Wound Care

One of the most common misconceptions that people have about fitness first aid strategies is that you need to allow the wound to dry overnight so that you can get rid of the scab. This is not advisable as it results in slow healing of the wounds. What’s more, it increases the probability of scar tissue. To do this effectively, apply pressure directly on the wound to reduce the bleeding. This will take a couple of minutes, and when the bleeding stops, make sure the wound is cleaned using soap and warm water. Use an ointment before covering the wound using dressing. Dressing is preferred to adhesive bandage as it prevents water and air from coming into contact with the wound site. If the cut is extreme, you could do with a few stitches.

Managing Sprains

Sprains are a common injury for users who are keen on keeping fit, and this calls for the simple knowledge of fitness first aid strategies. The common occurrence of sprains keeps many an athlete out of competitions, and for good reason. Take a few days off your daily fitness routine to ensure that the sprain eases away. What makes this even trickier is the fact that it is impossible to tell the extent of sprain damage just by looking at the affected joint. If the pain does not subside even after basic first aid techniques, make sure that you see a doctor.

Don’t Get a Sunburn

Go easy working out in the sun because as much as this provides you with warmth, it also predisposes you to getting sunburns. One of the most effective and time-tested fitness first aid strategies involves the use of sunscreen. Sunscreen protects the skin against harmful UV radiation. If you already have sunburns, avoid using aloe and other creams as they only serve to insulate the skin, thus causing heat to build up. As an alternative, use a damp towel or an icepack wrapped in light clothing. This provides instant relief. With burnt skin, consult a doctor before using any creams or ointments topically. This will avoid reactions especially because many ointments may contain compounds that are not meant to be used continuously.

Shin Splints

Shin splints are yet another class of injuries that require you to employ fitness first aid strategies. If you feel the pain, make sure that you have it checked. If pain is persistent throughout the shin, check that you provide first aid by resting and applying an ice pack on the affected area. You should also make sure that you reduce the amount of workouts to allow recovery of the affected shins. In addition to this, ensure that you work out on soft ground and use appropriate sporting gear. Head injuries constitute another class of injuries that should not be ignored. If possible, get company to help you especially if you start having blurred vision, migraines and swellings. These are time-tested strategies that should work for you when keeping fit.

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lives of afflicted individuals and that a lot of people are actually at risk for obstructive sleep apnea. This is why it is important to read about the basic facts about obstructive sleep apnea in order to find out why acquiring a first aid certification is beneficial. Here are some of these facts.

What is obstructive sleep apnea?

Obstructive sleep apnea is defined as a type of sleep apnea that is caused by an obstruction or blockage in the upper respiratory tract which serves as a passageway for air. This blockage prevents proper circulation and distribution of oxygen in the blood which would make the afflicted individual wake up mid-sleep and gasp for air. These periods of shortness or absence or breath can last for ten seconds or more and can occur for more than 30 times within an hour.

How can it become deadly?

Even though the shortness of breath that are experienced by people who have obstructive sleep apnea only lasts for a few seconds, it can be deadly for individuals who area already finding it hard to breathe due to their medical conditions or their age.

According to a study conducted by experts at the Johns Hopkins University, men between the ages of 40 and 70 are at more risk for death than men who do not have obstructive sleep apnea. In a separate study that published at the journal of the American College of Cardiology, it was revealed that patients who are suffering from both sleep apnea and heart problems are more likely to suffer from death due to cardiac arrest. They were able to prove the direct correlation between sleep apnea and death due to cardiac arrest by taking note of the severity of the blockage of the deceased subjects.

How common is obstructive sleep apnea and who are at risk?

Acquiring a first aid certification allows individuals to manage obstructive sleep apnea by ensuring that proper medical interventions are implemented when patients or afflicted individuals experience shortness or absence of breath.According to the Public Health Agency of Canada, one out of four Canadian adults most likely has obstructive sleep apnea. Individuals who have family members or relatives that are suffering from this medical condition is most likely to develop it as well due to their genes. Men are also at greater risk for obstructive sleep apnea than women. Smokers are also at greater risk due to their damaged and weakened airway passages.

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Yellow fever is a viral infection transmitted by the bite of particular species of mosquito called the yellow fever mosquito.

Yellow fever mosquitoes are normally found in tropical and subtropical areas of America and Africa, but not in Asia. The hosts of this virus are primates and a few types of mosquitoes. Africa is said to be the place of origin of the disease. In the 16th century, the yellow fever was brought into south America through the slave trade. Yellow fever used to be among most brutal infectious diseases.

In most cases yellow fever causes fever, nausea and pain. They tend to disappears after a few days. Sometimes, a toxic phase may follow, in which liver damage occurs and might lead to death. This is caused by the increased risk of bleeding. Yellow fever comes from a group of hemorrhagic fevers.

Causes of Yellow Fever

A virus carried by mosquitoes is the known cause of yellow fever. You will be infected with the disease if you are bitten by a virus infected mosquito. Everyone can catch a yellow fever, but the elderly have higher tendencies for severe infection. Symptoms usually show up 3 to 6 days after a person is bitten by an infected mosquito

Yellow Fever Symptoms

Yellow fever has three stages:

Stage 1: Headache, muscle and joint aches, fever, and vomiting. These symptoms tend to go away after  3-4 days.

Stage 2:  The symptoms will go away during this stage and most people will fully recover during this time. In some cases, things may get worse within 24 hours.

Stage 3: Organ problems start to occur. Problems may consist of heart, liver, and kidney failure, coma, and delirium.

Yellow Fever Exams and Tests

If ever you suspect that you have yellow fever. Do not hesitate to get help from the nearest health care provider. They will examine the person closely. Results from the test are able to show liver and kidney failure and even shock.

Tell your doctor if you have been to areas with the disease as this piece information is important for doctors. Blood tests carried out can confirm the diagnosis.

Yellow Fever Treatment

Right now, there is no specific treatment for yellow fever. The medical team will focus mainly on the supportive care aspect of the hospital. For an instance, providing fluids, oxygen, making sure the patient’s blood pressure is adequate, kidney dialysis, and treating any secondary infections. In some cases, some patients may have to be given plasma transfusion to help with blood clotting.

In the case of a patient being infected, they are to be kept away from mosquitoes as they may help spread the disease to other people.

Prevention of Yellow Fever

Vaccination

The only way to fully prevent yellow fever is to go through a vaccination. If you will be traveling to an area where yellow thrives, pay your doctor a visit and ask about having the vaccine at least 2 weeks before leaving for your destination. A single shot is capable of providing 10 years of protection from yellow fever. 

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The meaning of contusion is “bruise” which is actually a local collection of blood under skin due to rupture of blood vessels present there.

Usually, a rib contusion or bruised rib occurs when there is an injury to the rib causing it to break or dislocate. Most of the time a rib contusion is a result of serious trauma to ribs which causes them to break and rupture the blood vessels around them.

There are 12 pairs of ribs on each side of the body; the total number of ribs is 24; the ribs 1-9 are attached to the sternum (aka breast bone). The 11^th and 12^th pair has free floating ribs i.e. they are not attached to the sternum.

What may cause a rib contusion?

Trauma, most commonly by a direct blow to the ribs causes contusion. Sports injuries e.g. Foot ball and rugby etc. a motor vehicle accident or free fall may also cause rib contusions.

What are the symptoms of a bruised rib?

• Pain (breathing, coughing, sneezing etc)
• Feeling of getting winded
• Bruise at the site of impact may appear
• The ribs may be sore or tender
• Rib cage muscle spasms

A rib contusion is not always and necessarily because of a broken rib. There may be other reasons too. It is always good to make sure whether you have a broken rib or not by visiting your doctor.

If the rib is not broken, it may be relatively easy to treat it. If however the rib is fractured, serious care must be taken since the fractured part may dislocate and injure other organs (e.g. it may puncture a lung).

Treatment:

A bruised rib with a fracture normally takes 6 weeks to resolve. If the rib is torn away from the cartilage the least time for it to resolve is 12 weeks. Most of the treatments target or kill pain and let the injury heal by itself.

If the rib is not broken, following steps may help:

• Rest is important for a speedy recovery and relief from discomfort.
• Icing the injured area should be done. The ice should be wrapped in a towel and patted over the injured area. Use the ice for the first 72 hours and stay away from heat pad. Icing will alleviate pain and cause the bruising to go away aiding in rapid healing.
• Management of breathing patterns is helping. Take a deep breath few times a minute and inhale for a prolonged time. Release your breath slowly then. If the damage to ribs is severe, it’s better to take one deep breath per hour.
• Do breathing exercises: inhale for 3 seconds, hold your breath for 3 seconds and exhale for 3 seconds. Repeat once or twice a day.
• Quit smoking at least till your rib heals. Lung irritants may cause infection and impair healing.
• Take pain killers

What not to do?

Don’t get a compression bandage. This old technique will only hinder your breathing and welcome complications.

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First Aid Certifications are of different levels and fields.It ranges from the basic CPR to the advanced level of resuscitation skills of a professional medical practitioner. The fields range from the domestic home first aid training to preparedness for disasters.

So where do you find the right program to obtain the First Aid Certification?

The programs are all over your community so you do not need to look very far or hard for them. They are in the nearest community colleges, the nearest fire house station, nearest hospital and ambulance service provider in your neighborhood.

What will you learn by taking the certification?

The general goal of the classes is to train participant the skills of saving lives, preserving lives and preventing the victim in need of emergency medical care from getting worse while waiting for proper medical care. The classes cover these topics and more:

• Managing the Scene: Often time’s people tend to panic and take the wrong decision when faced with accidents or a victim in need of emergency medical care like loss of breath. The participants are taught leadership skills. It is very important to take charge of the scene as a rescuer; not only does this help to control the scene and rescue the victim but it also reassures the victim that he or she is in safe hands. The class trains its student the ability to designate duties to people around like; getting the tools and materials needed while trying to save the victim’s live. Other skills like good communication, flexibility, safety environment precautions in managing the scene are taught.
• Taking Safety Precautions from Possible Infections: There are step which are need to be taking in order to prevent or reduce the possibilities of the victim to infection while trying to rescue him or her. The classes teaches it student this steps and it importance, like the importance of wearing gloves while treating an open wound. The safety precautions are not only for the victims but also for the rescuer. It is a natural instinct that you would want to rescue someone especially a love one from any type of

  accident or emergency situation regardless of how serious it is or the risk involved. Which is why the classes train you to first keep yourself save by been aware of the surrounding environment of the scene.

This preventive measure is very important; they have several situations where the rescuer also becomes a victim as a cause of rushing head-on into the scene to rescue the victim.

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infants and children as prevention can eliminate many injuries causing death.

Childproofing the house is one of the most important tools to safeguard young infants and children. Accidental injuries is one the most common killers in children, thus taking the necessary precautions and proper safety measures can eliminate many of these potential injuries and keep the family safe at home. The following guides can turn a house kid-friendly.

Childproofing the House: The Bedroom

As the room where the child sleeps, it is necessary to take safety measures in the bedroom as a parent, nanny or babysitter may not always be present. The following tips may be used to childproof the bedroom:

• Check the crib that it meets the safety standards. If possible, keep it away from windows.
• Install window guards.
• Ensure that the crib or other high furniture are near the window.
• Make sure that the window-blind cords are out of reach of children to avoid strangulation.

Childproofing the House: The Bathroom

There are many different items that may be a cause for potential danger in the bathroom. The following tips are generally recommended to childproof the bathroom:

• Install safety latches and locks to ensure that children cannot enter the bathroom without supervision by an adult. In addition, place latches and locks on all cabinets and drawers that may contain medicine or other hazardous items.
• Install an anti-scald device for showerheads and faucets to prevent burns.
• Install toilet locks to keep the toilet lids closed.
• Unplug any electrical device, such as hair dryers and electric rollers, to prevent electrocution from occurring.

Childproofing the House: The Kitchen

The kitchen is a dangerous place for children to explore as it contains many sources of danger. The following tips are suggested to childproof the kitchen.

• Put locks on stove knobs to keep children from igniting stove burners.
• Attach a safety cover on the garbage disposal.
• Install safety latches and locks on any cabinets or drawers that may contain household cleaners, or knives and other sharp utensils, respectively.
• Ensure that kitchenware and appliances are out of reach of children.
• Place visual reminders on potential hazardous items.

Childproofing the House: Around the House

The remainder of the house should also follow the childproofing precautions. The tips of childproofing the house can include:

• Place outlet protectors or safety caps on unused electrical outlets all over the house.
• Ensure that window-blind cords not looped. If they are, cut these to avoid entanglement.
• Put safety gates in front of any stairs in the house.
• Make use of doorstops and door holders to avoid pinching or crushing in doors and door hinges.
• For corners and other sharp edges, install corner and edge bumpers.
• Place furniture away from high windows. Ensure that furniture do not tip by placing brackets and anchors.
• Switched to cordless phones.

Fortunately, most of these childproofing devices are relatively affordable and can be found at many different stores, including, baby product, hardware, or grocery stores. Childproofing the house can significantly reduce chances of accidents from befalling into children. Enrol in First Aid Courses to learn how to childproof a house.

Online Sources:

http://www.realsimple.com/home-organizing/organizing/tips-techniques/childproofing-checklist-00000000000239/

http://www.webmd.com/parenting/childproof-home

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An effective emergency management response for unprecedented  attack using weapons of terror starts with proper preparation,  constant skills training and proper information decimation between local health and government agencies in the advent of a terror attack. Such attacks such as with the use of nuclear weapons almost instantly destroy life and the environment leaving it uninhabitable for several generations. Moreover, biological and chemical terrorism which purposely releases virulent chemical and biological substances that can cause harmful diseases to the general targeted population. Countries around the world should be adequately prepared by making sure their health care delivery system is equipped with effective contingencies in the event of such attacks.

The threat of terrorism and the adequacy of emergency management response

Prior to examining the effectiveness of an emergency management response, it is vital to have a rundown of the existing facts surrounding the existence and reality of terrorism within a given country. This will provide a good background of the possibility that terrorism is indeed a real threat to the community. Over the past decades, the number of terrorist attacks has increased throughout the globe wherein the U.S. and several other developed countries are becoming the primary target of terrorist attacks.

It should be noted that terrorism in general is a result of religious extremism, political leftist movements, and philosophical disagreement of the current world order. Depending on the perceived or actual risk involving the potential for terror attacks, recent developments in most healthcare delivery systems are now preparing for possible chemical, biological and nuclear related attacks which can result in mass casualties if not effectively managed.

An assessment of the country’s emergency management response and level of preparedness

There are several institutions that are considered very crucial in the process of preparing for any biological, nuclear or chemical attacks. The health care sector will be the most heavily affected by such attacks since terror attacks are specifically targeting the general population in order to inflict as much human

casualties as possible. The health care delivery system, if caught unprepared for such a magnitude of victims and casualties resulting from a terrorist attack, it could ultimately lead to hundreds of deaths and disabilities followed by the incapacitation of law and order. One important consideration that the national and local government units of a particular country is making sure that its health care delivery institutions are well equipped in combating possible biologic, chemical and nuclear outbreaks resulting from terror attacks. With the risk of terror attacks becoming an actual threat to society in general, governments around the world should take considerable steps in coming up with a realistic and effective emergency management response in cases of terror attacks.

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catatonic schizophrenia is one type of illness under its name.

People with catatonic schizophrenia can act unusual in many ways, for example they may be very chatty and hyper or they may extraordinarily quiet. This type of behavior may go on for months, if left untreated.

Catatonic Schizophrenia Symptoms

Since this is a type of schizophrenia, most of the common symptoms of this disorder include:

• Being delusional.
• Having hallucinations.
• Not being able to think properly.
• Not being able to take care of themselves.
• Not being able to show their emotions.
• Agitation.
• Preferring to stay out of social situations.
• Lack of motivation.

Then there are symptoms of catatonic schizophrenia that are slightly different, such as:

• Not moving for unnaturally long periods of time, for example staring outside a window without any motivation to move from the place.
• Then there may be too much movement, for example jumping around or constantly walking from one place to another without any explanation or cause.
• There may be times when they do not listen to or appear to want to change their habits (if forced to) for example if they stay in one place for an unusual amount of time and if someone tries to change their position, the person trying to do this would be met with a lot of resistance.
• There may be times when the patients constantly repeat themselves or constantly repeat something someone has said.

Catatonic Schizophrenia Medical assistance

People who have catatonic schizophrenia are unable to find help themselves, they are in another state of mind and do not realize how strange they are acting. So, this is where the person’s friends, family and loved ones step in. If they have noticed such strange behavior, they either have to convince the person suffering from the illness to go get help or to take them there to give support. Sometimes people are kept in psychiatric wards to be observed so that they can know for sure what the patient is going through and how his/her behavior is changing.

Catatonic Schizophrenia Treatment

Treatment for catatonic schizophrenia requires a lot of motivation, because only people who stick to their treatment are able to live a proper life. The key to getting better is to keep on using the method that helps a person the most, even if it may feel like they no longer need it.

Benzodiazepines are able to quickly reduce the symptoms of catatonic schizophrenia, they are drugs used for relieving anxiety. However, the use of these should be kept to only a specified level and should not exceed the amount prescribed by the doctor, because people can easily become too dependent on it.

Other medication include antipsychotics, atypical antipsychotics and antidepressants.

Catatonic Schizophrenia Therapy

This could be for the individual or for the whole family. Individual therapy will focus on helping the person to deal with day-to-day events and help them understand other people better. It will focus on giving them a positive view on life and help them exercise methods of reducing anxiety or depression through natural methods. It may also help them to focus on taking care of themselves and their hygiene or helping them to get motivated to do tasks. Often, a reward system could help, where they are asked to meet a certain criteria and when they do this, they are rewarded with privileges.

Therapy for the whole family focuses on not only helping the patient cope with their problems but also helps the whole family understand what exactly is going on with their loved one with catatonic schizophrenia . It will teach the family members how to deal with and help the patient, it is also useful because the family’s support will help in making sure the patient does not relapse once in the process of treatment.

When people who have catatonic schizophrenia do not respond well to medication or to therapy the next step used is electroconvulsive therapy, this is used as a last resort. In this, electric currents (that are not fatal) are passed through a person’s brain, it simulates a seizure and usually the patient does not remember the experience; it has shown to give fast improvement for people with catatonic schizophrenia.

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Most individuals who abuse alcohol have a wide array of reason why they indulge and abuse alcohol. Alcohol abuse may stem as early as in the home where an individual’s parents are identified as alcoholics themselves. Moreover, social exposure as well as peer pressure aggravates alcohol consumption towards an individual’s later life which consequently will lead to alcohol intoxication if not properly intervened.

Alcohol Intoxication in the Emergency Department

There is a high prevalence of alcohol intoxication and alcoholism among patients being admitted in the Emergency Department. Since a lot of individuals and patients who habitually abuse alcohol are one of the most common and frequent incidents in the ED, they often frustrate and tax healthcare professionals and  personnel who care for them due to several reasons such as violent outbursts and more importantly severe complications regarding their long-term health. The management of alcohol abuse normally would require health professionals especially those in the Emergency Department to be patient, thoughtful and considerate in their care of individuals afflicted with such recurring problem.

Common signs and symptoms of alcohol intoxication

Alcohol or ethanol is considered a multisystem toxin that causes CNS depression which in turn leads to more pronounce symptoms such as drowsiness, impairment in coordination, slurred speech, abrupt changes in mood, sudden outburst of aggression, belligerence, elated feelings of grandeur, uninhibited and non-conforming behavior. In excess, alcohol intoxicated individuals can lead to stupor, coma and eventually death. Increasingly, one of the most alarming statistics comes from underage minors and college students who arrive at the ED, intoxicated with signs of alcohol poisoning resulting from binge drinking sessions which almost always lead to mortality.

Assessment and Initial Emergency Management

Individuals admitted in the ED for alcohol intoxication usually assess for head injuries, hypoglycemia (since it mimics the symptoms of intoxication), as well as other pertinent health problems which the emergency nurse finds noteworthy during assessment. Treatment normally includes quick detoxification of acute poisoning, recovery and rehabilitation. The most common defense mechanism of individuals suffering from alcoholism and alcohol intoxication is denial and defensiveness. It is therefore very important that health care professionals who are actively involved in their care should approach these individuals in a calm and non-judgmental manner while speaking in a calm but firm voice and in a slow , manner since alcohol intoxication deeply impairs the individual’s thought process.

If drowsy, and with vital signs stable, the individual is normally allowed to sleep off the state of alcohol intoxication. During this time, proper maintenance of a patent airway must be closely monitored and observation for symptoms of CNS depression is very vital to prevent further untoward reactions and complications. On the other hand, violent and/or belligerent individuals under the state of alcohol intoxication can be sedated but must be constantly monitored for hypotension and decreased levels of consciousness.

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Under common-law, there is no general duty to come to the rescue of another. Generally, a person cannot be held liable for doing nothing while another person is in peril. Specifically however such duty may arise two situations first of which is during a situation where a person creates a hazardous situation. If another person becomes endangered by the situation then the creator has a duty to rescue the individual in peril. The second arises where a “special relationship” exists. Examples of these relationships are parent-children relationships, spouses, property owners whose property endangers invitees and employer-employee relationships. Where a duty to rescue comes to pass, the rescuer must generally act with reasonable care and can be held liable for injuries caused by reckless attempts at administering rescue or aid. In many states, as long as the respondent is an emergency worker, liabilities during these circumstances have been removed. Finally, the rescuer must not endanger himself when conducting the rescue.

Civil Law systems common in Europe, Latin America and Africa impose a more extensive duty to rescue. This can mean that if a person finds someone in need of medical help, he must take all reasonable steps to seek medical care and render any aid or first aid possible. Almost all cases of compulsory rescue simply require the rescuer to alert professionals such as police or medical workers with a phone call. Let us take the Civil Law system in Germany as an example. In Germany, “Unterlassene Hilfeleistung” (failure to provide assistance) is an offense according to paragraph 323cof the Strafgesetzbuch; a citizen is obliged to provide help in case of accident or general danger if necessary, and is normally immune from prosecution if assistance given in good faith and following the average reasonable person’s understanding of required measures turns out to be harmful. Also the helper may not be held responsible if the action he should take in order to help is unacceptable for him and he is unable to act (for example when unable to act at the sight of blood). In Germany, knowledge of basic emergency measures and First Aid and CPR Certification is a prerequisite for the granting of a driving license.

To summarize, the duty to rescue is enforced by law where it is provided and it is the citizens duty follow these laws as best as they can within the limitations provided by said laws.

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