ZION

EMERGENCY
AND DISASTER
RESCUE UNIT
First Aid Provider
At work, injuries and illnesses kill about 2.2 million people in the world each
year.

Unintentional injury is the leading cause of death in the United States for
individuals younger than 44 years of age. On average, 15 workers die each
day in the U.S. from traumatic injuries, and more than four million workers
suffer a nonfatal injury or illness each year.

In the U.S., about one-third of all injuries and 20 percent of injury deaths
occur at home. For every home injury death there are about 650 nonfatal
home injuries.

Personal Safety
Emergency scenes are often unsafe. Your personal safety is always the
highest priority, even before the safety of an ill or injured person. Putting
yourself in danger to help someone can make the situation worse.

Always pause for a moment before approaching an emergency and look for
obvious hazards. Consider the possibility of hidden dangers. If the scene is
unsafe, do not approach. If the location you are already in becomes unsafe,
get out!
Universal First Aid Procedures
Emergency Action Steps

Assess – Alert - Attend to the ABCs

Unresponsive Victim

Assess Scene
If scene is unsafe or at anytime becomes
unsafe, GET OUT!
Assess Victim
Not moving? No response?
Alert
If no response, alert EMS (Call 9-1-1) or
activate Emergency Action Plan.
Attend to the ABCs
Emergency Action Steps

Assess – Alert - Attend to the ABCs

Unresponsive Victim

A=AIRWAY. Open Airway

• Head – tilt , chin lift.

B=BREATHING. Check Breathing

Look, listen, and feel for at least 5 seconds, but no
more than 10.
If victim is not breathing normally or you are
unsure, perform COMPRESSION ONLY.
If breathing normally…
C=CIRCULATION

Look for blood pumping or pouring out of a wound.

Control it with direct pressure.
Look for normal tissue color. Use your exposed
wrist to feel for body temperature.
Emergency Action Steps

Assess – Alert - Attend to the ABCs

Unresponsive Victim

Continue to Attend to the ABCs

✓ Keep airway open.

✓ Assure normal breathing. Control bleeding.
✓ Monitor tissue color and temperature.
✓ Help maintain normal body temperature.
✓ If it’s available and you are properly trained,
give emergency oxygen.
Facial Injuries
Because they help determine facial appearance and function, traumatic
injuries to the eyes, mouth, and face can have significant physical and
emotional effects.

Impaled Object in the Eye

Objects that penetrate the surface of the eye require immediate
professional medical care. Foreign bodies propelled at high speed present
the highest risk
Activate EMS. Immediate care
requires stabilization of the object
and reducing additional injury. Do
not allow the person to rub the eye.
Never try to remove an embedded
object.
For small objects, cover both eyes
with loose pads. Eyes move together.
Covering both eyes prevents
movement of the affected eye.

Stabilize larger objects with a bulky, clean pad. Cover the uninjured eye with a
loose pad.

Covering both eyes can be frightening. Stay with the person and calm, comfort,
and reassure him or her to help reduce anxiety. Regularly assess the person
until EMS arrives.

Chemicals in the Eye

To minimize damage, immediately flood the eye with large amounts of
water. Hold the eye open and flush continuously for at least 15-30 minutes.
Flush outward from the nose side of the affected eye to prevent
contamination of the unaffected eye.

If the person is wearing contact lenses and the lenses did not flush out from
the running water, have the person try to remove the contacts after the
flushing procedure.
Nosebleed
Nosebleeds can occur when small blood vessels inside the nostrils are ruptured.
Most nosebleeds are not serious and can be easily handled. Rarely does a
nosebleed become life threatening.

To care for someone with a

nosebleed, have the person sit up
straight with his or her head tilted
forward, chin down. Pinch the nose
with your thumb and index finger
and hold it for about ten minutes.

Do not tilt the head back or have the

person lie down. These actions may
cause him or her to swallow blood
and vomit. Have the person spit out any blood that collects in his or her mouth.

Injured Tooth
If the tooth is still in place, get the
person to a dentist without delay.

If the tooth has been knocked out, early

care can increase the chance that a
permanent tooth can be successfully re-
implanted.

Control any bleeding. Have the person

gently bite down on an absorbent pad.
The application of ice may help to reduce
bleeding, swelling, and pain.
Handle the tooth only by the chewing surface, called the crown. Do not touch
the root, the part of the tooth that embeds in the gum.
Gently rinse the tooth with water if it is dirty. Never scrub the tooth or remove
any attached tissue fragments. If possible, place the tooth back in the tooth
socket. If not, keep the tooth moist. Have the person spit into a cup and place
the tooth in the saliva.
Burns
Burns can inflict serious physical damage to the body. Typically caused by
close exposure to high temperatures, chemical reactions, or electrical
current, burns can vary in severity.

The larger the surface area burned, the greater the disruption of the skin’s
ability to properly maintain body temperature. The deeper a burn goes
into the skin and underlying tissue, the more likely the risk of infection.
Burns involving the face, hands, genitals, and feet can result in the
limitation of basic functions, such as movement and sensation. Breathing
air at high temperatures can create burns within the airway and result in
serious breathing difficulty.

Minor Burns
Minor burns include those that
involve the outer layer of the skin
and result in redness and pain.
These include small burns that
extend into the deeper layers of
the skin and cause some blistering.

Rapid first aid treatment for these

burns can provide immediate comfort and help prevent long-term
complications. Cool the burn with cool water as soon as possible. Continue
cooling until the pain is relieved. This will reduce pain, swelling, and the
depth of injury. Do not apply ice directly to cool a burn.

Leave any blisters intact. Cover the burn with a loose sterile pad. Minor
burns usually heal without further treatment.
Critical Burns
Deep burns over a large area of the body are the most severe. These burns
often result in extensive blistering and destruction of skin tissue.

Activate EMS immediately. Expose the affected area by cutting or tearing away
clothing. If any clothing is stuck to the burn, do not remove it. If present,
remove any jewelry near the burned area.

Separate fingers or toes with dry, sterile, non-adhesive dressings. Do not apply
butter, ointment, lotion, or antiseptic. Loosely cover the burn area with a dry,
clean pad, or a clean sheet if the burned area is large.

Give the person nothing to eat or drink. While awaiting EMS, monitor the
airway for swelling from inhalation of smoke or hot gases.

Chemical Burns
Some chemicals can react and
damage skin tissue on contact. The
immediate care is to dilute and
remove the chemical quickly to
minimize the damage.

Brush off any dry powder with a

gloved hand or cloth. Remove any
contaminated clothing. Flood the
affected area with large amounts of
water, unless the chemical is known to react with water. Continue to flush with
water until the burning sensation stops.

Cover any visible burns loosely with a dry, clean pad and seek further medical
attention.
Poisoning
Any substance that can enter the body and create a harmful disturbance
or reaction in the body can be described as a poison.

Ingested Poisoning
By far, poisoning occurs most often by ingestion. Children under six years
old account for over half of all poisonings. Most poisoning deaths in
children are accidental, while most deaths in adults are intentional.
Common ingested poisons include pain medications, personal care
products, and household cleaning products
The effects of ingested poisons
are wide-ranging and often
resemble those of common
illnesses. Abdominal pain or
cramping, nausea, and vomiting
may occur. A person may also
have an altered mental status.
Often, the ingestion is described
by the person. Open and empty
containers, unusual smells, and
odd staining on clothes, skin, or
lips may be present.
If you suspect a person has ingested something poisonous, act quickly. Activate
EMS if the person is displaying any serious signs or symptoms. Keep the person
still. Calm, comfort, and reassure.
Call the National Poison Help Line. Poison centers can quickly provide
information regarding the immediate treatment for any substance.

Do not induce vomiting, or give

water, milk, activated charcoal, or
syrup of ipecac to the person
unless you are advised to do so by
the poison control center or EMS.
Reassess the person regularly until
another provider or EMS personnel
take over.
Inhaled Poisoning
Inhaled poisoning occurs when a harmful substance is breathed in.
Common inhaled poisons include carbon monoxide from smoke or engine
exhaust, natural gas, solvent fumes, and chemical vapors.

A person may complain of a

headache, nausea, dizziness, and
difficulty breathing. An altered
mental status can occur.

Suspect inhaled poisoning

whenever someone is working in
an enclosed space and he or she
is feeling ill.

Make sure it is safe for you to help. If you can do so without risk to
yourself, immediately move the person to fresh air. Allow the person to
find a comfortable position.

Activate EMS if the person is displaying any serious signs or symptoms.

Call the U.S. National Poison Help Line for additional directions on care.
Help identify the substance and provide details about the incident.

Reassess regularly until another provider or EMS personnel take over.

Environmental Emergencies
Heat Emergencies
Heat-related problems occur when the body’s normal temperature-reducing
mechanisms get overwhelmed, especially during vigorous physical activity, and become
inefficient or stop working.

Heat Exhaustion
An active body creates heat.
When it is exposed to hot,
humid temperatures, sweating
occurs to evaporate and cool
the body. Heat exhaustion can
develop from the combination
of an increased internal
temperature and the excessive
loss of fluids to the
environment, typically from
sweating.
Signs include heavy sweating and pale, cool skin. The person may become
nauseated and vomit. He or she may complain of a headache or dizziness, and
feel weak.

Although it may not appear serious, treat suspected heat exhaustion without
delay. Without immediate treatment it could progress to heat stroke, a life-
threatening condition.

Stop the person from activity and move him or her to a cooler place. Loosen or
remove excess clothing. Have the person lie down and raise the legs six to
twelve inches. Spray water or apply cool, wet cloths to head and torso. Use a
fan to speed evaporation.

Encourage the person to drink cool fluids, preferably a sports drink with
carbohydrates and electrolytes. If the person does not improve or seems to get
worse, activate EMS.
Heat Stroke
Heat stroke is a true life-threatening medical emergency. It can occur due to
overexertion in a hot humid environment or as the result of a breakdown in
the body’s ability to shed heat. If body temperature rises significantly, it can
quickly cause permanent damage to sensitive organs, including the brain
and spinal cord.

In addition to the signs of heat

exhaustion, a person with heat
stroke will have an altered
mental status. The skin can
become red, very warm, or even
hot, and be completely dry.
Heavy sweating could be
present, especially when
exertion is the cause. The
person may collapse and have a
seizure.

Activate EMS immediately. Begin aggressive cooling with the resources

available to you.

Spray or pour water on the victim and fan him. Apply ice packs to the person’s
neck, groin, and armpits. Cover the victim with a wet sheet and continue to
fan. The best method, when possible, is to immerse the person in cool water
up to his or her neck.

If the person is unresponsive, place him on his side in the recovery position to
protect the airway. Do not force the person to drink fluids. Never give an
unresponsive person anything by mouth.

Provide continuous cooling until EMS arrives. With early recognition and
immediate cooling, the survival rate approaches 90%.
Cold Emergencies
Cold, wet temperatures can result in a
lowering of the internal body temperature.

Hypothermia
Hypothermia, a generalized cooling of the body, occurs when the internal
core body temperature has decreased to 95° F or less. It is a life-threatening
condition.

Body processes become impaired and To care for the person, carefully
eventually fail. Cardiac arrest may and gently move him or her to a
occur. To help recognize hypothermia, warmer place. Remove wet
look for signs such as pale, cold skin, clothing and cover the person with
uncontrollable shivering, loss of something dry and warm. Cover
coordination, difficulty speaking, and his or her head and neck to retain
an altered mental status. Severe body heat.
hypothermia can result in the loss of
shivering and a slowing of the
breathing and heart rate.
If available, activate EMS and get an
AED if one is available. Be prepared to
perform CPR and use the AED.

If you are far from professional medical

care, begin actively rewarming the
person. Place him or her near a heat
source. Put containers of warm, but
not hot, water in contact with the
person’s skin.
It is best to recognize and treat
hypothermia early. The chance for
survival decreases as the condition
progresses.

Frostbite
Frostbite develops when skin freezes.
Remove any jewelry from the affected
Body parts that are exposed to extreme
areas. Place clean pads between
cold, such as fingers, toes, earlobes,
frostbitten fingers and toes. Wrap the
cheeks, and nose, are the most likely to
affected part with a clean towel or
be affected.
pad. Do not rub or massage the
affected area or disturb blisters on
Early signs of developing frostbite
frostbitten skin. Never give the victim
include a pins-and-needles sensation
alcoholic beverages. They do not help
and throbbing. Later signs include a loss
and may be harmful.
of feeling in the affected part and firm,
pale, cold, numb skin.
Calm, comfort, and reassure the
person until EMS providers arrive. If
Minor frostbite can be treated with
you are far from professional medical
simple rewarming using skin-to-skin
care, and there is no chance refreezing
contact, such as a warm hand. If more
will occur, rewarm the affected part
serious, quickly get the person to a
yourself.
warmer place. Remove wet clothing.
Immerse the frostbitten area in warm
When EMS is available, or there is any
water for 20 to 30 minutes. The water
chance that the part may refreeze, do
should be warm, not hot
not try to rewarm the frostbitten area.