FIRST-AID

In earlier chapters we have learnt about the diseases caused by viruses, bacteria, fungi, protozoan’s. Insects and words. Person affected by these diseases is taken to a doctor for treatment. However, some human health problems are to be treated immediately to give relief to the patient from pain and agony. This type of treatment is called First Aid. In earlier classes, you have learn some of the first aid treatments. We will learn some more first-aid treatments for conditions like heat stroke/sun stroke and –bites in this lesson

Heat Stroke/Sun Stroke: Before we learn about heat stroke and sun stroke, we should know how the skin regulates body temperature. We have already learnt that skin is supplied with blood vessels. When the out side temperature is high the thermal (temperature sensitive) reports are stimulated and this results in increased blood flow to the skin. The sweat glands extract water and salts from the blood and produce more sweats. There will be an increase in sweating. When sweat evaporates due to heat, it cools the body. In cold condition, blood flow is slowed down to the skin, sweating will be reduced and this helps in conserving heat in the body

When a person is suddenly exposed to hot conditions, several changes occur in the body. There will be increased sweating. It was mentioned earlier that sweat is formed by taking water and salts from blood. When sweating increases, more and more water and salts are lost from blood. As a result, large amount of water and salts will be lost from the body. This stage is called Dehydration. Depending on the amount of water and salts lost from the body, several of the body functions will be badly affected under these conditions

Person working in hot conditions (such as near furnaces, boilers, stoves or in hot sun) may faint suddenly. This is called Heat Syncope. Such a person must be immediately shifted to a cool place and allowed to rest and cool water or fruit juices should be given for drinking.

Some people complain severe pain and cramps in the legs while working in hot conditions. This is because of the loss of sodium chloride from the body through sweat. This condition is called as Heat Cramps. Such people must be asked to stop working and moved to a cool place. They should be given cold water with a little salt dissolved in it. Gentle massage relieves the muscle cramps

Prolonged exposure or working in hot conditions results in conditions called Heat Exhaustion. This is due to loss of sodium chloride or water or both from the body. It is essential to identify the cause for heat exhaustion before the person is treated.

If the heat exhaustion is due to water loss, the person complains of intense thirst and fever. If no first –aid is given in time, the patient may loose consciousness and go into coma. As soon as the symptoms are noticed, the patient must be moved into a cool place and large quantities of cool water or fruit juices should be given. If the patient is unable to drink, he should be immediately taken to a doctor or hospital where sterile glucose solution will be given directly I to blood vessels.

If the person complains of muscle cramps, vomiting and diarrhea, then the heat exhaustion is due to salt loss. In this condition the patient is not thirsty and will not have fever. First –aid for this is similar to that of heat cramps—patient must be moved into a cool place and should be given cool water with a salt or salted fruits drinks. Salt tablets may also be given. If the patient is unable to drink, he should be taken to the doctor or hospital for treatment.

More serious problem of exposure to hot conditions is Heat Stroke. This is usually seen in summer due to hot sun and is commonly called Sun Stroke. In this condition, patient initially complains headache, dizziness, visual disturbances and fever (which may be as high as 1050F-1070F). Blood Pressure will be lower than normal and there will be no sweating from the body. If not treated at this stage, the person goes into coma and may even die. This is because of the failure of heat controlling mechanisms in the body.

In such cases, the patient should be moved into a cool place, all the extra clothing should be removed. The body should be wiped with a cool wet towel and wet cloth must be covered over the body. If fan is available, then it should be switched on. This reduces the body temperature. This process should be continued till the body temperature is reduced to 1010F—1020F. Patient should be given adequate bed rest till the body temperature becomes normal.

Snake Bite:Not all the of snakes we see, are poisonous. Only few of them are poisonous. Before giving first-aid for snake bite, it is essential to know which type of snake has bitten the person. Common poisonous snakes in India are –Indian Cobra (najanaja), King Cobra ( Ophiophagus Hanna), Common Indian Krait (Bungers fascinates), Saw Scaled Viper (Echoes carination), Russell’s Viper (Vipera russelli). Other snakes which we see commonly in water, on trees and land are poisonous to small animals but not to man. However, sea snakes are highly poisonous.

When the snake bites, it injects venom through is fangs into our body. The snake venom contains chemical substances called Toxins. Some of these toxins affects the nervous system-hence they are called Neurotoxins. Some of the toxins affect the blood vessels and blood cells. They rupture the walls of the blood vessels and blood cells (especially red blood cells)-such toxins are called Hemolytic Toxins(haemo=blood; lytic=breaking). Cobra and Krait venom has neurotoxins and damage the nervous system. Viper venom contains haemolytic toxins. The sea snake venom paralyses the muscles.

Before treating snake bite, it must be ascertained whether it is a poisonous snake or not. A non-poisonous snake bite looks like “U” and the blood that blood that comes out usually clots outside the site where the snake has bitten. A poisonous snake leaves one or two fang marks which looks like a pin pricks at the site where it has bitten. Blood and serum will be oozing out of the wound. Initially, server local pain, numbness, tingling sensation and local swelling, redness are observed

If the venom contains neurotoxins, there will be drooping of eye lids, faulty speech, unsteady gait (walking), breathing trouble and even paralysis may be observed. These symptoms are seen in about two hours after snake bite. If the venom has haemolytic toxins there will be server blood loss ( heamorrhage), local swelling and server pain. Due to the loss of blood heart functions erratically and may even stop. The patient usually will be anxious, tense and will be in a state of shock –irrespective of the type of snake (poisonous or non-poisonous) bitten.

In cases of a poisonous snake bite, the person must be allowed to rest and shifted to a less crowded place. Care must be taken not to allow the poison to get absorbed into the body. Any venom out side the site of injury should be wiped with a wet cloth. About 5 cm. above the bite, towards the direction of heart, a pressure bandage or a cloth must be applied tightly. This is called a Tourniquet. This will reduce the flow of blood towards heart and distribution of poison.If no medical help is available, then the site of injury should be cut and blood should be sucked out. Depending on the time after the bite, about 50% of poison can be removed by this method. It is not very useful after two hours of the snake bite. Person who is sucking out the venom should not have any injuries on his lips and in his mouth. If the patient has breathing problems, then mouth to mouth respiration should be given.

Now –a-days, anti-snake venoms are available. We have already discussed how the anti-venoms are prepared. The anti- venom comes in the form of powder. Just before use, it is dissolved in sterile distilled water and injected into the veins of the patient. The antibodies present in the anti-venom preparation bind to the toxins of the venom and neutralize the action of venom. If the snake is identified, then anti- venom to that particular snake venom is given. If the snake is not identified, then a polyvalent-anti-snake venom is injected. This contains anti-venom to several know snakes. Patient is also given mild sedative and drugs to prevent shock reactions

Every year, about 15,000 people die due to snakebites in our country. This is mainly because of ignorance, superstition and lack of proper medical facilities. The belief that mantras will cure snake and scorpion bites is one of the reason for many deaths. This leads to the delay in giving proper medical care to the patient.It must be mentioned that just because some snake are poisonous, one must not kill the snakes immediately after seeing them. Most of the snakes are harmless. Indiscriminate killing of snakes will disturb the ecological balance and increases rat population. This is much more dangerous than killing snakes as rats cause great damage to the crops and stored food material

Points to Remember:•First-aid relieves the patient from pain and agony.•Sweat glands in the skin help to maintain the body temperature.•Sweating increases in hot conditions and decreases in cold conditions.•Increased sweating in hot conditions results in the loss of salts and water from the body which leads to dehydration.•Sudden fainting in hot conditions is called heat syncope.•Heat cramps which develop in hot conditions may be due to the loss of salt or water or both from the body.

Heat stroke or sun stroke is serious condition due to prolonged exposure to hot conditions or hot sun.Efforts to be made to reduce the body temperature from 105oF- 107oF to 102oF in person suffering with sun stroke.Snake venom may have either neurotoxins or haemolytic toxins.When a poisonous snake bites, there will be one or two marks of the fangs of the snake on the skin of the person.When a snake bites, efforts should be made to reduce the absorption of venom by tying a cloth above the site of injury.Anti snake-venom are administered to neutralize the snake venom.

Answer the question in 2 or 3 sentences:How skin regulates the body temperature in cold condition?What is heat syncope?What is the first-aid given to a person suffering from heat cramps due to salt loss?What are the symptoms of heat-stroke?What are the symptoms of a neurotoxic venom?By inspecting the snakebite, how do you find out weather it is due to a poisonous or non-poisonou snake?How do you prevent absorption of venom after a snakebite?Why we should not kill snakes indiscriminately?

Fill in the blanks:•When thermo receptors of skin are stimulated by heat, blood supply to the skin is increased •Dehydration of body is due to the loss of water and salts•Sudden fainting in hot condition is due to the loss of heat symope •Muscle cramps in hot condition is due to the loss of salt•Scientific name for Indian Cobra is najnaj•Toxins that affect nervous system are called neurotoxins•Hemolytic venoms cause the breakage of rbccells.•Sea snake venom causes paralysis of muscles.•A “U” shaped snake bite indicates that it is made by a non poisonous snake

Choose the correct answer:Naja naja is the name given to (A)(A) Indian cobra (b) King cobra (C) Sea snake (D)KraitHaemolytic toxins affect the (C)(a)Nerves (b)lungs (c)blood vessels (d)kidney