Handling common emergencies Flashcards
categories of common emergencies:
- Choking and rescue breathing emergencies
- Cardiac arrest
- Bone, joint, and muscle injuries
- Outdoor emergencies
- Bites and stings
- Poisonings
- Bleedings
- Burns
What is a facture?
Fractures are a crack or a break in the bone.
What are the symtoms of a fracture?
- swelling and bruising at the injured area
- pain in the injured area
- deformity of the injured area, such as a shortened, bent, or twisted limb
- difficulty moving the injured area
What is a strain?
A muscle strain can result from overworking or pulling a muscle, such as a back muscle.
What are symptoms of a strain?
- dull pain that worsens with movement of the injured area
- swelling around the injured area
What is a sprain?
A sprain is an injury to a ligament.
What are symptoms of a sprain?
Symptoms of a sprain include similar symptoms as the strain, but also may include possible popping sounds at the time of the injury, discoloration, and/or tenderness at the injured area.
What are dislocations?
If a joint is twisted or overstressed, one or more of the bones that normally meet at that joint may become displaced, or dislocated.
What are symptoms of a dislocation?
Symptoms may include swelling, deformity, discoloration, tenderness, or numbness, and an inability to move the joint.
What is a frostbite?
When extremities, such as hands, feet, arms, and legs, are exposed to very cold temperature, body tissue can freeze. Individuals may lose feeling in that area and the skin may be discolored. Without the proper care, victims may lose extremities due to frostbite.
What is hypothermia?
Hypothermia is the overall cooling of the entire body temperature below 95 degrees. A person suffering from hypothermia may develop an abnormal heart rhythm, and the heart may eventually stop beating. The signs of hypothermia include shivering, numbness or weakness, glassy stare, confusion or impaired consciousness.
What is heat exhaustion?
A person’s body temperature can rise to dangerous levels.
Signs of heat exhaustion include:
- skin that is cool, moist, pale, ashen, or flushed
- headache, nausea, or dizziness
- weakness or exhaustion
- heavy sweating
- muscle cramps
What is a heat stroke?
If heat exhaustion is not treated and the victim continues to overheat, heat stroke can develop. The victim’s body can stop functioning, and the body fails to be able to cool itself. If the victim’s body cannot become regulated the person could die.
Signs of heat stroke include:
- confusion or strange behavior
- Red, hot, dry skin
- Inability to drink or vomiting
- Shallow breathing, seizures, or unconsciousness
