scab
forms. DO NOT APPLY ANY
MEDICINE ON THE WOUND. Maybe
some moisturizing lotion
Check for infection until Get professional help if the injured
healed develops:
v Fever of 101 degrees F or higher
v Redness, swelling, tenderness at
and around the site of the wound
v Increased pain
v General ill feeling