Monthly Archives: October 2018

First Aid Techniques

Should you move a casualty before providing care?

Should you move a casualty before providing care?

Moving a casualty before you provide care has been a question that almost every class brings up. Its a great question with a simple answer There are some reason’s when moving a person may be the only option to save their life or even prevent them from further injury. You may want to move a casualty if there are dangerous environments which could also do further harm to the patient, dangerous animals, toxins / poisons, or even machinery. One thing to remember “before” you move a casualty is “Will this make things better or worse?” You “do” have to weigh the situation vs desirable outcome, often the phrase used is “Life over Limb“. If the Casualties life is in immediate threat due to their surroundings “Move them away from the danger“, however, if moving them makes the situation worse and their surroundings are “not” an issue “Keep them in the position found or in a position of comfort.”

“REMEMBER” You may not have to move a patient, if their “Spine” is in danger always refer to your 911 dispatcher for further advice before attempting First Aid techniques.

How to move a Patient from a dangerous environment:

  • –Collar Drag – At the head of the patient – Roll the person’s clothing “Collar” behind their neck in a ball in your hand bunching their clothing under the armpits, bend with your knees and lift with your legs, drag the victim to safety.
  • –One Arm Drag – Kneeling at the head of the victim slide the persons torso into your lap, lay one of the victims arms across their chest and reach through their opposite arm pit to grip their folded arms wrist, slip your other hand under the other arm pit and grip the folded arms forearm, bend with your knees, lift with your legs and drag to safety.
  • –2 Person Collar Drag – Combine the one arm drag technique with adding a partner, each rescuer should grab the collar on opposite sides of the victim and facing in the direction you wish to go bend with your knees and lift with your legs dragging them to safety.
  • –2 Person Carry – Combine the “one arm drag” technique to lift the victim’s torso and add a partner to lift the legs by folding them across each other gripping by the lower leg under the calf, face in the direction you wish to go, bend with your knees, lift with your legs and carry the victim to safety.

Learn First Aid Today, Save a Life Tomorrow with Saving Grace Medial Academy Ltd

Above all else remember to Protect Yourself!!! Call 911!!! Don’t Wast Time!!!

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First Aid Techniques

Detached or Torn Nail, What should I do?

Detached or Torn Nail, What should I do?

You snag your nail on the car door, the bed frame, the corner of the coffee table “It can happen so quickly” or you absently chip you nail polish “Suddenly” your nail rips and your left with a torn nail, in some severe cases you can even separate a nail from your nail bed. Pain, discomfort and even blood loss can occur when you rip your nail either half way or completely off. “What should I do if my nail rips off? Should I rip the remaining torn nail off? How long doe a ripped nail take to heal?” Are some common questions we hope to address in this portion. As much as this hurts, be patient, the nail will heal if you take proper First Aid steps.

What causes a detached / torn nail?

It can be very painful to tear or rip your nail from the nail bed. A nail may separate from the nail bed “detach / rip” for many reasons including:

  • -Injuries – Separation caused by injury is common in people who have long finger or toenails. The nail may pry away from the nail bed when it is hit or jammed.
  • -Toe Stubbing – Severe or repetitive toe stubbing may cause a nail to detach. This is also common in athletes who wear shoes that do not have adequate space for motion.
  • -Fungal nail infections – When fungi invade a nail bed and the skin underneath the nail “nail bed”. Toenails are more commonly affected than fingernails, and symptoms include cracked, yellow, discolored, streaked, thickened, or spotted nails.
  • -Skin Conditions – Psoriasis
  • -Chemical Exposure – Some chemicals like “Nail Polish -Remover and even some soaps”
  • -Medications – Chemotherapy or ant malarial medicines can cause nail detachment
  • Severe Illness

After a nail separates from the nail bed for any reason, it will “not” reattach. A new nail will have to grow back in its place. Nails grow back “slowly”. It may take up to 6 months for a fingernail and up to 18 months for a toenail to grow back.

Prevention

  • -File any sharp edges smooth

-Trim nails short “within 2 millimeters” of flesh to avoid snagging “To avoid ingrown toenails leave the inset of the toenail a little longer to keep the edge from curling inwards. ”

  • -Clean under the nails to remove dirt and fungus
  • If your nail doesn’t look right “Color, Shape, Ridges” talk to a physician as your nail growth pattern may help in other diagnoses.

How to Treat a Detached Nail

“Once a nail has been torn or detached, there is little that can be done to replace or repair it.” The main concern is damage to the adjacent tissue like nail bed, flesh and bone. If there seems to be a significant damage to areas around the nail, then a visit to a physician is recommended.

First Aid treatment often helps relieve pain, promote healing, and prevent infection. Treatment may involve removing the nail, keeping the area dry to prevent infection, and waiting for a new nail to grow. Infections and other skin conditions that can cause the separation of nail should be seen by a physician.

Nail Semi Attached

“Do not Rip the remaining Nail off” The remaining parts of the old nail will help protect the tender flesh underneath as your new nail begins to grow back. Ripping the excess flesh off may cause excess bleeding and damage to the nail bed.

  1. 1) Stop Bleeding – Apply direct pressure with a clean cloth or bandage until the bleeding stops.
  2. 2) If there is remaining nail, use nail clips or scissors to trim the loose nail as close to the remaining nail bed as comfortable. The old nail will fall off one the new nail takes its place.
  3. 3) Clean the wound with clean water, soak your finger or toe in cool water for 20 minutes after trimming the nail.
  4. 4) Apply a thin layer of petroleum jelly “Vaseline” and cover the area with a non stick bandage.

To Prevent Infection

Let the wound breath so that it may heal, “Wounds that remain covered even with antibiotic ointment may become infected due to the lack of oxygen” Change your bandages often to keep it clean and let the new nail grow.

  • -Soak your foot or hand in a solution of 5 g “1 tsp” of salt dissolved in 1 L “4 Cups” warm water for 20 minutes, 2 or 3 times each day, for the next 3 days. Reapply petroleum jelly, and cover with a fresh adhesive bandage.
  • -Keep the nail bed dry, clean, and covered with petroleum jelly and an adhesive bandage until the nail bed is firm or the nail has grown back. Apply a new adhesive bandage whenever the bandage gets wet, discolored, or contaminated.

Watch for signs of infection such as increased heat, redness, pain, tenderness, swelling or pus. Remove an artificial nail if it separates from the nail bed. If you leave it on, the long, artificial nail can tear the nail bed.

When to see a Physician

“Don’t hesitate to get professional help, chances of infection and doing more long term damage can outweigh not going in to a health care professional.”

  • -If you are not comfortable with trimming the nail yourself
  • -Have diabetes, peripheral arterial disease, or an immune system problem. These problems may cause reduced blood flow and loss of feeling in the feet. Untreated nail injuries can lead to infection, foot ulcers, gang green, and other serious problems.
  • -The finger or toe is deformed, which may indicate fracture or dislocation.
  • -The wound looks deep or long enough to need stitches
  • -The nail is “completely” torn off or partially cut off from a crush injury or cut
  • -Discoloration or a bruise under the nail covers more than a quarter of the nail or there is continuing, intense pain that feels like “pressure”.

“This material is for information purposes only and is taken from The Canadian Red Cross / Alberta Heart & Stroke Foundation & Alberta Health Services. This information should not be used in place of medical, Technical advice, instructor, and/or treatment. If you have questions, speak to your local Physician or Safety Training Facility.”

Just Remember:

Protect Yourself!!! Call 911!!! Don’t Waste Time!!!

Learn First Aid Today & Save a Life Tomorrow with Saving Grace Medical Academy Ltd.

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First Aid Techniques

Basic Life Support Provider CPR-C “HCP”

Health Care Provider Level CPR “AKA” Basic Life Support Provider BLS
 
Over the years of helping students get the training they need for the employment they require, we have had countless questions on whether or not someone needs the Health Care Provider level CPR also known as Basic Life Support Provider or the general public version of CPR. We understand the confusion as many societies offer their own version of the HCP Health Care Provider CPR course. The final decision on what course a student needs is what their governing society accepts.
 
The general public version of CPR-C helps anyone wishing to learn the benefit of life saving skills on all age groups and helps to prepare to help in life threatening emergencies while you wait for Emergency Professionals to arrive.
 
Some different characteristics of Basic Life Support Provider CPR or Health Care Provider level CPR are the Program is broken down into different sections that show: Compression’s, Breaths, Bag Valve Mask Techniques, teamwork and the difference between Adult, Child and Infant in dealing with Airway obstructions while addressing the Medical Professional’s skills and knowledge.
 
As a comprehensive Video Based Program that sets the standards on all CPR skills for Health Care Providers. Basic Life Support Provider previously known as BLS for HCP CPR & AED and before that BCLS for HCP’s CPR & AED challenges medical professional students on their knowledge and skills on Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation. As of November 2017 new standards and skills have been available for all Health Care Professionals to with the most up to date techniques and training information.
 
This year the life saving medication assistance of Naloxone has been added, also known as Narcan (an anti opiate medication used to help those in danger of overdose). The benefit of high quality team work in performing CPR and in the use of AEDs “automatic external defibrillators.” The 2015 version of Basic Life Support Provider focuses on honing the art of Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation on all age groups.
 
In Alberta, Canada the governing body Alberta Health Services along with Covenant Health and Canada Health have set the standard and requested that all Medical Professionals have the Exact Same Training. This means they prefer all students and employees to have the same high quality standard of training and skills to achieve the highest quality of resuscitation during a life threatening event. “If ALL health care Professionals have the exact same training the chance of resuscitation go up”
 
Alberta Health Services, Covenant Health, and Canada Health Recommend, Prefer and Request that all Medical Personnel have their Health Care Provider Level CPR known as Basic Life Support Provider training through the Alberta Heart & Stroke Foundation to keep continuity.
 
Alberta Health Services is setting a standard for all Health Care Professionals, doctors, nurses, paramedics, massage therapists, dentists, pharmacists, nurses aids, nurses attendants, and all personnel working in medical facilities to have Basic Life Support Provider CPR or BLS CPR, previously known as Basic Life Support BLS for Health Care Provider HCP CPR. This will ensure that no matter your job title you have the skills to help during an emergency.
 
This excellent program is set on a Video Format and takes roughly 4 hours to complete. This new BLS Basic LIfe Support Provider program through The Heart & Stroke Foundation has attempted to set the standard that every school and every student gets the exact same high quality training.
 
Basic Life Support Provider or BLS previously known as Basic Life Support for Health Care Providers HCP CPR has been shown to provide exactly what Alberta Health Services and many other Health Service Canada centers require and now demand their staff have as training.
 
Our Basic Life Support Program is run through our Edmonton Location with many time slots to chose from. As Alberta Health Services also recommends that due to liability, if your BLS CPR or Basic Life Support for Health Care Provider certificate expires you should not be allowed to work until it is reactivated. For this reason Saving Grace Medical has extended our BLS program course dates as of October 1st to “Monday Through Saturday” and even on Sundays upon request for groups. There will be more Basic Life Support Provider CPR/AED Level C courses available for our students.
 
Getting you the course you need, when you need it! We hope this has helped clear some information on standards set forward by Alberta Health Services.
 
We look forward to seeing you!
 
In any emergency just remember to Protect Yourself!!! Call 911!!! Don’t Waste Time!!!
 
“Learn First Aid in Edmonton Today, Save a Life Tomorrow with Saving Grace Medical Academy’s BLS & Safety Courses.”
 
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