COMMON EMERGENCIES

● SPRAIN VS STRAIN VS CRAMPS

● COLD COMPRESS AND HOT COMPRESS
● HEAT EXHAUSTION VS HEAT STROKE
DISLOCATION VS FRACTURE
● SOFT TISSUE INJURIES/WOUNDS
● MEDICAL TERMINOLOGIES

COMMON EMERGENCIES
– medical emergency is an acute injury or illness that poses an immediate risk to a person's life
or long-term health, sometimes referred to as a situation risking "life or limb"

– Cold treatment - reduces inflammation by decreasing blood flow. Apply within 48 hours after
an injury.
– Heat treatment - promotes blood flow and helps muscles relax. Use for chronic pain.

COLD THERAPHY
● Cold treatment reduces blood flow to an injured area. This slows the rate of inflammation
and reduces the risk of swelling and tissue damage.
● It also numbs sore tissues, acts as a local anesthetic, and slows down the pain messages
being transmitted to the brain.
● Ice can help treat a swollen and inflamed joint or muscle. It is most effective within 48 hours
of an injury.
● Rest, ice, compression, and elevation (RICE) are part of the standard treatment for sports
injuries.
● Note that ice should not normally be applied directly to the skin.

HOT THERAPY
● Applying heat to an inflamed area will dilate the blood vessels, promote blood flow, and help
sore and tightened muscles relax.
● Improved circulation can help eliminate the buildup of lactic acid waste that occurs after
some type of exercise. Heat is also psychologically reassuring, which can enhance its
analgesic properties.
● Heat therapy is usually more effective than cold at treating chronic muscle pain or sore joints
caused by arthritis.

SPRAIN
● is a stretching or tearing of ligaments
● the tough bands of fibrous tissue that connect two bones in your joints.
● The most common location for a sprain is in your ankle.
STRAIN
● is an injury to a muscle or a tendon - the fibrous tissue that connects muscles to bones.
● Minor injuries may only overstretch a muscle or tendon, while more severe injuries may
involve partial or complete tears in these tissues.

SPRAIN & STRAIN

Treatment
For immediate self-care, try the R.I.C.E. approach — rest, ice, compression, elevation:
● Rest.
Avoid activities that cause pain, swelling, or discomfort. But don't avoid all physical activity.
● Ice
Even if you're seeking medical help, ice the area immediately. Use an ice pack or slush bath
of ice and water for 15 to 20 minutes each time and repeat every two to three hours while
you're awake for the first few days after the injury.
● Compression
To help stop swelling, compress the area with an elastic bandage until the swelling stops.
Don't wrap it too tightly or you may hinder circulation. Begin wrapping at the end farthest
from your heart.
Loosen the wrap if the pain increases, the area becomes numb or swelling is occurring below
the wrapped area.
● Elevate
the injured area above the level of your heart, especially at night, which allows gravity to help
reduce swelling.

CRAMPS
● cramp is a sudden, unexpected tightening of one or more muscles. Sometimes called a
charley horse, a muscle cramp can be very painful.
● Exercising or working hard, especially in heat, can lead to muscle cramps.
● Some medicines and illnesses also might cause muscle cramps.
● Muscle cramps aren't usually harmful. Self-care measures can treat most muscle cramps.

Treatment
Stretch and massage
● Stretch the cramped musele and gently rub it.
● For a calf cramp, keep the leg straight while pulling the top oi your foot on the side that's
cramped toward your face, Also, try standing with your weight on your cramped leg and
pressing down firmly.
● This helps ease a cramp in the back of the thigh too.
● For a front thigh cramp, try pulling the foot on that leg up toward your buttock. Hold on to a
chair to steady yourself.
Apply heat or cold
● Use a warm towel or heating pad on tense or tight muscles.
● Taking a warm bath or directing the stream of a hot shower onto the cramped muscle also
can help. Rubbing the sore muscle with ice also might relieve pain.

EAT EXHAUSTION
● occurs when the body becomes dehydrated and is unable to regulate its internal body
temperature,
● The condition is not usually considered life-threatening and is treatable with fluids and rest.
● The body gets rid of excess internal heat by pumping blood to the surface of the skin and
releasing sweat. Warm, moist air absorbs less sweat from the skin and limits the body's ability
to cool itseli by sweating.
● When the body is dehydrated, it lacks water and essential salt's called electrolytes, which
reduces its ability to sweat.
● If a person is unable to cool down by sweating, they may experience heat exhaustion.
● Heat exhaustion usually causes a rise in body temperature, even though it can sometimes
cause a person to feel cool.

HEAT EXHAUSTION VS HEAT STROKE

EAT EXHAUSTION
Signs of heat exhaustion include:
● weak, rapid pulse
● excessive sweating muscle weakness brey mperature
● nausea
● headache
● dizziness
● cold, pale, damp skin, sometimes accompanied by goosebumps
● low blood pressure or light-headedness when standing up or bending over
● vomiting
● irritable or aggressive behavior
● red, flushed face
● rapid, shallow breathing

Tips for treating heat exhaustion include:

● Seeking out a cool, shaded area or going indoors
● Loosening clothing
● Lying flat on the back
● Taking a lukewarm or cool shower
● Placing a cool, wet cloth on the face and chest
● Severe cases, putting ice packs under each armpit and behind the neck
● Drinking 1 liter per hour of drinks that contain electrolytes, such as Gatorade or Gastrolyte
Prevention
Prevent heat exhaustion include:
● A person can help prevent heat exhaustion by staying hydrated and cool.
● drinking fluids during and after exercise
● avoiding exercising in direct sunlight in warmer months
● avoiding prolonged exposure to hot, humid weather
● wearing loose-fitting clothing when exercising or when in warm weather
● keeping electrolyte beverages or oral-rehydration salt preparations on hand
● avoiding sugary drinks and sodas
● not increasing workload or pace too quickly

Prevention
● exercising in a well-ventilated area or while using a fan
● seeking air-conditioned, indoor areas when outdoor temperatures are over 32°C
● applying sunscreen with SPF 15 or higher 30 minutes before going outdoors and reapplying
often
● in the summer, scheduling strenuous activities during the early morning or evening
● increasing fluid intake when using medications known to increase the risk of heat exhaustion
● keeping hydrated when working in hot, humid environments, such as factories, laundry
facilities, and kitchens
● wearing lightweight, light-colored clothing when exercising or working in warm weather

HEAT EXHAUSTION VS HEAT STROKE

EAT STROKE
● occurs when an individual has been too hot for too long, whether working, exercising, or
simply sitting in a hot environment.
● Also known as sunstroke, heatstroke is a serious condition and must be considered an
emergency
● If left untreated, damage to internal organs can occur.
● The longer it is left, the more serious heatstroke can become. In some cases, heatstroke can
be fatal.
● If the body temperature rises above 40° Celsius, and the body loses the ability to cool down,
it is considered to be heatstroke.
● Some people are more susceptible to heatstroke, including young people, older adults and
overweight individuals
● Heatstroke can be brought on by physical exertion in hot conditions, or simply bi being in a
hot environment
● Treating heatstroke centers around bringing body temperature down

Symptoms of heatstroke can include:

● High body temperature: An elevated body temperature is the main characteristic of
heatstroke.
 ● Mental changes: These can include confusion, seizures (particularly in children), delirium,
slurred speech, irritability, and coma.
● Sweat changes: In heatstroke brought on by hot weather, the skin will feel hot and dry.
Heatstroke induced by physical exertion will leave the skin feeling moist.
● Nausea: This is the feeling of being sick or needing to vomit.
● Headache: A throbbing headache is common with heatstroke.
● Color change: The skin may turn red as the body becomes hotter.
● Breathing: Breathing might become quicker and shallower.
● Heart rate: As the body attempts to cool down, the heart is put under increasing strain
causing the heart rate to rise

EAT STROKE
The main aim of treating heatstroke is to lower the patient's temperature and prevent further
damage, including:
● Immersion: The person with heatstroke is submerged in cold water or an ice bath.
● Evaporation cooling: Cold water is misted onto the skin while warm air is fanned onto the
body. This causes evaporation, which cools the skin
● Cooling blankets and ice packs: Cooling blankets are wrapped around the individual with
heatstroke. Ice packs are placed in regions where large veins come close to the surface of
the skin, such as the groin, armpit, neck, and back. This ensures that the temperature of the
blood rapidly decreases.
● Muscle relaxants: Drugs, such as benzodiazepines, may be given if the body temperature is
not dropping. These prevent the body from shivering in response to the cold treatments.

What is the difference between heatstroke and heat exhaustion?

● Heatstroke and heat exhaustion are both illnesses due to exposure to extreme heat.
● If left untreated, heat exhaustion can progress into heatstroke, which may be life-
threatening

What is the difference between heatstroke and heat exhaustion?

&

Heat exhaustion can lead to: Heatstroke may begin withh

• muscle cramping symptoms of heat exhaustion. It
• a rapid, weak pulse can be life-threatening, and
• a general sense of weakness symptoms may rapidly worsen, to
• nausea or vomiting include:
• excessive sweating • a temperature of 40 °C or higher
 • cold, clammy skin • hot, dry skin
• dizziness and sometimes • a racing heartbeat
fainting • confusion
• dark-colored urine • agitation
• headaches slurred speech
● seizures
● loss of consciousness
● coma

SOFT TISSUE INUURY

Common soft tissue injuries?
• Ankle Sprain
Back Strain
● Calf Strain
● Golfers/Tennis elbow
● Hamstring strain
Symptoms of soft tissue injuries?
• When soft tissue is damaged, there is usually immediate pain along with immediate or delayed
swelling (excessive swelling can slow the healing process - see treatment below).
Bruisings may also develop atter 24 48 hourf the trauma and swelling.
• In the case of moderate to severe soft tissue injuries of muscles, tendons, and ligaments around a
joint, there may be instability experienced, especially to weight-bearing joints like the hip, knee, and
ankle.

Treatment for soft tissue injuries:

There are principally three stages of treatment and recovery from soft tissue injuries like ankle
sprains
● Stage one: During the first 24-72 hours, it is important to protect the injured area, gain an
accurate diagnosis, and follow the PRICE regime.
● If possible, gentle pain-free movement should be encouraged.
● Stage two: Reduce swelling and stiffness and begin to regain normal movement.
● Stage three: Regaining of normal function and return to normal activities.

PRICE Regime for Soft Tissue Injuries

– Protect
Minimize using the affected aren the area and initially avoid stretching which could further weaken
the damaged tissue.
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A sling may help to protect an arm or shoulder.
– Rest
Rest and avoid activities that cause significant pain (for example walking, raising your arm). Allow
suilleten: rehab time for even small injuries. Choose alternative.
– Ice
Wrap ice cubes in a damp tea towel, use frozen peas or a sports ice pack. Use the ice pack for
15-20 minutes every three to four hours when awake.
Very cold products can induce hypothermia or cold burns so wrapping the ice in a cloth is
advisable,
– Compression
Apply a firm bandage that does not restrict circulation or cause additional pain. The bandage should
cover the whole joint.
– Elevation
Raise the limb above the level of your heart, if possible to help reduce the swelling. Support the limb
with cushions or a sling to keep it raised when not walking or using the limb.