Snake Bite

First Aid: Snake Bite by Famhealth

A snake bite is an injury caused by the bite of a snake, especially a venomous snake.

Symptoms

  • Visual of 2 puncture wounds
  • Redness
  • Swelling
  • Severe pain at the area
  • Vomiting
  • Trouble seeing
  • Tingling of the limbs

Treatment

  • Washing the wound with soap and water
  • Antivenom

Prevention

  • Protective footwear
  • Avoiding areas where snakes live
  • Not handling snakes

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First Aid

First Aid for Dog Bite

First Aid for Dog Bite by Famhealth

A dog bite can lead to rabies or tetanus infection. Immediate medical care is required when the bite is from a dog that has, or might have, rabies.

Symptoms

Symptoms of infection include redness, swelling, increased pain and oozing. A doctor should look at these symptoms right away.

India accounts for 20,000 of the 45,000 deaths due to rabies every year. Over 95 percent of the time rabies virus being transmitted through dog bites.

Treatments

Always remember it’s very important to see a doctor, especially if an unfamiliar dog bit you, the bite is deep, you can’t stop the bleeding, or there are any signs of infection (redness, swelling, warmth, pus).

Treatment at home.

  • Place a clean towel over the injury to stop any bleeding.
  • Try to keep the injured area elevated.
  • Wash the bite carefully with soap and water.
  • Apply a sterile bandage to the wound.
  • Apply antibiotic ointment to the injury every day to prevent infection.

When you go to a doctor to treat the dog bite, be prepared for answering these questions:-

  • Do you know the owner of the dog?
  • If so, is the dog up to date on all vaccinations, including rabies?
  • Did the bite occur because the dog was provoked, or was the dog unprovoked?
  • What health conditions do you have? People with diabetes, liver disease, illnesses that suppress the immune system, and other health conditions may be at greater risk for a more severe infection.

Prevention

Steps to prevent dog bite.

  • When choosing a dog for a family pet, pick one with a good temperament.
  • Stay away from any dogs you don’t know.
  • Never leave young children alone with a dog — especially an unfamiliar one.
  • Don’t try to play with any dog that is eating or feeding her puppies.
  • Whenever you approach a dog, do so slowly, and give the dog the chance to approach you.
  • If a dog becomes aggressive, do not run away or scream. Stay calm, move slowly, and don’t make eye contact with the dog.

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First Aid

Bee Stings/ Insect Bite

Bee Stings/ Insect Bite by Famhealth

Not all bites or stings are the same. You will need different first aid treatment and medical care depending on what type of creature has bitten or stung you. Some species can cause more damage than others. Some people also have allergies that raise the risk of a serious reaction. Here’s how to recognize and treat the symptoms of bites and stings from insects, spiders, and snakes.

Common Symptoms

The common symptoms are redness, swelling of face, lips or throat, pain, itching, hives, abdominal cramps, nausea and vomiting, breathing problems and shock.

First aid treatment

If someone shows signs of a severe allergic reaction, help them get emergency medical attention and follow the steps in the next section. If they show no signs of a severe reaction, treat the site of the bite or sting for minor symptoms:

Step 1:

If the insect’s stinger is still embedded in their skin, remove it by gently scraping a flat-edged object, such as a credit card, across their skin. Avoid using tweezers to remove the stinger, since squeezing it may release more venom.

Step 2:

Wash the area of the bite with soap and water.

Step 3:

Place a cold compress or ice pack on the area for about 10 minutes at a time to help reduce pain and swelling. Wrap any ice or ice packs in a clean cloth to protect their skin.

Step 4:

Apply calamine lotion or a paste of baking soda and water to the area several times a day to help relieve itching and pain. Calamine lotion is a type of antihistamine cream.

Emergency treatment for a severe allergic reaction

If you suspect someone may be having a severe allergic reaction:

  • Ask someone else to call emergency services, right away. If you’re alone, contact emergency services before you provide other treatment.
  • Ask the person whether they carry an epinephrine auto-injector. If they do, retrieve it for them and help them use it according to the label directions.
  • Encourage them to remain calm, lie down quietly with their legs elevated, and stay still. If they start to vomit, turn them onto their side to allow the vomit to drain and prevent choking.
  • If they become unconscious and stop breathing, begin CPR. Continue it until medical help arrives.

To avoid making matters worse, don’t apply a tourniquet. You should also avoid giving them anything to eat or drink.

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First Aid

First Aid for Resuscitation

First Aid for Resuscitation by Famhealth

Resuscitation is the process of correcting physiological disorders (such as lack of breathing or heartbeat) in an acutely unwell patient. It is an important part of intensive care medicine, trauma surgery and emergency medicine. Well known examples are : cardiopulmonary resuscitation and mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.

First aid kit contents and supplies checklist

  • Sterile dressings and plasters:
  • Plasters: Use plasters for small cuts and grazes.
  • Sterile pad: For more cushioning you can use a sterile pad and hold it in place with sticky tape. You could also use any clean, non-fluffy material, like a cloth scarf.
  • Sterile wound dressing: A sterile wound dressing is a sterile pad attached to a bandage. These are for larger wounds to apply pressure to help stop bleeding and are quick and easy to put on in an emergency.

Bandages:

  • Roller bandages: Roller bandages are long thin bandages rolled up. Use a roller bandage to support joint injuries, hold dressings in place, put pressure on wounds to stop bleeding, and to reduce swelling
  • Triangular bandages: Triangular bandages are large triangular shaped pieces of cloth. You can fold a triangular bandage to use as either a bandage or sling, or, if sterile, as a dressing for large wounds and burns.

Protective items:

  • Disposable gloves: Using disposable gloves reduces the risk of infection between you and someone you’re helping. If they’re available, always wear gloves whenever you dress wounds or deal with any body fluids or waste
  •  Face shields or pocket masks: These are designed to prevent infection when you give rescue breaths.

Other items:

  • Cleansing wipes, alcohol free wipes: To clean the skin around the wound
  • Gauze pads as dressings: To use as padding, or as swabs to clean around wounds
  • Sticky tape (adhesive tape): To hold dressings in place or to hold the loose end of bandages
  • Pins and clips: To fasten the loose end of bandages
  • Scissors, shears and tweezers: To cut sterile pads, bandages or sticky tape to the right length. You can also use them if you need to cut someone’s clothing, so that you can get to a wound, for example.

Useful extras:

  • Use kitchen film or clean plastic bags: To dress burns and scalds
  • Use alcohol gel: To clean your hands if you can’t find any water to use

For outdoors:

  • Use a blanket: To keep someone warm and protect them from the cold
  • Use survival bags: To keep someone warm and dry in an emergency
  • Use a torch: To help you see when it gets dark and to attract attention or make others aware that you’re there
  • Use a whistle: To help attract attention and get help

For the car, in case of road accidents:

  • Warning triangle: Put this on the road to warn other drivers to slow down
  • Wear a high visibility jacket: To make sure drivers can see you and reduce the risk of you getting hurt as well.

CPR with rescue breaths

Adults

  • Place the heel of your hand on the centre of the person’s chest, then place the other hand on top and press down by 5-6cm (2-2.5 inches) at a steady rate of 100 to 120 compressions per minute.
  • After every 30 chest compressions, give two rescue breaths.
  • Tilt the casualty’s head gently and lift the chin up with two fingers. Pinch the person’s nose. Seal your mouth over their mouth and blow steadily and firmly into their mouth for about one second. Check that their chest rises. Give two rescue breaths.
  • Continue with cycles of 30 chest compressions and two rescue breaths until they begin to recover or emergency help arrives.

Children over one year old

  • Open the child’s airway by placing one hand on the child’s forehead and gently tilting their head back and lifting the chin. Remove any visible obstructions from the mouth and nose.
  • Pinch their nose. Seal your mouth over their mouth and blow steadily and firmly into their mouth, checking that their chest rises. Give five initial rescue breaths.
  • Place the heel of one hand on the centre of their chest and push down by 5cm (about two inches), which is approximately one-third of the chest diameter. The quality (depth) of chest compressions is very important. Use two hands if you can’t achieve a depth of 5cm using one hand.
  • After every 30 chest compressions at a rate of 100 to 120 per minute, give two breaths.
  • Continue with cycles of 30 chest compressions and two rescue breaths until they begin to recover or emergency help arrives.

Infants under one year old

  • Open the infant’s airway by placing one hand on their forehead and gently tilting the head back and lifting the chin. Remove any visible obstructions from the mouth and nose.
  • Place your mouth over the mouth and nose of the infant and blow steadily and firmly into their mouth, checking that their chest rises. Give five initial rescue breaths.
  • Place two fingers in the middle of the chest and push down by 4cm (about 1.5 inches), which is approximately one-third of the chest diameter. The quality (depth) of chest compressions is very important. Use the heel of one hand if you can’t achieve a depth of 4cm using the tips of two fingers.
  • After 30 chest compressions at a rate of 100 to 120 per minute, give two rescue breaths.

Continue with cycles of 30 chest compressions and two rescue breaths until they begin to recover or emergency help arrives.  American Heart Association:

  • Untrained : If you’re not trained in CPR, then provide hands-only CPR. That means uninterrupted chest compressions of 100 to 120 a minute until paramedics arrive (described in more detail below). You don’t need to try rescue breathing.
  • Trained and ready to go : If you’re well-trained and confident in your ability, check to see if there is a pulse and breathing. If there is no breathing or a pulse within 10 seconds, begin chest compressions. Start CPR with 30 chest compressions before giving two rescue breaths.
  • Trained but rusty : If you’ve previously received CPR training but you’re not confident in your abilities, then just do chest compressions at a rate of 100 to 120 a minute. (Details described below.)

**The above advice applies to adults, children and infants needing CPR, but not newborns.

Before starting CPR, check:

  • Is the environment safe for the person?
  • Is the person conscious or unconscious?
  • If the person appears unconscious, tap or shake his or her shoulder and ask loudly, “Are you OK?”
  • If the person doesn’t respond and two people are available, one should call 911 or the local emergency number and get the AED, if one is available, and one should begin CPR.
  • If you are alone and have immediate access to a telephone, call 911 or your local emergency number, before beginning CPR. Get the AED, if one is available.
  • As soon as an AED is available, deliver one shock if instructed by the device, then begin CPR.

Remember to spell C-A-B

Compressions: Restore blood circulation

  • Put the person on his or her back on a firm surface.
  • Kneel next to the person’s neck and shoulders.
  • Place the heel of one hand over the center of the person’s chest, between the nipples. Place your other hand on top of the first hand. Keep your elbows straight and position your shoulders directly above your hands.
  • Use your upper body weight (not just your arms) as you push straight down on (compress) the chest at least 2 inches (approximately 5 centimeters) but not greater than 2.4 inches (approximately 6 centimeters). Push hard at a rate of 100 to 120 compressions a minute.
  • If you haven’t been trained in CPR, continue chest compressions until there are signs of movement or until emergency medical personnel take over. If you have been trained in CPR, go on to opening the airway and rescue breathing.

Airway: Open the airway

If you’re trained in CPR and you’ve performed 30 chest compressions, open the person’s airway using the head-tilt, chin-lift maneuver. Put your palm on the person’s forehead and gently tilt the head back. Then with the other hand, gently lift the chin forward to open the airway.

Breathing: Breathe for the person

Rescue breathing can be mouth-to-mouth breathing or mouth-to-nose breathing if the mouth is seriously injured or can’t be opened.

  • With the airway open (using the head-tilt, chin-lift maneuver), pinch the nostrils shut for mouth-to-mouth breathing and cover the person’s mouth with yours, making a seal.
  • Prepare to give two rescue breaths. Give the first rescue breath — lasting one second — and watch to see if the chest rises. If it does rise, give the second breath. If the chest doesn’t rise, repeat the head-tilt, chin-lift maneuver and then give the second breath. Thirty chest compressions followed by two rescue breaths is considered one cycle. Be careful not to provide too many breaths or to breathe with too much force.
  • Resume chest compressions to restore circulation.
  • As soon as an automated external defibrillator (AED) is available, apply it and follow the prompts. Administer one shock, then resume CPR — starting with chest compressions — for two more minutes before administering a second shock. If you’re not trained to use an AED, a 911 or other emergency medical operator may be able to guide you in its use5.Continue CPR until there are signs of movement or emergency medical personnel take over.

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First Aid

Heart Attack

First Aid: Heart Attack by Famhealth

A heart attack is a medical emergency. Call 108 or your local emergency number if you think you or someone else is having a heart attack.

The average person waits 3 hours before seeking help for symptoms of a heart attack. Many heart attack patients die before they reach a hospital. The sooner the person gets to the emergency room, the better the chance of survival. Prompt medical treatment reduces the amount of heart damage.

Causes

A heart attack occurs when the blood flow that carries oxygen to the heart is blocked. The heart muscle becomes starved for oxygen and begins to die.

Symptoms

Symptoms of a heart attack can vary from person to person. They may be mild or severe.

Symptoms in adults may include:

  • Changes in mental status, especially in older adults.
  • Chest pain that feels like pressure, squeezing, or fullness. The pain is most often in the centre of the chest. It can last for more than a few minutes, or come and go.
  • Cold sweat.
  • Light headedness.
  • Nausea
  • Numbness, aching, or tingling in the arm (usually the left arm, but the right arm may be affected alone, or along with the left).
  • Shortness of breath.
  • Weakness or fatigue.

First Aid

If you think someone is having a heart attack:

  • Have the person sit down, rest, and try to keep calm.
  • Loosen any tight clothing.
  • Ask if the person takes any chest pain medicine such as nitroglycerin for a known heart condition help them take it.
  • If the pain does not go away promptly with rest or within 3 minutes of taking nitroglycerin, call for emergency medical help.
  • If the person is unconscious and unresponsive, call 108 (or your local emergency number) and  begin CPR.
  • Continue CPR till the person recover or you get a medical support

How to do CPR?

  • Check the response
  • Check the carotid pulse for less than 10 second.
  • If in case of feeble pulse or no pulse start CPR. Perform 30 compression and 2 breathing and continue the cycle

Do Not:

  • Do NOT leave the person alone except to call for help if necessary.
  • Do NOT allow the person to deny the symptoms and convince you not to call for emergency help.
  • Do NOT wait to see if the symptoms go away.
  • Do NOT give the person anything by mouth unless a heart medicine (such as nitroglycerin) has been prescribed.

Prevention

Adults should take steps to control heart disease risk factors whenever possible.

  • If you smoke, quit. Smoking more than doubles the chance of developing heart disease.
  • Keep blood pressure, cholesterol, and diabetes in good control and follow your health care provider’s orders.
  • Lose weight if obese or overweight.
  • Get regular exercise to improve heart health.
  • Eat a heart-healthy diet.
  • Limit the amount of alcohol you drink. One drink a day is associated with reducing the rate of heart attacks.

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First Aid

When Somebody Faints in the Office

When Somebody Faints in the Office by Famhealth

Fainting occurs when your brain temporarily doesn’t receive enough blood supply, causing you to lose consciousness. This loss of consciousness is usually brief.

If you feel faint

  • Lie down or sit down:-To reduce the chance of fainting again, don’t get up too quickly.
  • Place your head between your knees if you sit down.

If someone else faints

  • Position the person on his or her back. If there are no injuries and the person is breathing, raise the person’s legs above heart level — about 12 inches (30 centimeters) — if possible. Loosen belts, collars or other constrictive clothing.
  • To reduce the chance of fainting again, don’t get the person up too quickly. If the person doesn’t regain consciousness within one minute, call 108 or your local emergency number.
  • Check for pulse.  Check for carotid pulse in neck for less than 10 second and at the same time watch for chest movements for breathing   .In case of feeble pulse or no pulse   , begin CPR. Call 108 or your local emergency number. Continue CPR until help arrives or the person begins to breathe.
  • If the person was injured in a fall associated with a faint, treat bumps, bruises or cuts appropriately. Control bleeding with direct pressure.
  • If Pulse is there check the blood glucose with a glucometer. If sugar is less immediately give sugar with water to drink (anything sugary is fine)

**** ONLY FOR AN CONSCIOUS PERSON ,IF UNCONSCIOUS TAKE THE VICTIM TO HOSPITAL.

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First Aid

Burns

First Aid: Dealing with Burns by Famhealth

What are burns?

Burns are damage to skin and deeper tissue caused by contact with fire, heat, electricity, radiation, or caustic chemicals.

Burns are classified according to the depth and extent of the skin damage, in the following way.

  • First-degree burns: the skin is red, painful and very sensitive to touch. The damaged skin may be slightly moist from leakage of the fluid in the deeper layers of the skin.
  • Second-degree burns: the damage is deeper and blisters usually appear on the skin. The skin is still painful and sensitive.
  • Third-degree burns: the tissues in all layers of the skin are dead. Usually there are no blisters. The burned surface can appear normal, white, black (charred), or bright red from blood in the bottom of the wound. Damage to the sensory nerves in the skin can mean that third-degree burns may be quite painless as the burned skin lacks sensation to touch. A skin graft is usually necessary for significant areas of third-degree burns.

First aid for burns

The first thing to do is to limit the extent of the damage, and prevent the burn from becoming worse.

  • Taking care that you do not put yourself at risk from the cause of the burns, move the person away from the danger area. Smother flames with a blanket or douse the person with water but beware of electricity or caustic chemicals.
  • Remove clothing or jewellery from the burned area but don’t try to peel back any clothing that is stuck to the skin.
  • The burnt area must be cooled by being placed under tepid running water. The water should not be unpleasantly cold.
  • Keep the damaged area under running water for at least one hour, or longer if the pain has not stopped. Up to four hours of this treatment can be beneficial. However, in severe burns it is more important to get the person to hospital for treatment, so don’t let this delay calling the ambulance.
  • Meanwhile keep the person warm a lot of heat can be lost from large burns so put a blanket or clothing around the non-injured areas.
  • First-degree burns, eg mild sunburn, may not require this treatment although it may help to soothe discomfort.
  • Put cling film or a plastic bag over the burn before moving the person to hospital, but don’t wrap the cling film tightly round a limb.
  • Do not put any creams on the burn at this stage, but you can give the person simple pain relief such as paracetamol.

What complications can occur?

  • When skin is burned, it loses its ability to protect, which increases the risk of infection. So it is important that the damaged area be thoroughly cleansed within the first six hours and that the area is kept clean while it is healing.
  • If, after a few days, there are signs of an infection – ie the skin is becoming increasingly red, hot, and swollen, and the victim experiences a throbbing pain or feels generally unwell or has a fever – contact a doctor or your practice nurse.
  • Severe burns can cause scarring.
  • In cases of extensive severe burns, the body may lose large quantities of fluid. This can disturb the blood circulation and cause problems with the body’s salt balance. As a result the person may go into ‘shock’ with a low blood pressure and rapid pulse. Such injuries should be assessed at your local Accident and Emergency department.
  • Heat exhaustion and heatstroke can also occur if the body temperature rises too high (for example, after excessive exposure to hot sun, often with sunburn). Watch out for extreme tiredness, rapid pulse, headache, and confusion. Help the person to cool down in the shade, with tepid water to drink and get urgent medical help if you are worried.

What can be done to prevent burns?

Be fire-conscious in the home. The kitchen is the most dangerous room in the house, and the most likely place for burns and scalds to occur. If you have small children in the house, fit a safety gate to keep them out of the kitchen.

When cooking, keep small children away from hot drinks, pans and kettles, barbecues and other open flames. Always put pans to the back of the hob if possible and turn handles to the back away from where small hands might reach.

Never throw water over oil fires, such as in a chip pan, because this will cause a fire explosion that can have severe consequences. Instead the fire should be smothered by covering the pan with a damp cloth.

Buy a proper fire-smothering blanket and keep it somewhere in the kitchen where it is easily accessible.

Hot water in the bathroom is another risk – so when there are small children in the house, fill baths by running the cold tap first. Fit a mixer to the taps and never leave a child alone in or near the bath.

Always used a fixed guard around open fires in the house.

Bonfires and camp fires are another cause of serious burns.

Never light them by throwing petrol and a lighted match at them. Behave responsibly around them and keep young children well away.

It’s become a popular game among young people at music festivals to throw gas cyclinders from barbeques into the camp fires.

This is extremely dangerous and has resulted in some very serious burn injuries, sometimes among innocent bystanders.

Festival goers should be warned against this behaviour.

Take standard advice to protect yourself from sunburn – Slip, Slop, Slap!

Slip on baggy clothing such as an oversized T shirt, slop on suncream and slap on a hat.

Keep children in the shade especially in intense sun in the middle of the day, and frequently reapply high sun protection factor (SPF) suncream especially if they are in and out of the swimming pool

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First Aid

Dealing with Stroke

First Aid: What to do with a patient who has a Stroke by Famhealth

The sudden death of brain cells due to lack of oxygen, caused by blockage of blood flow or rupture of an artery to the brain. Sudden loss of speech, weakness, or paralysis of one side of the body can be symptoms.

Stroke may cause loss of balance or unconsciousness, which may result in a fall. If you think you or someone around you may be having a stroke.

How to recognize stroke.

The most commonly used technique to identify the sign of stroke is FAST.

  • Face:Is the face numb or does it droop on one side?
  • Arms:Is one arm numb or weaker than the other? Does one arm stay lower than the other when trying to raise both arms?
  • Speech: Is speech slurred or garbled?
  • Time:If you answered yes to any of the above, call emergency services immediately.

First aid for Stroke.

  • Call emergency services. If you’re having stroke symptoms, have someone else call for you. Stay as calm as possible while waiting for emergency help.
  • If you’re caring for someone else having a stroke, make sure they’re in a safe, comfortable position. Preferably, this should be lying on one side with their head slightly raised and supported in case they vomit.
  • Check to see if they’re breathing. If they’re not breathing at all, perform CPR. If they’re having difficulty breathing, loosen any constrictive clothing, such as a tie or scarf.
  • Talk in a calm, reassuring manner.
  • Cover them with a blanket to keep them warm.
  • Do not give them anything to eat or drink.
  • If the person is showing any weakness in a limb, avoid moving them.
  • Observe the person carefully for any change in condition, and be prepared to tell the emergency operator about their symptoms and when they started. Be sure to mention if the person fell or hit their head.

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First Aid

First Aid for Epileptic Seizures

First Aid for Epileptic Seizures by Famhealth

How to identify the Epileptic Seizures.

The person may appear unresponsive and confused as their consciousness is impaired. Automatic movements such as smacking of the lips, wandering, or fumbling movements of the hand may be present. He or she may display inappropriate behavior that may be mistaken for alcohol/drug intoxication or psychiatric disturbance.

What to do when someone is suffering with Seizure.

  • Stay calm – remain with the person.
  • Time the seizure.
  • Protect from injury – remove any hard objects from the area. 
  • Protect the head – place something soft under their head and loosen any tight clothing.
  • Gently roll the person on their side as soon as it is possible to do so and firmly push the angle of the jaw forward to assist with breathing. A person cannot ‘swallow their tongue’ but the tongue can move back to cause a serious block to breathing. 
  • Stay with the person until the seizure ends naturally and calmly talk to the person until the regain consciousness, usually within a few minutes.

Reassure the person that they are safe and that you will stay with them while they recover. 
After the seizure, the person should be placed on their side. Keep in mind there is a small risk of post-seizure vomiting, before the person is fully alert. Therefore the person’s head should be turned so that any vomit will drain out of the mouth without being inhaled. Stay with the person until he/she recovers (5 to 20 minutes).

Hospitalize the victim if you notice any of these.

  • The seizure activity lasts 5 or more minutes or a second seizure quickly follows.
  • The person remains non-responsive for more than 5 minutes after the seizure stops.
  • The person is having a greater number of seizures than is usual for them.
  • The person is injured, goes blue in the face or has swallowed water.
  • The person is pregnant.
  • You know, or believe it to be, the person’s first seizure.
  • You feel uncomfortable dealing with the seizure at the time.

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First Aid for Drowning

First Aid for Drowning by Famhealth

Get Help

  • Notify a lifeguard, if one is close. If not, ask someone to call 102 ,108.
  • If you are alone, follow the steps below.

Move the Person

  • Take the person out of the water.

Check for Breathing

  • Place your ear next to the person’s mouth and nose. Do you feel air on your cheek?
  • Look to see if the person’s chest is moving.

If the Person is Not Breathing, Check Pulse

  • Check the person’s pulse for 10 seconds.

If There is No Pulse, Start CPR

  • Carefully place person on back.
  • For an adult or child, place the heel of one hand on the center of the chest at the nipple line. You can also push with one hand on top of the other. For an infant, place two fingers on the breastbone.
  • For an adult or child, press down at least 2 inches. Make sure not to press on ribs. For an infant, press down about 1 and 1/2 inches. Make sure not to press on the end of the breastbone.
  • Do chest compressions only, at the rate of 100-120 per minute or more. Let the chest rise completely between pushes.
  • Check to see if the person has started breathing.

Repeat if Person Is Still Not Breathing

  • If you’ve been trained in CPR, you can now open the airway by tilting the head back and lifting the chin.
  • Pinch the nose of the victim closed. Take a normal breath, cover the victim’s mouth with yours to create an airtight seal, and then give 2 one-second breaths as you watch for the chest to rise.
  • Give 2 breaths followed by 30 chest compressions.

Mouth-to-mouth resuscitation for a drowning victim :

  • Turn the drowning person’s head to the side, allowing any water to drain from his or her mouth and nose. Turn the head back to the center.
  • Begin mouth-to-mouth resuscitation on land, if possible, or in the water if the injured person needs immediate life-and-death measures.
  • Strongly breathe four times into the mouth of the injured person as you pinch his or her nose. This helps air get past any water that is clogging the breathing passageways and the lungs.
  • After four strong breaths, put your ear near the mouth and watch the chest for any breathing movement.
  1. Check the pulse for signs of life.
  2. Repeat the cycle.

***You’re not out of the water once the drowning victim starts to breathe and choke. In fact, the first 48 hours after a drowning incident can be the most dangerous. Complications resulting from water exposure—pneumonia, infection, heart failure—can all occur during this time. Therefore, you should always take a drowning victim to the hospital.

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