Emergency and First Aid

When emergencies strike, injuries or other health issues often accompany them. A good knowledge of first aid is not just a good way to prepare for disaster; it could literally save someone’s life.

The links below offer simple first aid information to help you recognize and treat issues that may arise during an emergency. For more detailed information, please reference the American Institute for Preventative Medicine or check your local area for a comprehensive training program.

• Animal Bite
• Broken Bones
• Burns
• CPR
• Cuts, Scrapes, Punctures
• Dislocation
• Drowning
• Electric Shock
• Frostbite
• Head, Neck and Spinal Injury
• Heat Exhaustion/Heat Stroke
• Obstruction in the Ear or Nose
• Shock
• Sprains and Strains

To stock up on first aid materials and supplies, visit the SurvivalBased store.

*Disclaimer: the information and advice given here is not intended as a substitute for professional medical diagnosis or treatment.

**The medical advice provided here is based on information contained in Healthier at Home – Your Complete Guide to Symptoms, Solutions & Self-Care, published by the American Institute for Preventative Medicine.

Animal Bites and Stings

For Bites

• Signs and Symptoms
  • Swelling, redness, pain, itching, bleeding, tissue loss (on severe wounds), skin rash, lockjaw, allergic reaction.
• Causes
  • Dog, cat, and human bites are the most common animal bites.
  • Snakebites can be fatal if the species is poisonous.
  • Spider bites like black widow and brown recluse are especially severe.
  • Deer tick bites can cause Lyme disease.
  • Mosquitos bites can transfer West Nile Virus if the mosquito is infected.
  • Less common bites: skunks, raccoons, bats and other wild mammals (can carry rabies).
• Treatment
  • Self-treatment can be used for superficial dog and cat bites and for insect bites that do not cause a severe reaction. All human bites should be treated by a doctor to avoid infection. Rabies can be treated through a series of shots that should begin soon after the bite occurs. Poisonous snake bites can be treated with anti-venom within 4 hours of the bite. This should be administered by a medical professional.

For Stings

• Signs and Symptoms
  • Quick, sharp pain.
  • Itching, swelling, and redness starting at sting location and can spread.
  • Raised bump with or without pus.
  • Severe allergic reaction
• Causes
  • Insect stings
  • Aquatic animals like jellyfish, stingray or sea nettles.
• Treatment
  • Self-treat mild stings. Severe allergic reactions occurring within an hour of the stings require immediate care. If individual is known to have a severe allergy, he or she should carry an emergency treatment kit. These people may be able to seek preventative allergy treatment from a doctor.

Broken Bones

• Signs and Symptoms
  • Symptoms of a broken bone include pain, swelling, bruising (pale, blue, purple or gray skin) and a loss of feeling or function. The affected may appear crooked, misshaped or deformed. Numbness and tingling can occur below the break. Skin may feel colder than normal.
• Causes
  • Injuries sustained from a fall or accident
  • Osteoporosis
  • Repeated stress on a bone
• Treatment
  • The bone may need to be reset and placed in a splint or cast. Broken fingers, toes and ribs do not require a cast.

Burns

• Signs and Symptoms
  • First Degree Burn – Outer skin layer appears dry, red and mildly swollen. It is painful and sensitive to touch. The pain should subside in a couple of days, and should fully heal within a week.
  • Second Degree Burn – Affects outer and lower layers of skin. It becomes painful, red, swollen, forms blisters and has a weepy, watery surface.
  • Third Degree Burn – Affects the outer and deeper skin, as well as the organs below. Skin will appear charred (black and white) and swollen. Tissue under the skin is exposed. Pain is less than first and second degree burns because nerve endings are destroyed.
• Causes
  • Dry heat (fire), moist heat (steam), electricity, chemicals or radiation (sunlight). Duration of exposure directly correlates with the severity of the burn.
• Treatment
  • Third degree burns always require emergency care. Second degree burns need immediate care of located on the face, hands, feet, genitals, joints or if it covers a large area. Topical ointments and pain relievers can be used to treat most first and second degree burns.

CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation)

CPR should be administered by ONLY be emergency medical personnel or individuals certified by medical professionals. Seek out training and certification programs in your local area.

Cuts, Scrapes, Punctures and Bruises

• Signs and Symptoms
  • A cut slices the skin open, causing bleeding and pain. Scrapes are similar, but usually cover a larger area, creating greater pain. Punctures are stab wounds causing pain, but not necessarily bleeding. Bruises are the result of broken blood vessels under the skin, appear black, blue or red, and turn yellowish green as they heal. Pain, tenderness and swelling also occur.
• Causes
  • Cuts, scrapes and punctures are caused by anything that penetrates the skin, including glass, splinters, and nails or falling on pavement. Bruises are most often caused by falling or being hit significantly hard. People who take blood-thinners are more susceptible to bruising.
• Treatment
  • Treatment is determined by the severity of the injury. Simple wounds can be treated with bandages and antibacterial ointment. More severe injuries (deep or long cuts) may require medical care such as stitches

Dislocation

• Signs and Symptoms
• Dislocation is the separation of the end of a bone and the joint to which it connects. The bone is displace, or dislocated, from the proper position. Dislocation can cause swelling, discoloration and can be very painful. It occurs most often in shoulders, elbows (in toddlers), fingers, hips, and ankles.
• Dislocations can damage membrane lining, tear nearby muscles and ligaments, and cause nerve damage.
• Causes
  • Injuries from falls or sporting activities
  • Overstretching
  • Weak joints from a previous injury
  • Sudden jerking of a hand or arm, especially in the opposite direction the joint is intended to go.
• Treatment
  • Professional medical care is required to replace a dislocated socket. Once replaced, a dislocated joint should function with 1 to 2 days. Allow for the injury to heal for 4 to 6 weeks before returning to normal activity.

Drowning

• Signs and Symptoms
  • Person in the water shows signs of distress, is unable to stay above water, swims unevenly, or signals for help.
  • Blue lips or ears. Cold and pale skin.
  • Bloated abdomen. Choking. Vomiting. Confusion. Lethargy.
  • Unconsciousness
• Causes
  • Inability to swim or swimming in water too deep or rough for one’s skill level.
  • Water sports or accidents. Failure to follow safety rules. Unsupervised swimming.
  • Falling through ice on a river or lake.
  • Injuries sustained while swimming or boating (muscle cramps, fatigue or substance abuse)
• Treatment
  • Immediate medical care is required (administration of CPR ONLY by someone certified)

Electric Shock

• Signs and Symptoms
  • Shocking sensations resulting in numbness, tingling, and change in vision, speech or any sensation
  • Burns or open wounds where electricity enters and exists the body.
  • Muscle spasms or contractions. Sudden immobility or fractures
  • Irregular heartbeat, chest pain or interrupted breathing.
  • Seizures
  • Unconsciousness
• Causes
  • Touching a source of high voltage electricity, such as wires that are downed during a storm. Touching someone who is still in contact with a live current. Touching a low-voltage current source like an electrical socket.
  • Being struck by lightening.
  • Contacting water that is exposed to a live electrical current.
• Treatment
  • Injury from high-voltage electricity (downed wires or lightning) requires emergency medical care. Electrocution from a low-voltage source requires emergency care if any signs or symptoms from above are present. A person without these symptoms should still see a doctor to check for internal injuries.

Frostbite/Hypothermia

For Frostbite

• Signs and Symptoms
  • Cold, numb skin that swells and feels hard. Color changes from white to red to purple, and blisters start to form.
  • Loss of function and absence of pain.
  • Slurred speech and confusion
• Causes
  • Occurs when temperatures drop below freezing, setting in either slowly or quickly, depending on how extreme the temperature, wind chill, and how long the skin is exposed to the cold.

For Hypothermia

• Signs and Symptoms
  • Mild: Shivering, slurred speech, memory lapses and body core will begin feeling cold.
  • Moderate: Shivering stops, but skin feels cold and looks blue. Person will be confused, drowsy and cranky. Muscles get rigid and stiff, pulse rate and breathing begin to slow.
  • Severe: Dilated pupils, no response to pain, loss of consciousness. Person will appear dead; death will occur in over 50% of those who experience severe hypothermia.
• Causes
  • Full body exposure to cold temperatures in both wet and dry conditions. Risk increases with wet clothing, laying on a cold surface, poor circulation, diabetes and old age.
  • Can occur in less than six hours of cold-water immersion or exposure to near freezing, wet weather for up to 24 hours.
• Treatment
  • Seek emergency medical attention for all frostbite to avoid infection. Mild hypothermia can be treated by gently and slowly warming the body, but should be regulated by a doctor. More extreme cases require medical care.

Head, Neck and Spinal Injury

• Signs and Symptoms
  • For extreme injury:
    • Scalp, neck or back bleeding
    • Head, neck or back is in an odd position
    • Mild to severe pain in the back, neck and/or head
    • Stiff neck
    • Abdominal pain and vomiting
    • Blood or fluid from the mouth, nose or an ear
    • Loss of vision, blurred or double vision, pupils are different sizes
    • Inability to move any part of the body, weakness in an arm or leg, difficulty walking
    • New feelings of numbness anywhere in the body
    • New loss of bladder or bowel control
    • Confusion, drowsiness or personality changes
    • Convulsions or loss of consciousness
• For whiplash:
  • Neck pain and stiffness
  • Difficulty raising the head up from a lying position.
• Causes
  • Anything that puts too much pressure or force on the head, neck or back can cause an injury. Falls, accidents or hard blows are the most common causes.
• Treatment
  • Keep the head, neck and back perfectly still until emergency care professionals can arrive. Any movement could result in paralysis or death.

Heat Stroke/Heat Exhaustion

• Signs and Symptoms
  • For heat stroke:
    • Very high temperature
    • Hot, dry, red skin with no sweating
    • Deep breathing and fast pulse, followed by shallow breathing and weak pulse
    • Confusion, hallucinations, convulsions, loss of consciousness
    • All symptoms can occur suddenly and without warning
• For heat exhaustion:
  • Normal, low or slightly elevated body temperature
  • Cool, clammy, pale skin with sweating
  • Dry mouth, thirst
  • Fatigue, weakness, dizziness, headache, nausea, muscle cramps, weak or rapid pulse.
• Causes
  • Anything that prevents the body’s natural cooling system from properly functioning, including:
    • Extreme heat and humidity; inability to get to air-conditioned locations; overdressing; changes in skin due to aging; poor circulation; heart, lung and/or kidney disease; inability to sweat due to medications; alcohol or drug use; any illness resulting in weakness, fever, vomiting or diarrhea.
• Treatment
  • Heat stroke is a medical emergency. Heat exhaustion may respond to self-care of slowly cooling down the body. If not, medical care is needed.
• Obstruction in the Ear or Nose
  • Signs and Symptoms
    • Objects in the ear:
      • Feeling of fullness in the ear
      • Ear pain or discomfort
      • Hearing loss and/or dizziness
      • Foul odor and/or drainage from the ear
      • Bleeding from the ear
  • Objects in the nose:
    • Constant nasal discharge
    • Foul odor; pus or blood drainage from a nostril
    • Pain, swelling and/or tenderness
• Causes
  • Objects being placed in the ear or nose on purpose, injury or accident and it will not come out. Insects can also become lodged in an ear.
• Treatment
  • Seek professional medical care for items that cannot be removed with reasonable self-care. After an object is removed, antibiotics may be necessary to treat infection.
• Shock
  • Signs and Symptoms
    • Weakness, trembling, feeling restless, confusion, pale or blue-colored skin and/or fingernails, cool and moist skin
    • Rapid, shallow breathing; weak, but fast pulse
    • Nausea, vomiting, extreme thirst, enlarged pupils
    • Loss of consciousness
• Causes
  • Heart attack; severe or sudden blood loss (bleeding can occur internally or externally)
  • Large drop in bodily fluids, such as severe burn
• Treatment
  • Have person lie down on his or her back, elevate feet and hold still
  • Keep person warm and comfortable; loosen belts and tight clothing. NEVER administer anything by mouth, even water.
  • Seek emergency medical care.
• Sprains and Strains
  • Signs and Symptoms
    • For sprains:
      • A sprain is an overstretched or torn ligament (fibrous tissue connecting bones). A joint is affected, but there is no dislocation or fracture. Symptoms are rapid pain, swelling, bruising and a warm feeling at the site of the injury.
  • For strains:
    • A strain is an injury to muscles or tendons (tissue connecting muscles to bones). Symptoms are pain, tenderness, swelling and bruising.
• Causes
  • Sprains are caused by accident, injury, fall, etc. Strains occur when muscles or tendons are overstretched or overexerted. This is usually caused by overuse and injuries.
• Treatment
  • Exact treatment depends on the location and severity. Immediately ice the location of the injury. Allow the injury site to heal for 2-6 weeks before attempting any heavy physical activity.