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SCA Hiking Club

First Aid Orientation

rev1.4 thode06-10-2007

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• This class is a common sense orientation of some of the basics of first aid

• This is not intended as a to substitute for a Red Cross first aid class

• This Class is for Hikers & Hike Leaders, put together by other Hikers in our club

• Always Call 911 for professional medical care

• Good to know CPR – Your call

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Information was gathered from:

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• Nev. Rev. Stat. §41.500 (1963)Nev. Rev. Stat. §41.500.8 (2000)(AED User Limited Liability)

Nev. Rev. Stat. §41.506 (2000)(Gen. Stat.) • Help protect rescuers voluntarily helping a victim in distress from being

successfully sued in tort (i.e. for wrongdoing)

• The laws of Nevada apply to all citizens

• "Any person who, in good faith, renders emergency medical care or assistance to an injured person at the scene of an accident or other emergency without the expectation of receiving or intending to receive compensation from such injured person for such service, shall not be liable in civil damages for any act or omission, not constituting gross negligence, in the course of such care or assistance."

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Prevention

• Be Prepared– Have a first aid kit on the hike– Have water– Have nutrition / salt / minerals– Be aware of your surroundings– Have communication, know where you are &

know who to call– Have protection from the elements (cold & sun)

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First things first 

In an emergency any number of things may need your attention at the same time. If you try to do everything at once you may easily get distracted from the essential matters. On arriving at the scene…  1. Assess the situation 

•Take in quickly what has happened.  •Look for dangers to yourself and to the casualty  •Make the area safe 2. Taking charge? Assess casualties, Calm the situation, delegate (call 911, go for help etc)

•An unconscious person always takes priority and needs immediate help to make sure he or she can breathe  •Only then should you begin to assess any injuries 

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ABC

• A AIRWAY  B BREATHING  C CIRCULATION (and bleeding) 

• Only then, look at burns and broken bones.  

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A Airway The airway of an unconscious person may be narrowed or blocked, making breathing difficult and noisy or impossible. This happens when the tongue drops back and blocks the throat. Lifting the chin and tilting the head back lifts the tongueaway from the entrance to the air passage. Place two fingers under the point of theperson’s chin and lift the jaw, while placing your other hand on the forehead and tilting the head well back. If you think the neck may be injured, thrust the jaw forwardcarefully, just enough to open the airway.  

                              

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B BreathingCheck for breathing by placing your head near the person’s nose and mouth.Feel for breath on your cheek or moisture on the back of your hand. Also check for rise & fall of chest                              If a person has just stopped breathing use mouth to mouth ventilation.Make sure the airway is open and head tilted back. Pinch the nostrils together,take a deep breath and blow into the mouth, firmly sealing your lips around the mouth so air is not lost. You should see the chest rise. Remove your lips and let the chest fall. Continue this, giving about ten breaths every minute until help arrives or breathing begins.

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C Circulation Check for circulation (to see if the heart is still beating) by feeling for the Carotid pulse with two fingers.

Ask if anyone knows CPR

                              

Stop bleeding by applying firm pressure to the wound for about 15 minutes.Never use a tourniquet. Using a tourniquet is a decision to loose that limb.

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The Recovery Position This is the best position for an unconscious person or someone having a fit. It allows them to breathe easily and prevents them from choking. After checking the ABC, bend the nearest arm to you, putting the hand by the head. Then bring the far arm across the chest and hold both hands in one of yours. With your other hand pull the furthest leg up at the knee and roll the person towards you to lie in this position. 

Might be appropriate if traumatic injury.

                              

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CPR

What are the chances of success on a trail?

Low if help is distant

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But….

Choking is a different story

Choking because of an obstructed airway is a leading cause of accidental death. If a choking person is not coughing or is unable to speak, that's your cue to perform the Heimlich maneuver immediately.

Universal sign of choking

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Sweep the mouth 1st

Ask the choking person to stand if he or she is sitting.

                            Place yourself slightly behind the standing victim.

Reassure the victim that you know the Heimlich maneuver and are going to help.

Place your arms around the victim's waist.

Make a fist with one hand and place your thumb toward the victim, just above his or her belly button

Grab your fist with your other hand.

Deliver several upward squeeze-thrusts into the abdomenUntil success

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Broken Bones

Do Not move

Splint / Ace Bandage

Fractured ankle, support for the walk out

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transport

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Neck & Spine InjuriesThe goal of first aid for a spinal injury is to keep the person in much the same position as he or she was found. Keep the person still. Place heavy towels on both sides of the neck or hold the head and neck to prevent movement.

Treat neck injuries as a spine injury

Provide as much first aid as possible without moving the person's head or neck. If the person shows no signs of circulation (breathing, coughing or movement), begin CPR, but do not tilt the head back to open the airway. Use your fingers to gently grasp the jaw and lift it forward.

If you absolutely must roll the person because he or she is vomiting, choking on blood or in danger of further injury, use at least two people. Work together to keep the person's head, neck and back aligned while rolling the person onto one side.

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Altitude

• First signs of high-altitude illness are headache, lightheadedness, weakness, and an upset stomach. If you have these symptoms, stop going up or go back down to a lower altitude until your symptoms go away.

• More severe symptoms include difficulty breathing even while you're resting, coughing, confusion and the inability to walk in a straight line. If you get these symptoms, go to a lower altitude right away.

• HACE• HAPE

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DehydrationDehydration occurs when the body has lost too much fluid and electrolytes (the salts potassium and sodium).

Although water is extremely important in preventing dehydration, it does not contain electrolytes.

Dehydration SymptomsIt's important to recognize dehydration symptoms early. Untreated, dehydration can

develop into shock. The signs and symptoms of dehydration include: dizziness headache

dark urine (may have a strong odor) inability to urinate

dry mouth and nose weakness

nausea and vomiting

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Symptoms of early or mild dehydration include:flushed face

extreme thirst, more than normal or unable to drink dry, warm skin

cannot pass urine or reduced amounts, dark, yellow dizziness made worse when you are standing

weakness cramping in the arms and legs

crying with few or no tears sleepy or irritable

unwell headaches

dry mouth, dry tongue; with thick saliva.

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Symptoms of moderate to severe dehydration include:

fainting severe muscle contractions in the arms, legs, stomach, and back

convulsions a bloated stomach

sunken dry eyes, with few or no tears skin loses its firmness and looks wrinkled

lack of elasticity of the skin (when a bit of skin lifted up stays folded and takes a long time to go back to its normal position)

rapid and deep breathing - faster than normal fast, weak pulse

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What to do?Sports drinks, like Gatorade, can help restore electrolytes(do not just bring Gatorade, drink water with minerals)

Water with minerals

Salt, peanuts, trail mix, fruit

To estimate your state of hydration, check the color of your urine.

Clearer means that you are better hydrated darker yellow indicates dehydration.

Ask, “when was the last time you urinated” ?

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How to prevent

Stay hydrated, drink water with minerals (not distilled)

Eat salt (i.e. trail mix)

Caffeine suppresses both thirst and hunger sensations and causes your kidneys to remove water from your bloodstream faster than normal

Alcohol also acts as a diuretic. In addition, it dilates the blood vessels of the skin, giving a false sense of warmth and affecting your thermal regulation and sweat control

Don't Eat Snow. Always melt snow before you consume it. Although you need to have water to metabolize and produce heat, the amount of energy you spend melting snow is greater than the amount of energy your body will gain in increased metabolism

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Hypothermia

Hypothermia occurs when your body's control mechanisms fail to maintain a normal body temperature. Signs and symptoms that may develop include gradual loss of

mental and physical abilities

Hypothermia is defined as an internal body temperature less than 95 F. Signs and symptoms include:

Shivering Slurred speech

Abnormally slow breathing Cold, pale skin

Loss of coordination Fatigue, lethargy or apathy

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What to do?

Move the person out of the cold. If going indoors isn't possible, protect the person from the wind, cover his or her head, and insulate his or her body

from the cold ground.

Remove wet clothing. Replace wet things with a warm, dry covering.

Keep um warm, wrap in a blanket

Don't give the person alcohol. Offer warm nonalcoholic drinks, unless the person is vomiting.

Don't massage or rub the person. Handle people with hypothermia gently, because they're at risk of

cardiac arrest.

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Frost Byte

• Frostbite is damage to body tissue caused by the tissue being frozen. Frostbite causes a loss of feeling and a white or pale appearance in extremities, such as fingers, toes, ear lobes, or the tip of the nose.  If symptoms are detected, get medical help immediately!  If you must wait for help, slowly re-warm affected areas.  However, if the person is also showing signs of hypothermia, warm

the body core before the extremities.

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Bleeding

Pressure and Elevation, to stop

Layer additional sterile bandages on top of blood-soaked bandages. Don't remove the gauze that's already in place, as this may disrupt the clotting.

Immobilize the limb using a splint, in cases of serious bleeding from limbs, to prevent bleeding from recurring.

Clean and dress the wound after bleeding has been controlled in order to prevent infection

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Other

Chest pain = aspirin (older than 19)

Pain Relief = Ibuprofen

Tetanus shot, stay current

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Critters

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Snakessidewinder speckled

Diamondback Black tailed

mojave

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What to do?Prevent:

Do not step where you can not see (logs etc)

Do not put your hand where you can not see

Healthy folks usually do not die from snake bites in our area when treated at a medical facility

Treat:

Get medical help, do not suck out, or tourniquet.

Keep patient calm, get to Doctor ASAP

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Scorpions

Only one species of scorpion in North America and about 20 others worldwide havevenom potent enough to be dangerous to human beings.

It is also known as the Arizona Bark Scorpion. A small population occurs in extremesoutheastern California, and a few records exist for southern Utah and small parts of Texas, New Mexico and Nevada.

The venom of this scorpion can cause severe pain and swelling at the site of the sting, numbness, frothing at the mouth, respiratory difficulties, muscle twitching, and convulsions

The sting is more dangerous to infants, small children and the elderly.Death is rare, especially in more recent times

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Ticks

Wear light-colored clothing so ticks can be easily seen. Wear a long-sleeved shirt, hat, long pants, and tuck your pant legs into your socks.

How should a tick be removed?Ticks should be removed promptly and carefully by using tweezers and applying

gentle steady traction.

Do not crush the tick’s body when removing it and apply the tweezers as close to the skin as possible to avoid leaving parts of the tick’s mouth in the skin.

Do not remove ticks with your bare hands or heat.Protect your hands with gloves, cloth or tissue

and be sure to wash your hands after removing a tick.

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How to prevent

Walk in the center of trails to avoid overhanging grass and brush.

Use insect repellents containing DEET on your skin (except the face) or permethrin on clothing. Be sure to follow the directions on the container and wash off

repellents when going indoors.

Remove attached ticks immediately.

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The first aid kit

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Medical Cards

• HEALTH INFORMATION(OVER for additional information)• Name____________________________________• Emergency Contact Name_______________________• Emergency Contact Phone______________________• Prescribed Drugs Dosage Condition

• Preferred Hospital• Last Tetanus Booster

Cary in your pack

This card is available under “forms” on our web site

http://www.sunhikers.homestead.com/

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Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Dept 1-800-492-

6565

" " 702-229-3111

Nevada Division of Forestry 702-872-5306

Nevada Highway Patrol 702-486-4100

Report Wildfires 1-800-367-6807

Henderson Emergency (From Cell) 112

General emergency 911

Valley Of Fire 702-293-8998

Big Bend of the Colorado 702-298-1859

Red Rocks 702-293-8998

Mormon State Park 702-486-3511

Spring Mtn Ranch, Blue Diamond 702-875-4141

Floyd Lamb Park 702-486-5413

Mt Charleston Div of Forestry 702-872-5306

Lake Mead Dispatch 702-293-8998

Lake Mead 24 hr emerg # 702-293-8932

National parks (and many state parks) Dispatch 702-293-8998

Hiking Club Satellite Phone 254-381-5833

Emergency Who to call? This card is available under “forms” on our websitehttp://www.sunhikers.homestead.com/

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The End

• Questions?