Facial Injuries Flashcards
How do you care for a nosebleed?
To care for a nosebleed:
o Have the person sit leaning slightly forward to prevent swallowing or choking on blood.
o Pinch the person’s nostrils together for about 5 to 10 seconds, or until the bleeding stops (Do not pack the person’s nose to stop the bleeding.)
o After the bleeding stops, have the person avoid rubbing or blowing the nose, which could restart the bleeding
When is more advanced medical attention needed when caring for a person with a nosebleed?
- If the bleeding persists or recurs
- If the person says the nosebleed was a result of high blood pressure
- If the person becomes unresponsive
If the person becomes unresponsive, perform a primary assessment. If the person is breathing, place them on their side to allow blood to drain from the nose.
Monitor the person’s airway and have suction ready, if available and you are trained to use it.
For impaled objects, significant blunt trauma or penetrating injuries to the eye, what steps do you follow?
Care for open or closed wounds around the eye as you would for any soft tissue injury. Never put pressure directly on the eye.
- Summon more advanced medical personnel.
- Keep the injured person as still as possible.
- Do not try to remove the object from the eye.
- Bandage loosely and do not put pressure on the injured eye.
- Stabilize the object as best as possible by covering both eyes loosely with a cup or shield.
What care should you provide for small foreign bodies in the eye, such as sand, lint or pollen?
o Tell the person to blink several times to try to remove the object.
o Gently flush the affected eye with water.
o Seek medical attention if the object remains.
What should you do for For chemicals in the eye?
For chemicals in the eye, flush the eye continuously with tap water for at least 15 minutes, or until more advanced medical personnel arrive and take over.
o If tap water is not available, use normal saline or another commercially available eye irrigation solution.
o Always flush away from the uninjured eye.
When caring for injuries to the mouth and teeth, if you do not suspect a head, neck or spinal injury, what steps should you follow?
o Rinse out the person’s mouth with cold tap water, if available.
o Have the person lean slightly forward, or place the person on their side.
o Try to prevent the person from swallowing the blood, which could cause nausea or vomiting.
o Apply a dressing.
For injuries inside the cheek, place folded sterile dressings inside the mouth against the wound.
For injuries outside the cheek, apply direct pressure using a sterile dressing.
For injuries to the tongue or lips, apply direct pressure using a sterile dressing. Apply cold to reduce swelling and ease pain.
If a tooth is knocked out, what steps do you follow?
If a tooth is knocked out, follow these steps:
o Control any bleeding.
o Have the person gently bite down on a rolled sterile dressing in the space left by the tooth (or teeth).
o Save any displaced teeth.
What should you do with the displaced tooth?
To save displaced teeth, carefully pick up the tooth by the crown (white part), not the root.
o Do not scrub or attempt to clean the tooth, or remove any attached tissue fragments.
o Place the tooth in a Hank’s Balanced Salt Solution.
o Advise the person to get to an emergency department or dentist with the tooth as soon as possible.
If Hank’s Balanced Salt Solution is not available, what should you place the tooth in?
o Egg white
o Coconut water
o Whole milk
o The person’s saliva (not in the mouth)
