Find out how to handle special cases during first aid including children, older adults and the disabled.
Before looking to help accident victims, first aiders are greatly encouraged to look for any special needs of the victim.
Remember these needs matter greatly on how you will administer your medical help to the victims.
People falling into this category include children, the aged, the disabled and foreigners of a different dialect.
Mostly these are people that need specialized care or require for permission to be granted before any help is administered.
For a comprehensive guide on how to administer first aider to different people, sign up for first aid and CPR certification online from americancprinstitute.com.
Here you will find out how to respond to the special cases you come across when administering first aid to accident victims.
Infants and Young Children
Newborn babies below six months are infants and anyone above a year old is a child.
Knowing this difference draws a line on how help will be administered to the young ones.
Children being who they are, are more vulnerable to injuries and accidents while playing or interacting with each other.
Since most of them are unable if not poor at communication, it is upon you to find out where they are hurt and administer help.
With these cases, you have to be fast and thorough to care for all injured parts. Among the common cases are poisoning, injuries, meningitis, and even fever.
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Ask for permission from their parents or guardians and if the injury sustained is major, call for medical assistance before beginning first aid.
Mostly check for blocked airways and consciousness of younger infants during your assessment process. You can learn more about this process by taking first aid and CPR certification online.
Emergency Childbirths
A successful pregnancy usually ends with parturition at the hospital or at home overseen by a professional nurse.
Abrupt childbirth can, however, mean a lot of confusion and panic, especially when in public.
This should be no cause for alarm as a lot of women globally deliver from non-hospital premises and come out successful.
As a first aider try to create some privacy for the lady by covering them and procuring clean towels and clothes to cover the baby when born.
Certain precautions, however, have to be considered like ensuring the pregnant mother does not visit the bathroom on their own.
Help them keep their knees open for easy birth and more so avoid intruding their vaginas at any cost or pull the baby out to be precise.
Heart Attack
Heart attacks happen when there is reduced or limited blood flowing to the heart muscles.
Insufficient oxygen in the heart can trigger it even though it has been known to be catalyzed by coronary heart diseases.
Symptoms may include chest pains, pressure, and even discomfort, breathing complications and discomfort in other body parts like shoulders.
These effects differ from gender to gender and age difference also matters. That may be the reason the signs and symptoms of men and women facing heart attack predicament may differ.
A professional first aider is however trained to recognize all signs and act appropriately to save the victims’ lives.
What to Do
The first thing to do before any first aid to a heart attack victim is to determine their pulse and get them to a comfortable position.
Check for consciousness and call for emergency medical help before beginning the procedure.
You can then loosen their clothes and prepare to begin cardiopulmonary resuscitation to help them regain their breathing.
If unconscious, you could begin with mouth to mouth before starting the chest pushups also called CPR.
You can alternate 30 chest pushups with mouth to mouth breathing while ensuring the airway of the victim is clear.
If conscious, consult them of any heart or chest medication they were using to reduce the pain even though aspirin gets the work done.
The Aged and the Disabled
This is also another group that needs special attention too during first aid. You would not want to inflict more pain to the victim during first aid, would you?
Before beginning the process you should never overlook the conditions that come with old age, for instance, hearing loss.
Maintain eye contact with them and address them with respect to making the whole process easier for both of you.
Check out for any prescriptions or medication they may be used when professionals arrive at the scene.
The same goes for disabled people. Talk to the disabled before you offer help.
If they are unable to communicate, consult any of their family members around to help you understand them better.
It is furthermore recommended that you leave any aids like eyeglasses, canes, and hearing aids to facilitate better collaboration from them.
Enroll for first aid CPR course today and learn more skills that could help you deal with such special cases.
Mike Haynes is a Fitness & Nutritionist Who Believes in Living a Healthy Lifestyle. He Loves to write about Fitness & Nutrition. He is also an expert advisor of Medical billing company which is dedicated to providing accurate billing of patients, daily fitness tips, detailed fitness guides & fitness gear reviews.