Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Health and Science/First Aid, Basic

Note: The red oval on the patch designates “basic” level.

If residing in the United States or another country where Red Cross instruction is given, satisfactorily pass the Red Cross Examination in Basic First Aid and receive your certificate. In British countries pass the examination in St. John Ambulance and receive certificate for the same. Or complete the following requirements:

2. Know the proper steps for rescue breathing.
'''The following is in addition to the information above for review purposes. This teaches students how to handle live situations they may come upon.'''

In the next revision of the first aid honors the first aider needs to know what to do when they come across an accident of any type. They will need to know the correct procedures in their correct order. This is not currently addressed anywhere in any of the Basic, Standard, Advanced First Aid Honors.

It is important to check for a pulse before anyone attempts to carry out CPR. If the heart is beating you do not perform CPR. CPR is to maintain the blood flow in place of the beating heart in order to carry the air you are breathing into the victim to the victim's brain. Usually if the heart is not beating there is no breathing, but it is possible for breathing to stop while the heart is still beating.

Whenever an accident or emergency occurs and you are the first person to arrive at the scene, there is one important technique to follow first: Check Call Care (see below). Then use DRABC to care for the victim.

Oh No! There's been an accident! What do I do first?

Check Call Care


 * Check: To Check for danger, you must first survey the scene to ensure your own safety; then, do a primary survey.


 * Call: After checking the victim, call an ambulance, giving them a description of the emergency situation as well as the location of the scene.


 * Care: After calling the ambulance, provide appropriate care based on your primary survey of the victim until an ambulance or other advance medical personnel arrives and takes over.

DRABC

Before you try to help the victim, you must determine if the scene is safe. If anything dangerous is present, such as a live wire, a vicious animal, deep water, or fire, you cannot endanger your own life to try to help the victim. Summon trained medical personnel immediately, and they will handle the situation. If you get hurt at the scene, you end up as just another victim for the ambulance to treat. Once you have called for help, you have done all you can in such a situation.
 * Danger:

If the scene is safe, try to determine what may have happened or what caused the accident. Never move the victim to give treatment unless immediate life-threatening danger exists, such as a fire or an unstable structure ready to collapse.

After determining that the scene is safe, you must check for a response in the victim. You will look, listen and feel to determine if the victim:
 * Response:
 * 1) Is conscious
 * 2) Has an open, unobstructed airway
 * 3) Is breathing
 * 4) Has a heartbeat
 * 5) Is not bleeding severely

To check for consciousness, gently tap the victim and ask, "Are you okay?" If the victim can speak or cry, he or she is conscious, breathing, and has a pulse. If the victim is unresponsive, he or she may be unconscious, indicating a possibly life-threatening condition. An unconscious person's tongue relaxes and may fall back to block the airway, stopping breathing and eventually the heartbeat.

Next, if the victim is unconscious, kneel next to the victim's head and check for the ABC's: Airway, Breathing and Circulation.


 * Airway:

To open the airway of an unconscious victim, tilt the head back and lift the chin.


 * Breathing:

To check for breathing, you must look, listen and feel. Place your face above the victim's mouth and nose, so that you can listen and feel for air being exhaled while watching the victim's chest for a gentle rise and fall that occurs when breathing. If the victim is not breathing, you must give 2 slow breaths. This is called rescue breathing. If the breaths do not go in, retilt the head and try again. If the breaths still do not go in, the victim has an obstructed airway, and you may try to clear the airway with a blow between the shoulder blades in the back, or with abdominal thrusts. If the breaths do go in, then continue with your DRABC.


 * Circulation:

To check for circulation, you must check the victim's pulse at one of the carotid arteries, located in the neck on either side of the Adam's apple. Using your index and middle finger (Never use your thumb—it has its own pulse and you may mistake it for that of the victim!) find the Adam's apple and then slide your fingers toward the side of the neck facing you into the groove in the side of the neck. Take at least 5 to 10 seconds to feel for the pulse. If the victim is an infant, locate the pulse in the brachial artery, on the inside of the upper arm in between the elbow and the shoulder. If the victim has a pulse but is not breathing, you must go immediately do Rescue Breathing. If the victim is not breathing and does not have a pulse, go immediately to CPR (if you have been trained). Check the body for signs of any severe external bleeding (bleeding is severe when blood spurts from a wound, and it is life-threatening).

7. Demonstrate the proper procedure in splinting various broken bones in the body.
Splints

Forearm

Upper Arm

Kneecap

Ankle

14. Know how to prevent infection.
Although infection may occur in any wound, it is a particular danger in wounds that do not bleed freely; in wounds in which torn tissue or skin falls back into place and prevents the entrance of air; and in wounds that involve the crushing of tissues. Incisions, in which there is a free flow of blood and relatively little crushing of tissues, are the least likely to become infected.

There are two types of bacteria commonly causing infection in wounds—aerobic and anaerobic. The former bacterial live and multiply in the presence of air or free oxygen, while the latter are bacterial that live and multiply only in the absence of air.

The principal aerobic bacteria that cause infection, inflammation, and blood poisoning are streptococci and staphylococci, some varieties of which destroy  red blood  cells. The staphylococci and streptococci may be introduced at the time of infliction, or they may be  introduced  to  the  wound later, at the time of first aid treatment or in the hospital if nonsterile instruments  or dressings are employed.

Wash minor wounds immediately with soap and clean water; then dry and paint them with a mild, nonirritating antiseptic. Apply a dressing if necessary. In the first aid environment, do not attempt to wash or clean a large wound, and do not apply an antiseptic to it since it must be cleaned thoroughly at a medical treatment facility. Simply protect it with a large compress or dressing and transport the victim to a medical treatment facility. After an initial soap and water cleanup, puncture wounds must also be directed to  a  medical  treatment  facility  for  evaluation.

15. What is the proper treatment for a snake bite?
Seek medical attention as quickly as possible. Apply first aid treatment: Remove any jewelry or watches, as these could cut into the skin if swelling occurs. Keep the area of the bite below the level of the heart in order to slow the spread of venom through the bloodstream. Remain still and calm. Moving around will make venom spread faster through the body. Cover the bite with a clean, loose-fitting, dry bandage. The main goal is to administer the correct antivenom as soon as possible. Knowing the size, color and shape of the snake can help determine the best treatment for a particular bite. Antivenoms are made by immunizing a horse or sheep with the venom of a particular snake, then processing the animal's blood serum (the watery part of the blood), which will contain antibodies capable of neutralizing the effects of venom.

Monospecific antivenoms treat the bite of a specific type of snake, while polyspecific antivenoms can treat bites from a number of snakes found in a particular geographic region.

The following is a list of DO NOTs:

Do not pick up the snake or try to wrap it up or kill it, as this will increase the chance of getting another bite. Even a dead snake is able to bite. Do not apply a tourniquet. Do not cut across the site of the bite marks. Do not try to suck out the venom. Do not apply ice. Do not immerse the wounded area in water. Do not drink alcohol. Do not drink beverages with caffeine.

17. What is the proper treatment for insect and spider bites?
Insect Bites

Spider Bites

20. What are the basic fire prevention principles for the home?

 * If your home lacks smoke detectors, install them
 * Replace the batteries and test your smoke detectors on a regular basis (when adjusting your clocks for daylight savings time, for example).
 * Do not smoke or allow anyone else to smoke in your home.
 * Never overload circuits or extension cords. Do not place cords and wires under rugs, over nails or in high traffic areas. Immediately shut off and unplug appliances that sputter, spark or emit an unusual smell. Have them professionally repaired or replaced.
 * When using appliances follow the manufacturer's safety precautions. Overheating, unusual smells, shorts and sparks are all warning signs that appliances need to be shut off, then replaced or repaired. Unplug appliances when not in use. Use safety caps to cover all unused outlets, especially if there are small children in the home.
 * Portable heaters need their space. Keep anything combustible at least three feet away.
 * Keep fire in the fireplace. Use fire screens and have your chimney cleaned annually. The creosote buildup can ignite a chimney fire that could easily spread.
 * Kerosene heaters should be used only where approved by authorities. Never use gasoline or camp-stove fuel. Refuel outside and only after the heater has cooled.
 * Practice an escape plan from every room in the house. Caution everyone to stay low to the floor when escaping from fire and never to open doors that are hot. Select a location where everyone can meet after escaping the house. Get out then call for help.

21. What are the basic water safety principles?

 * Learn to swim.
 * Swim in areas where a lifeguard is on duty
 * Young children and weak swimmers should wear a personal floatation device (PFD) when they are around water.
 * Set limits for inexperienced swimmers, such as not allowing them to enter water that is more than chest-deep.
 * Inspect swimming areas for hazards such as underwater trees, holes, and swift currents.
 * Swim parallel to the shore if caught in a rip tide.
 * Get out of the water if there is a risk of a lightning strike.

23. What are the basic electrical safety principles?

 * Do not overload circuits or extension cords.
 * Only use an extension cord that is rated to handle the current an appliance will use. An appliance's amperage is listed on the outside of the appliance.
 * Shut off the power before working on a circuit.
 * Unplug an appliance before servicing it.
 * Water and electricity do not mix. Do not use an electric appliance when standing in a puddle of water or while in a bathtub or shower.
 * Do not use a land-line telephone or touch any "wired" appliance during an electrical storm.
 * Do not insert anything into an electrical socket other than an electrical plug which is in good condition or an outlet safety cover.
 * Replace broken or frayed electrical cords.

24. How can you prevent food poisoning?
Food poisoning is causes by eating food which is contaminated with any infectious or toxic agent such as bacteria or parasites. The two main ways food becomes contaminated is by improper storage, or by coming into contact with contaminated food (cross-contamination).

Food Storage
The basic rule for storing food is to pay attention to the temperature. Keep hot foods hot, and keep cold foods cold. Most bacteria will not grow in food that is hotter than 140 °F (60 °C), and bacterial growth is greatly slowed at temperatures below 40 °F (4 °C). It is unsafe to store foods susceptible to bacteria growth between these temperatures.

Food poisoning is often caused by eating left-overs that were not promptly refrigerated. As soon as the food temperature falls below 140 °F (60 °C), it should be refrigerated. The longer food is left in the "danger zone", the more bacteria will multiply in it. If it contains enough bacteria, it will overwhelm the body's immune system and sickness will result.

Be careful about refrigerating large quantities of hot food. For instance, the potato salad in the center of a two-gallon container can remain warm for hours after refrigeration - providing ample time for bacteria to multiply. Divide large quantities of food into smaller containers prior to refrigeration so that the food can cool throughout.

Cross Contamination
Cross contamination usually happens during food preparation. Raw meat and raw eggs should always be treated as if they were contaminated. Cooking them kills the bacteria and makes them safe to eat. Do not allow other food to come into contact with raw meat or eggs, or that food will become contaminated. Do not use the same utensils to handle raw meat and food that is ready to eat.

Wash your hands before you eat or cook, and always wash your hands after handling raw meat or eggs - before handling any other food.

Do not allow pets to walk on food preparation surfaces (i.e., don't let the cat walk on the counter top or dining table). Animals pick up many types of bacteria on their feet, and this is easily transferred to food. If you do catch your pet walking on the countertop, be sure to disinfect it before using it as a food preparation surface.