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An electrical burn may appear minor or not show on the skin at all, but the damage can extend deep into the tissues beneath your skin. If a strong electrical current passes through your body, internal damage, such as a heart rhythm disturbance or cardiac arrest, can occur. Sometimes the jolt associated with the electrical burn can cause you to be thrown or to fall, resulting in fractures or other associated injuries. ( Kelowna First Aid )

Call 911 or your local emergency number for assistance if the person who has been burned is in pain, is confused, or is experiencing changes in his or her breathing, heartbeat or consciousness.

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1. Look first. Don’t touch. The person may still be in contact with the electrical source. Touching the person may pass the current through you. Kelowna First Aid
2. Turn off the source of electricity if possible. If not, move the source away from both you and the injured person using a dry, nonconducting object made of cardboard, plastic or wood.
3. Check for signs of circulation (breathing, coughing or movement). If absent, begin cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) immediately. Kelowna First Aid
4. Prevent shock. Lay the person down with the head slightly lower than the trunk, if possible, and the legs elevated. ( Kelowna First Aid )Kelowna First Aid
5. Cover the affected areas. If the person is breathing, cover any burned areas with a sterile gauze bandage, if available, or a clean cloth. Don’t use a blanket or towel, because loose fibers can stick to the burns. ( Kelowna First Aid )

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First Aid Minor Wounds

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First Aid

One of the first matters to address with minor wounds is cleansing the wound.^[3,8] Cleansing is important for incisions that are caused by sharp objects, such as knives or broken glass. However, it is even more critical in abrasion injuries, in which the skin’s outer layers have been scraped away by abrasion against a rough object, such as when elbows and arms scrape against pavement during a skateboard fall. If the abrasion occurred on a surface that contains loose materials, the wound is likely to be contaminated with gravel, dirt, grass, and other foreign substances. Each foreign object remaining may serve as a source of infection and should be removed.

The wound can be washed with tap water under enough pressure to thoroughly cleanse the wound of foreign materials. Wound Wash Saline is a pressurized sterile 0.9% sodium chloride product that can accomplish this cleansing for minor wounds.

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Valuable information can be gained from looking a victim’s pupils. For this purpose, first aid kits should have a penlight or small torch in them.

Ideally, the pupils of the eye should be equal and reactive to light, usually written down as PEARL.

To check this, ask the victim to look straight at you with both eyes. Look to see if both pupils are the same size and shape (be sensitive to those who may be blind in one eye, or may even have a glass eye, although they will usually tell you).

To check if they are reactive, take the penlight, and ask the victim to look at your nose. Briefly (5 seconds or so) shield their eye with your hand from the light source where they are (sunlight, room lighting etc.), and then turn on the penlight, positioning it off to the side of their head. Move the penlight in over their eye quickly, and watch to see the size change. A normal reaction would be the pupil getting smaller quickly as the light is shone in to it. Repeat on the other eye.

If both pupils are the same, and both react, note this on your form as PEARL, or else note down what you did, or did not see.

The circulatory system distributes blood to all parts of the body, carrying oxygen and nutrients to the tissues.  If the circulatory system fails, and insufficient oxygen reaches the tissues, the medical condition known as shock occurs.  If the condition is not treated quickly, the vital organs can fail, ultimately causing death.  Shock is made worse by fear and pain.

Causes of Shock

Shock can develop when the heart pump fails to work properly, causing a reduction in the pressure of the circulating blood.  The most common cause of this type of shock is a heart attack.

Shock can develop as a result of a reduction in the volume of fluid circulating around the body.  The most common examples of this are external or internal bleeding, or loss of other bodily fluids through severe diarrhoea, vomiting, or burns.  The blood supply is diverted from the surface to the core of the body.  The main symptoms and signs of shock relate to such redistribution of the circulation.

Recognition of Shock

Initially, a flow of adrenaline causes:

• A rapid pulse.
• Pale, grey skin, especially inside the lips.  If pressure is applied to a fingernail or earlobe, it will not regain its colour immediately.
• Sweating, and cold, clammy skin (sweat does not evaporate).

As shock develops, there may be:

• Weakness and giddiness.
• Nausea, and sometimes vomiting.
• Thirst.
• Rapid, shallow breathing.
• A weak, ‘thready’ pulse.  When the pulse at the wrist disappears, fluid loss may equal half the blood volume.

As the oxygen supply to the brain weakens:

• The casualty may become restless, anxious and aggressive.
• The casualty may yawn and gasp for air (‘air hunger’).
• The casualty will eventually become unconscious.
• Finally, the heart will stop.

Treatment of Shock

DO NOT let the casualty move unnecessarily, eat, drink, or smoke.

DO NOT leave the casualty unattended.  Reassure the casualty constantly.

• Treat any cause of shock which can be remedied (such as external bleeding).
• Lay the casualty down, keeping the head low.
• Raise and support the casualty’s legs (be careful if suspecting a fracture).
• Loosen tight clothing, braces, straps or belts, in order to reduce constriction at the neck, chest and waist.
• Insulate the casualty from cold, both above and below.  Contact the emergency service.
• Check and record breathing, pulse and level of response.  Be prepared to resuscitate the casualty if nec

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If an injury needs a splint, apply the splint first, and then apply the sling.

Always check the person’s skin color and pulse (circulation) after the injured body part has been immobilized. If the area becomes cool, turns pale or blue, or if the patient develops numbness or tingling, loosen the splint and bandage.

Care for all wounds first before applying a splint or sling. If bone is visible in the injured site, call your local emergency number (such as 911) or local hospital for further advice.

HOW TO MAKE A SLING

1. You’ll need a piece of cloth that is about 5 feet wide at the base and at least 3 feet long on the sides. (If the sling is for a child, you can use a smaller size.)
2. Cut a triangle out of a piece of this cloth.
3. If you don’t have scissors handy, fold a large square piece of cloth diagonally into a triangle.
4. Place the person’s elbow at the top point of the triangle, and the wrist midway along the triangle’s bottom edge. Bring the two free points up around the front and back of the same (or opposite) shoulder, and pin or tie securely together. Adjust the height of the knot so that the elbow is bent at a right angle.
5. If you do not have material or scissors to make a triangle sling, you can make one using a coat or a shirt. Apply the sling in much the same manner as shown in the pictures “Creating a Sling” associated with this article.
6. You can also make a sling using a belt, rope, vine, or sheet.
7. If the injured arm should be kept still, tie the sling to the body with another piece of cloth wrapped around the chest and tied on the uninjured side.
8. Occasionally check for tightness, and adjust the sling as necessary.

Do NOT try to realign an injured body part unless the skin looks pale or blue or there is no pulse.

Seek medical help if the person has a dislocation, broken bone, or severe bleeding. Also seek professional medical help if you cannot completely immobilize the injury at the scene by yourself.

Safety is the best way to avoid broken bones caused by falling. Some diseases make bones break more easily, so use caution when assisting a person with fragile bones.

Avoid activities that strain the muscles or bones for long periods of time as these can cause weakness and falls. Also, use appropriate caution when walking on slippery or uneven surfaces.

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Heat Exhaustion & Heat Stroke

Sweat evaporates from the skin to cool the body. If this personal cooling system does not work right or fails to work, heat exhaustion or a heat stroke can occursHeat exhaustion is a warning that the body is getting too hot. With a heat stroke, body organs start to overheat. They will stop working if they get hot enough. I it is not treated, a heat stroke can result in death.

These signs and symptoms can occur suddenly with little warning: Heat stroke

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Sunburn treatment starts with prevention. Correctly using sunscreen will help prevent burns. Make sure you know sunscreen myths versus facts when out in the sun.

Sunburns are caused by UV radiation rather than heat (ie, we get sunburns on cold, snowy days).

Sunburns destroy skin, which controls the amount of heat our bodies retain or release, holds in fluids, and protects us from infection.

Remember always, if you think a burn of any type is significant, do not hesitate to call 911 immediately.

Look for blisters. Blistering means the skin is completely damaged and complications are likely. If the area with blisters is bigger than one entire arm or the whole abdomen, seek medical attention by calling 911 or visiting the emergency department.

Take a cool shower or bath to soothe the pain. No more 1/10 th ebody should be cooled at once.

Apply aloe or another cooling agent with parental consent form. Whatever you use - DO NOT APPLY BUTTER OR OIL TO ANY BURN!

What are the different kinds of casts?

A cast, which keeps a bone from moving so it can heal, is essentially a big bandage that has two layers — a soft cotton layer that rests against the skin and a hard outer layer that prevents the broken bone from moving.

These days, casts are made of either:

• plaster of paris: a heavy white powder that forms a thick paste that hardens quickly when mixed with water. Plaster of paris casts are heavier than fiberglass casts and don’t hold up as well in water.
• synthetic (fiberglass) material: made out of fiberglass, a kind of moldable plastic, these casts come in many bright colors and are lighter and cooler. The covering (fiberglass) on synthetic casts is water-resistant, but the padding underneath is not. You can, however, get a waterproof liner. The doctor putting on your child’s cast will decide whether a fiberglass cast with a waterproof lining is appropriate.

How is a cast put on?

First, several layers of soft cotton are wrapped around the injured area. Next, the plaster or fiberglass outer layer is soaked in water. The doctor wraps the plaster or fiberglass around the soft first layer. The outer layer is wet but will dry to a hard, protective covering. Doctors sometimes make tiny cuts in the sides of a cast to allow room for swelling.

Can plaster of paris casts get wet?

Absolutely not! A wet cast may not hold the bone in place because the cast could start to dissolve in the water and could irritate the skin underneath it, possibly leading to infection. So your child shouldn’t swim and should use a plastic bag or special sleeve (available online or sometimes at pharmacies) to protect the cast from water. And instead of a shower, your child may need to take a sponge bath.

Can synthetic (fiberglass) casts get wet?

Although the fiberglass itself is waterproof, the padding inside a fiberglass cast is not. So it’s still important to try to keep a fiberglass cast from getting wet. If this is a problem, talk to the doctor about getting a waterproof liner. Fiberglass casts with waterproof liners let kids continue bathing or even go swimming during the healing process. Although the liner allows for evaporation of water and sweat, it’s still fragile. Also, only certain types of breaks can be treated with this type of cast. Your doctor will determine if the fracture may be safely treated with a waterproof cast.