Wound Care – Part 11 “Crush Injuries”

To continue on with our Wound Care First Aid technique’s lets focus on Crush or Crushing Injuries. A “Crush Injury” occurs when there is a great deal of pressure on a part of the body or the body as a whole. This injury can be caused by numerous objects or even substances like “Grain in a Grain Silo, Sand, large heavy objects or even swaddling an infant to tight” . Grain Entrapment & Crush Syndrome are also something to consider as they are closely related to crush injuries and can be fatal, always take Crush Injuries seriously as there may be hidden or “Internal Injuries / Bleeding” that you may not be aware of.

Common Causes:

• – Often caused by being squeezed between two heavy or immobile objects, or having a large amount of pressure forced against the body by an unmovable substance like grain or sand.

Prevention:

• -Be familiar with your surroundings
• -Be familiar with your equipment and get trained in its proper use.
• -Make sure your equipment is in good, safe, working order.
• -Follow safety procedures
• –STAY ALERT
• -Never let children play around Grain Silos, Construction Sites, or Sand Pits

What it Looks Like:

• -Person trapped or still being crushed under objects or between two objects.
• -Possible wounds that look depressed or split at the edges.
• -Deformity
• -Signs of internal bleeding
• -Shock
• -Pain, tightness in the chest with shortness of breath.

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. **If the object or substance is crushing the persons head, neck, chest or abdomen or they can not breath “Remove it Immediately“, if the object is only crushing a limb “Leave the object where it is until EMS Personnel arrive.”**

2) Call 911 if you suspect the injuries could be severe, if there are airway could be blocked or there is excessive bleeding. Always call 911 for an crushing injury, there could be internal injuries that could lead to the situation becoming fatal.

3) Care for the Crush Injuries by:

***Only remove the object or the Victim from the object if their Airway could be compromised***

• -Never Transport the victim on your own from a Crushing Injure, always wait for Advanced Medical Professionals to assist in removing the victim from the object or objects. The persons condition may worsen even after removing the object, this may lead to “Crushing Syndrome” and may be fatal. Always consult Medical Professionals.

“Crushing Syndrome”

Crush Syndrome is a compression of extremities or other parts of the body that causes muscle swelling and/or neurological disturbances in the affected areas of the body, this may lead to systemic manifestations or even systemic shock that can become fatal. Advanced Medical Professionals are always needed for Crushing Syndrome and should never be taken lightly. Amputation of the trapped body part may also be necessary, other injuries associated with Crushing Syndrome may include “Compartmental Syndrome”

“Grain Entrapment”

Grain Entrapment is when a person is submerged under or partially submerged into a mass amount of grain “Fell in a grain Silo”. The movement of the grain can restrain the victim and make escape impossible without assistance, plus the added weight of the grain may prevent the victim from breathing and can lead to suffocation. For these reasons it is never permissible to allow children to play around grain silo’s and you should always use the buddy system to ensure there is a second way to escape.

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.

Wound Care – Part 10 “Amputations”

An amputation is a complete or partial severing of a body part from the body as a whole, this can be and is mainly classified as a serious injury and should always require further medical attention. “Although there may be vast amounts of damage to the tissues, bleeding is usually not severe”, the body will protect itself even during times of severe emergencies. However, bleeding can increase with time and can become a life threatening event on its own and must be taken care of as well as the amputated body part. The most common question we hear from students in our First Aid Course is “Can the body part be put back?”, unfortunately there are many factors that do come into account for any body part that has been removed, age, time, athleticism, amount of damage all become factors against the body part. Medical professional’s and technology have advanced in the last few years and chances of re-attaching a body part has improved “But is never guaranteed”.

Common Causes:

• -Any force great enough to partially or completely cut or tear away a limp, body part, or piece of the body from the body as a whole.

Prevention:

• -Wear PPE or Personal Protective Equipment when available
• -Follow safety procedures
• -Take precautions around rotating or sharp equipment, tools or objects.

What it Looks Like:

• -Missing body parts
• -Shock
• -Pain
• -A part of the body partially or completely disconnected from the rest of the body
• -Bleeding

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, if there are airway could be blocked or there is excessive bleeding. Always call 911 for an amputation, this will let the hospital know your coming!

3) Care for the Amputation by:

***Victim Comes First***

• -Control bleeding, apply direct pressure to the wound, use pressure bandages to help slow the blood flow, use pressure points by placing a firm object in the joint above the amputation. “Never apply a tourniquet unless advised to do so by a medical professional” Tourniquet’s should be applied by professionals or under the guidance of a Trained Medical Professional like a 911 dispatcher.

***Body Part***

1)”Wrap it & Strap It” Retrieve the body part and wrap it up in a clean cloth, “Never wash the body part” The body part will be cleaned by a physician and contaminants will be removed, washing the body part may render the body part unsuitable for reattachment.

2)”Bag it & Tag it” Place the amputated body part in a “seal-able” plastic bag, this will prevent further contamination. If there is time write the victims name on the bag to prevent loss of the body part at the medical facility. Make sure the body part goes with the injured person to the hospital!

3) “Keep it Cool BUT not Cold” Keep the amputated body part cool by placing the bag on ice, be careful not to let the body part freeze. “The body part should not freeze if wrapped & strapped”

• If the limb or part is only “Partially” disconnected from the body, put the limb back in place and treat the injury as an “Open Wound or Fracture”

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.

Wound Care – Part 9 “Infection & Disease Control”

For the 9th part of Wound Care we will focus on Infections, Diseases and ways to prevent or control them once they have begun. “An infection is a condition caused by the invasion of the body by germ” these germs can be bacteria in nature or even viral. During our First Aid Course we run into many questions about infection & Disease Control, we consider disease control such a high priority that we even offer a course designed specifically to address Diseases “Blood-Born Pathogens”. During a First Aid we will advise all rescuers to “Consider ALL patients/victims as infectious” & always avoid bodily fluids during First Aid!

Common Cause’s of Infection:

• -Foreign bodies like dirt, or other things containing germs that get into a wound

Routs of Entry for Disease:

• -Direct Contact “When you touch the blood of someone infected“
• –Indirect Contact “When you touch something used by an infected individual“
• -Airborne Transmission “When an infected person sneezes, sending germs into the air and you breath them in“
• –Vector-Borne “When a mosquito bites an infected person then bites you, may even be referred to as zoonotic”

Prevention:

• -Wear PPE or Personal Protective Equipment when available
• -Always wash your hands before and after giving first aid.
• -Whenever possible “WEAR GLOVES” avoid bodily fluids
• -Use sterile dressings when caring for wounds
• -“Keep your immunizations up to date” if you have a wound and have not received a “Tetanus” shot in more than “Five Years” seek medical attention. REMEMBER “Immunizations ARE beneficial” IT IS A MYTH that immunizations cause birth defects.
• -Use antibiotic ointment on a wound to help reduce risk of infection
• -keep wounds clean

**HAND SANITIZERS** and alcohol rubs must NOT replace hand washing, if you use hand sanitizer its a good practice to wash your hands after the THIRD use!

What Infection Looks Like:

• -Redness -Red Streaks moving away from the wound within the skin – Pus -Heat or warmth – Fever – Tenderness – Swelling – Nausea – Discolored flesh

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 or if you suspect the infection could be severe like meningitus, whooping cough or if the victim has a fever above 102F / 39C. Or if their airway could be blocked by mucus or an infected organ such as tonsils. “In Alberta you can call “811” as well to speak to a registered nurse for a consult, they may give you options or even recommend further medical attention.”

3) Care for the infection by:

-Keep the wound clean, if the infection spreads, changes color or begins to smell seek medical attention. Change bandages frequently and let wounds dry to reduce chance of infection.

**BABY OR CHILD WITH A FEVER OVER 30C (102F)**

• -Young children or babies with a high fever can have seizures also known as “Febrile Seizures“. In most cases these are not life-threatening and they do not last long. To prevent “febrile seizures”

1. 1) Give the child medication recommended by the child’s doctor to reduce the fever.
2. 2) Give the child a sponge bath with water that is room temperature “Not icy cold“
3. 3) Provide continual care “Many Children may have a Febrile Seizure while sleeping and unattended“

Sense these steps only “Temporarily” lower the temperature, seek further medical attention.

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.