Free English Lesson with Notes Lesson 75

- someone is bleeding
- someone has broken a limb
- someone is unconscious

How to give first aid
It’s important to learn the elementary skills required to provide first aid response. Accidents happen when we least expect it, so it pays to be prepared with first aid training. You might never find yourself in a situation when the only difference between someone’s life and death will be your knowledge of basic first aid techniques or lack thereof. But even when you’re dealing with an injury that requires nothing more than a rinse and a band-aid, knowing how to administer first aid will give you greater confidence and help you keep your composure.

1 How to stop bleeding
In case you are ever faced with a medical emergency, act quickly, quietly and without fuss or panic. This is especially true for when you are dealing with common bleeding incidents. When you need to stop bleeding, start by assessing the severity of the situation. If bleeding is severe, that is, if it can't be stopped after 10 minutes of firm and steady pressure, call medical assistance immediately. If the wound is deep or if its edges are jagged or gaping open, if it shows signs of infection, such as redness, tenderness, or a thick discharge, get the injured person to the hospital at once. Be particularly careful if you suspect internal bleeding. Have the injured elevate their legs above their heart. This should help circulation to the vital organs while you wait for medical help.
When the injury in question is minor, simply apply direct pressure on the cut or wound with a clean cloth, tissue, or piece of gauze until bleeding stops. Then, if your efforts have been successful, clean the wound with soap and warm water. Make sure you rinse soap out of the wound to prevent irritation. Don’t use any agents that can damage tissue. Consider applying a topical antiseptic if the bleeding settles with first aid measures.
And remember, the golden rule of giving first aid is «do no harm». Only treat if you are willing and able to do so. If you're not sure about the risk of harm of a particular intervention, don't do it!

2 How to treat a broken limb
Broken bones, or fractures, are not rare occurrences. On average, a person sustains at least two broken bones during their lifetime. Broken limbs are a significant and traumatic injury, and getting timely first aid is crucial.
However, in our anxiety to render proper and prompt first-aid treatment to an injured person, we sometimes do more harm than good. By all means, avoid panicking and trying to set fractures and breaks by yourself. First, make sure that you are indeed dealing with a broken limb. Check for these signs and symptoms: intense pain in the injured area that gets worse when you move it, heavy bleeding at the injury site, bluish color, swelling, or visible deformity in the injured area. Remember: if you don't proceed with care, you might make the injury worse.
Call medical professionals and while you're waiting for their arrival, help the injured by stopping the bleeding and immobilizing the injured area. Don't try to realign the bone or push a bone that's sticking out back in. Instead, try applying a splint to the area above and below the fracture site. You can fashion a splint out of pretty much any rigid object you have on hand. For example, branches, boards, or a piece of cardboard. Use your stiff object to brace the injured limb. If there is an open wound, try putting the splint on the uninjured side of the limb. Tie the splint to keep it in place. Wrapping materials for the splint can be made out of torn clothes. If you don't wrap the splint tight enough, you might aggravate the injury. But if you wrap it too tight, you might cause numbness and unnecessary discomfort. Your next step would be to limit swelling and bruising, and to help relieve pain. You should use an ice pack - a bag of frozen veggies or ice cubes, wrapped in a towel will do. Help the injured person get into a comfortable position, encourage them to rest, reassure them. Don't forget to pat yourself on the back for a job well done!

3 How to help an unconscious person
A first aider’s overall aim should be to preserve life, prevent the worsening of the patient’s condition and to promote recovery. Never is this more important than in treating the unconscious.
Unconsciousness, that is an inability to respond to immediate surroundings, or any other sudden change in mental status, such as confusion, disorientation, or stupor, must be treated as a medical emergency. Unconsciousness may range in severity from drowsiness to collapse, from fainting to coma. It can be caused by nearly any major illness or injury, as well as substance and alcohol abuse, dehydration, or temporary low blood pressure.
If you encounter an unconscious person, try to determine the cause of their unconsciousness first. Check for medical alert tags - for instance, people who suffer from type I diabetes and are prone to fainting due to low blood sugar usually wear medical ID bracelets with instructions.
In any case, the general guidelines are as follows. First, check for pulse and breathing (see if their chest is rising and air is coming out of their nose). If the person is breathing, and there is no spinal injury, carefully roll them onto the side (especially if the person is vomiting or bleeding out of their mouth – by rolling them you will avoid choking). Don’t slap an unconscious person's face or splash water on it, and trying to hydrate them is also not a good idea.
After you’ve rolled them, bend the person’s leg so both hip and knee are at right angles. Gently tilt the head back to keep the airway open. Don’t try to place anything under the unconscious person’s head. Should the person’s breathing or pulse stop at any time, roll them on to their back and begin CPR. If you think there is a possible spinal injury, leave the person as you found them till the paramedics come.
While encountering a medical emergency can easily pass you by, undergoing some kind of first aid training is still worthwhile. Having the knowledge and never having to use it is far better than finding yourself with an injured person with no idea how to help.