Monthly Archives: November 2021

First Aid Techniques

Wound Care – Part 4 “Impaled Objects”

Wound Care – Part 4 “Impaled Objects”

With our fourth look into Wound Care will mainly focus on Impaled Objects and what we can do to help someone experiencing this type of emergency. If the “Object” that created the injury is stuck within the wound it is called an “Impaled Object“. This can be very painful, lead to blood loss, internal damage / bleeding, infection and many other complications. With an “Embedded or Impaled Object NEVER remove the object” leave the object in place for medical professionals to remove to reduce further injury. For this post lets utilize the information we have gained in previous clips to assess, evaluate and control the hazards and injuries associated with Impaled Objects.

Common Causes:

  • -Injuries from pointed objects like nails, glass, pens or needles.
  • -Unsafe play habits with long or pointed objects

Prevention:

  • -Wear PPE or Personal Protective Equipment when available
  • -Stay away from unfamiliar or wild animals
  • -Implement safe play habits with children and adults to avoid injuries such as “running with scissors”
  • -Wear Proper footwear outdoors at work or at play
  • -Nails sticking out from boards should be removed and sweep up broken glass either inside or outside “Animals and Children can easily be exposed to sharp objects hidden in grass”

What it Looks Like:

  • -An object sticking out of the body.
  • -Bleeding, depending on the size of the object and depth of penetration.
  • -Pain
  • -Shock

How to Help:

1) Check the area, once the area is safe, Check the person and ensure the persons ABC’s are present “Airway / Breathing / Circulation” REMEMBER – Wear gloves if available to avoid bodily fluids.

2) Call 911 if you suspect the injuries could be severe or if there object is large, the person is impaled “Onto” the object, is in the chest, head or neck.

3) Care for the Impaled Object by:

  • –**LEAVE THE OBJECT IN** it may be acting like a plug and preventing the victim from severe blood loss.
  • -Stabilize the object by putting bulky dressings around the object to prop it in its original position “Try not to move the object as much as possible” IF THERE IS AN ENTRANCE THERE MAY BE AN EXIT, check for an exit wound and stabilize like the first.
  • -Use long bandages or tape to keep the dressings in place securing the Object & dressings.
  • -With an Impaled Object it is important that the person “ALWAYS” seeks further medical attention and avoids removing the object themselves. The object should be removed by properly trained medical personnel.

As you can see the treatments for an Impaled object and a Puncture Wound are very similar.

We never know what can happen, its always good to be prepared and have the knowledge we need to help those who need it.

“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.

First Aid Techniques

Wound Care – Part 3 “Puncture Wounds”

Wound Care – Part 3 “Puncture Wounds”

Our third look into Wound Care will mainly focus on Puncture wounds and what we can do to help someone experiencing this type of emergency. Puncture wounds happen “all the time” and can easily be defined as “when something pointed creates a hole in the skin” or when an embedded object within the skin has been removed. This can be very painful, lead to blood loss, internal damage, infection and many other complications. With an “Embedded or Impaled Object NEVER remove the object” leave the object in place for medical professionals to remove to reduce further injury. For this post lets utilize the information we have gained in previous clips to assess, evaluate and control the hazards and injuries associated with Puncture Wounds.

Common Causes:

  • -Injuries from pointed objects like nails, glass, pens or needles.
  • -Animal Bites “Fangs or pointed teeth may cause puncture wounds”
  • -Unsafe play habits with long or pointed objects

Prevention:

  • -Wear PPE or Personal Protective Equipment when available
  • -Stay away from unfamiliar or wild animals
  • -Implement safe play habits with children and adults to avoid injuries such as “running with scissors“
  • -Wear Proper footwear outdoors at work or at play
  • -Nails sticking out from boards should be removed and sweep up broken glass either inside or outside “Animals and Children can easily be exposed to sharp objects hidden in grass”

What it Looks Like:

  • -A hole in the skin where the object penetrated or went through.
  • -Possible Bruising around a wound with a depressed pointed center.
  • -Bleeding, depending on the size of the object and depth of penetration.

How to Help:

1) Check the area, once the area is safe, Check the person and ensure the persons ABC’s are present “Airway / Breathing / Circulation” REMEMBER – Wear gloves if available to avoid bodily fluids.

2) Call 911 if you suspect the injuries could be severe or if there is “Animal Attack”.

3) Care for the Puncture Wound by:

  • -If the wound is bleeding place “Direct Pressure on the wound with “dressings” until the bleeding stops”
  • -After the bleeding stops and there is no risk of further opening the wound “rinse with cool clean water for roughly 5 minutes” add soap if the person is comfortable to do so *Avoid fragrant soaps or soaps with grit*
  • -Antibiotic ointments or creams may be applied once the bleeding has stopped. Follow the directions recommended by a pharmacists and check the “5 Rights of Medications” **Always ask the person if they have allergies or sensitivity to antibiotics such as penicillin, if so “Do NOT apply the ointment**
  • -Secure the wound with dressings and a bandage, monitor for signs of infection by changing the bandages / dressings regularly to avoid complications.

We never know what can happen, its always good to be prepared and have the knowledge we need to help those who need it.

“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.

First Aid Techniques

Wound Care – Part 2 “Cuts & Scrapes”

Wound Care – Part 2 “Cuts & Scrapes”

For our second part of Wound Care lets focus on one of the most common injuries we sustain on a daily basis, whether it be from a paper cut, road rash or even snipping with a bread knife wounds happen almost every day. Lets look at how we can help someone with a cut “a wound where the skin has been split open or torn away with either jagged or smooth edges“, or a scrape “a wound where the skin has been rubbed or scraped away”.

Common Causes:

  • -Dull knives or improper safety technique during cutting
  • -Falling or impacting on an abrasive surface
  • -Contact with dull, abrasive or sharp object with force enough to rub or scrape the skin away.

What to Look for:

  • -Skin pealed away
  • -Bleeding
  • -Pain & Tenderness
  • -Raised or swollen area with potentially broken skin

How to Help:

1) Check the area, once the area is safe, Check the person and ensure the persons ABC’s are present “Airway / Breathing / Circulation”

2) Call 911 if you suspect the injuries could be severe.

3) Care for the scrape or cut by:

  • -*REMEMBER* Put your gloves on if there is bodily fluids.
  • -Wash the wound with soap & clean cool water.
  • -If possible rinse the wound with cool clean running water for up to five minutes to help reduce infection & bleeding. Once the wound is clean and if bleeding persists apply “Direct Pressure” on the wound until the bleeding stops, if the blood soaks through the dressing -ADD more dressings on top- Do not remove blood soaked bandages as they are already assisting in clotting the wound. If bleeding persists seek further medical attention.
  • -Antibiotic ointments or creams may be applied once the bleeding has stopped. Follow the directions recommended by a pharmacists and check the “5 Rights of Medications” **Always ask the person if they have allergies or sensitivity to antibiotics such as penicillin, if so “Do NOT apply the ointment**
  • -Cover the wound with a non-stick sterile dressing if available or bandage.
  • -Continue to monitor for signs of infection

If there is substantial amount of dirt or contaminant’s within the wound, the injured person should seek further medical attention to avoid the risk of infection.

Stitches:

Any wound that needs “Stitches” should be assessed and stitched by a trained medical professional as soon as possible “Golden Hour Rule” wounds should be assessed and stitched within an hour if possible to avoid complications, stitches help speed healing, reduce chance of infection and leave a less noticeable scar. A wound may need to be stitched if:

  • -The wound is more than 2 1/2 cm or 1 inch long
  • -Edges of the wound do not fall together
  • -The wound is near a joint or on the hands or feet
  • -The wound is on the face

We never know what can happen, its always good to be prepared and have the knowledge we need to help those who need it.

“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.

First Aid Techniques

Eczema – How to treat it

Eczema

What is a Eczema? Eczema, also known as “Atopic Dermatitis” is an extremely common chronic inflammatory condition of the skin that affects people of all ages and walks of life. Eczema may be termed as a “Disease” however you can “Not” catch it, or give it to someone else and there is no risk of passing it on. Eczema “as it is not fully understood” has been found with new research to be linked to the immune system and more closely resembles an “Allergy” than anything else, this of course leads to mild to severe inflammation and irritation of the skin as the immune system “over reacts” to stimulus.

There are many types of eczema, with the most common one being “atopic dermatitis”. Atopy refers to a hereditary tendency towards eczema, asthma, and allergic rhinitis “hay fever”, people with eczema may also suffer with one of the other conditions as well, these conditions are linked by an increased activity of the allergy component of the immune system. Atopic Dermatitis is most likely caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Genetic causes include differences in the proteins that form the skin barrier. When this barrier is broken down, the skin loses moisture more easily, becoming more dry, easily irritated, and hypersensitive. The skin is also more prone to infection “with bacteria, viruses, or fungi”.

Types of Eczema:

  • Allergic contact eczema – The skin gets red, itchy, and weepy because it touches something that the immune system knows is foreign, like poison ivy.
  • Contact eczema – The skin has redness, itching, and burning in one spot because it has touched something allergy-causing, like an acid, cleaner, or other chemical.
  • Dyshidrotic Eczema – the skin on the palms of the hands and soles of the feet is irritated and has clear, deep blisters that itch and burn.
  • Neurodermatitis – Scaly patches on the head, lower legs, wrists, or forearms are caused by localized itch “such as an insect bite”
  • Seborrheic Eczema – This skin has yellowish, oily, scaly patches on the scalp, face, and sometimes other parts of the body.
  • Stasis Dermatitis – The skin is irritated on the lower legs, most often from a blood flow problem.

Things to know about Eczema:

  • Typically begins in early childhood
  • Can occur in infants as early as a few weeks old
  • Can continue through adolescence and into adulthood
  • May occur for the first time well into adulthood
  • May be outgrown, however-skin may continue to be dry, irritable, and sensitive

What does Eczema look like?

Atopic eczema can affect any part of the skin, including the face, but the areas that are most commonly affected are the joints at the elbows and knees, hands, the groin, buttocks, back as well as the wrists and neck. Other common appearances of atopic eczema include coin-sized areas of inflammation on the limbs, back, and numerous small bumps that coincide with hair follicles.

The affected skin is usually red and dry, and scratch marks “accompanied by bleeding” are common. When the eczema is very active, it may become moist and weepy “during a flare-up” and small water blisters may develop especially on the hands and feet. In areas that are repeatedly scratched, the skin may thicken, and this may cause the skin to itch more. Sometimes affected areas of the skin may become darker or lighter in colour.

Scratching the affected area can cause:

  • Redness
  • Swelling
  • Cracking
  • Weeping “clear fluids”
  • Crusting
  • Thick Skin
  • Scaling

Things that make Eczema worse:

Many factors in a person’s environment can make eczema worse, these include heat, dust, wool, pets and irritants such as soap and detergents. Being unwell, for example or having a common cold can make eczema flare up, this also includes infections with bacteria or viruses. Bacterial infections “usually with a bug called staphylococcus” makes the affected skin yellow, crusty and inflamed “this may need specific medical treatment”. An infection with the cold sore virus “herpes simplex” can cause a sudden painful widespread “on rare occasions dangerous” flare of eczema. “Consult a physician if you believe these factors apply to your recent flair up”.

How is Eczema Treated?

Treatment works best when the patient, family members, and the doctors work together. Treatment plans are based on:

  1. Age
  2. Symptoms and severity
  3. General Health of the patient

Carefully follow the treatment plans that have been laid out to minimize flair ups. Try to notice what is or isn’t helpful as each person is different and how their skin is developed. Symptoms usually improve with the right skin care and lifestyle changes. Eczema treatment goals are to “heal the skin” and “prevent flair ups”. You and your family members should watch for changes in the skin to find out what treatments help the most.

Your doctor will help you:

  1. Develop a good skin care routine
  2. Avoid things that lead to flares
  3. Treat symptoms when they occur

Medications for Eczema “Atopic Dermatitis” include:

  • Skin creams or ointments that control swelling and lower allergic reactions
  • Corticosteroids
  • Antibiotics to treat infections caused by bacteria
  • Antihistamines
  • Immune system suppressant medications

Gentle skin care to prevent dryness includes:

Bathe daily or every-other-day in order to wash off dirt and other potential irritants. Water should be warm “not hot” and bath time should be limited to 5-10 minutes. Pat dry the skin and immediately apply moisturizer while the skin is still slightly damp. The moisturizer provides a seal to hold the water in the skin.

Finding a cream or ointment that the child likes or can tolerate is important, as resistance from the child may make the daily regimen difficult to keep up. The thicker the moisturizer, the better the barrier it generally provides. Ointments are more effective than creams, and creams more so than lotions. Creams are a reasonable options during the summer when thick greasy ointments are uncomfortable.

  • Light Therapy “Exposure to UV or specific spectrum lights”
  • Skin care that helps heal the skin and keep it healthy
  • Protection from Allergens

Do I have a disease if I have Eczema?

Answer – “No”

Eczema is a random event that does have factors too its appearance. Typically Eczema does not have an associated disease or cause, it is a random occurrence that anyone could have.

Can Eczema be cured?

Answer – “No”

Eczema cannot be cured, but there are many ways of controlling it and it can go into remission for extended periods of time. Most children with eczema improve as they get older “60% clear by their teens”. However, many continue to have dry skin and need to continue to avoid irritants such as soaps, bubble baths, detergents or harsh chemicals.

Information for this article was taken from – Australian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy – Eczema Society of Canada – British Association of Dermatologists – The Society of Paediatric dermatology Indianapolis – National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases.

We never know what can happen, its always good to be prepared and have the knowledge we need to help those who need it.

“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.