household emergency by dr. aliyu i. aliyu

HOUSEHOLD EMERGENCY

Presenter: Dr. Aliyu I. Aliyu

UHS, ABU Zaria

November 2013.

Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.

CONTENTS

• Introduction

• Causes

• Basic Prevention

• Other preventive measures

• Emergency Management

• Conclusion.

INTRODUCTIONDEFINITION

Household emergency is an injury or illness that is acute which occur in the home and may pose an immediate risk to a person’s life or long term health.

The emergency may require assistance from another person, who should ideally be suitably qualified to do so, although some of these emergencies can be dealt with by the victim themselves.

INTRO. CONTD.

Dependent on the severity of the emergency, and the quality of treatment given may require the involvement of multiple levels of care, from first aiders to emergency medical technicians and emergency physicians.

CAUSESSome of the causes of household emergencies includes:

• Falls;

• Burns;

• Electrocution;

• Chocking;

• Suffocation;

• Drowning;

• Poisoning;

• Unintentional Firearm injury; and

• Domestic Violence.

BASIC PREVENTIONSimple but rigorous rules of conduct and strict enforcement of safety standards enable you to avoid the most common accidents at home.

• Ensure efficient lighting, particularly in high- risk areas (stairs, garages, cellars…).

• Put a label on dangerous products, and avoid putting them in bottles for drinking or food to avoid disastrous confusion.

• Install protection switch near the meter.

• Be careful about slippery floors, polished floors, carpets, obstacles to the ground or unexpected steps.

BASIC PREVENTION CONTD.

• Do not leave electrical appliances and other miscellaneous items on the ground.

• Control the circulation of hot water heaters, fireplaces.

• Do not store gasoline tools in the house.

• Do not light a barbecue with flammable volatile products (petrol, methylated spirit)

• Avoid chandeliers and other decorative objects at head height.

BASIC PREVENTION CONTD.

• Do not forget to switch off the electric meter to change a light bulb or for any work on the electrical system.

• Do not spray water on any electrical appliances (for example high-pressure cleaner).

• Handle all sharp objects with care.

• For the home constructors: protect your eyes and be careful about toxic fumes of some products that can cause pulmonary reactions even after several hours.

OTHER PREVENTIVE MEASURES INCLUDES

• In the kitchen: The kitchen is a place where everything can happen: poisoning, burns, etc… Thus your kitchen should be well planned and properly monitored especially when you have children.

Take care to buy cleaning products with a “safe” cap.

Never put another products in food recipients or bottles.

To avoid carbon monoxide poisoning: Never block the vents, check the gas pipes and change them regularly.

OTHER PREVENTIVE MEASURES INCLUDES CONTD.

To prevent falls: Choose an appropriate high chair. Never leave a child alone and especially immediately put the crotch so that it can not slip. Check the stability of the ladder.

To avoid burns: Always use protective hand gloves.

To avoid cuts: Carefully store sharp objects such as knives and systematically unplug electrical appliances (mixer…) you do not use.


• In the bathroom: Major risks are falling in the shower or tub, intoxication with drugs, burn with hot water. These can be easily avoided by doing the following:

To prevent burns from hot tap water: Always check the temperature of the incoming water faucets or install a thermostatic mixing valve (T<50ᵒC).

To avoid slipping: Put a non-slip bath mat to the bottom of your tub or your shower tray to avoid slide and add support bars for elderly, also avoid wearing slippery slippers.


To avoid drowning in the bathtub: Never leave a child alone in the bath even for a few moments (children only need 20cm water to drown).

• To avoid drug poisoning: Drugs should be kept in a cabinet or drawer, preferably locked and, of course, out of the children reach. It is also important to talk with people about the dangers of taking this medications. Paste date drugs should be given back to your pharmacist.


• To avoid household poisoning: Store your household products such as detergents, solvents, waxes in an unreachable place and follow the instructions when using them.

• To avoid cosmetic poisoning: Cosmetic products such as nail polish and perfumes may contain high proportion of alcohol and thus should be kept in a safe place out of the children reach.

• To avoid cuts: Store your scissors and razors vertically.

• To avoid electric shock: Do not use electrical appliances near water.


• THE STAIRS represent the place where most people fall, regardless of age. You can minimize the risk of falling by:

Covering the steps with carpets or anti-slip wax.

Placing a solid banister at the proper height.

Ensuring adequate lightning.

Place a carpet down the stairs to absorb a possible fall.

Place security fence at the top and at the bottom of the stairs (for young children) which have to be fixed correctly and securely by permanent attachment.


• THE DINING ROOM as the living area and the reception place also need special attention.

To prevent falls: Hide the electrical wires.

To avoid poisoning: Avoid toxic plants, Do not leave full alcoholic beverages.

To avoid suffocation: Do not give peanuts to children under 5 years.

To prevent fire: Do not put heat sources (halogen…) near curtains, tapestries, walls. Do not leave match around children and take children out of reach of unprotected flames.

EMERGENCY MANAGEMENTBEFORE HELP ARIVES, WHAT

SHOULD YOU DO?

When a medical emergency strikes your household, things can go from the usual semi-hectic to complete chaos very quickly. During an emergency, the focus should be on the care of the injured person or child. Are you prepared to deal with an accident? Do you know how to handle an emergency, where seconds can mean permanent brain damage, disfigurement, or death?

EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT CONTD.

Understanding what to do when a shocking event like a medical emergency occur may not only minimize the injuries the victim suffers-but makes the difference between life and death.

Below is a list of common situations and appropriate ways to handle them.


• Above all, stay calm! Panic is often the first instinct when emergency occurs.

• Summon for help right away- In emergency situations, it is the best first step to take, especially if the victim cannot communicate what’s wrong or if he or she is in grave danger. If you cannot call yourself, immediately without leaving the scene, are the others nearby? If not, stay with the victim to keep him or her calm and send someone to call for help .


• Learn first Aid: Classes can be organized in communities to offer classes and training in basic first aid. Many kids have the benefit of learning first aid in Boys scout and in Girls Brigade. By knowing first aid, you’ll know important fundamentals such as how to treat someone in shock, how to stop severe bleeding and also knowing not to move a victim with a broken bone until the injury is stabilized.


• An accidental fall with a dislocation or fracture: A fall or a powerful blow, such as can result in bones being forced from their original place. They can occur in major areas, such as the hip, shoulder, knee, or elbow, and minor places such as fingers and toes.

It is recommended to call for an ambulance immediately. Attempting to force the joint back into place can cause nerve and muscle damage. As the injury will stiffen and deform, before help arrives you may splint the joint (wrap the ice in something first to prevent frostbite). This will help control internal bleeding around the area.


• Broken bone: If there is heavy bleeding, a limb looks deformed, gentle pressure causes pain, and/or there is bluish color at the end of the injured limb, you probably have a fracture on your hand. First thing first, call for medical attention. After help is on the way, try to stop any bleeding by applying pressure directly to the wound using a clean cloth, bandage etc. At this point, don’t try to reset the bone unless you have been trained to apply a splint.


Remember that unlike a dislocation, a broken bone can pierce the skin if moved. Keep the injured still.

As in dislocation, apply ice to reduce swelling, but never directly to the body. If after the break, the injured begins feeling feint or breathing is fast and short, he/she is experiencing shock. In this case, before help arrives, lay the person so that their head is lower than the middle trunk of the body and if possible raise the legs.


• Burns: Before you can properly treat a burn, you must decide the severity of the injury. A minor burn is the most common, and can be treated by cooling the burn under cool or cold water, and wrapping it in sterile gauze or bandage. If pain is persistent, you may take an over-the-counter pain medication. Do not break blisters that occur, apply ointment or ice to the injury. Ice can cause frostbite and ointments can affect the way a burn heals. In other burn cases, you’ll need to recognize and treat major burn correctly.


• Chocking: If a person cannot talk, is breathing loudly, hand are around their throat, or lips, nails, and skin are turning blue, you must take steps to dislodge the object chocking the victim fast. As oxygen is cut off from the brain, permanent damage occurs even in a few minutes. The red Cross recommends a “five and five” method. First, deliver five blows to the person with the heel of your hand to the area of the back between the shoulder blades five times. After that, perform five abdominal thrusts, or the Heimlich Maneuver.


If you are alone with the chocking person, do the “five and five” technique before calling for medical aid. If not have another person call for help while you administer the aid. Continue the process until help arrives.

If you need to clear the airways on an unconscious person, lie them down on their back. Look inside the mouth for visible blockage and use a finger to sweep it away. Be very careful not to lodge the object deeper into the airway.


• Poisoning: Before administering any aid, make sure it is real poisoning and not a seizure, stroke, insulin reaction, etc. Look for redness or burns which can happen from drinking poisons around mouth and lips. Breath the smells of a chemical, like bleach, gasoline. Look for burns on the injured, their clothing, or the area where they were such as floor or furniture. Keep an eye for any medication bottles or loose pills, and if there is vomiting, confusion or strange symptoms. Make sure to call for help right away. While waiting, try to know what was swallowed and remove remnant if any.


• Drowning: Pool drowning is extremely common in the US, and occurs with or without supervision. It is the responsibility of all supervisors to look for signs of drowning and act accordingly. Remove the child from the water and lay them on their back. If you are not alone with the victim, have someone call for help immediately. You will need to clear the airways by tilting the head back (place your hand across the forehead as if checking for fever), and lift the jaw (using the tips of the fingers of your other hand, right under the chin raising it up).


Now you need to check for breathing. Look for the chest rising up and down or feel/listen for breaths. If no there is no breathing, you must administer rescue breathing. Pinch the nose closed and cover the child’s open mouth with your own. (If the child is under 1 year of age, cover the both nose and mouth with your own). Gently administer two breaths of air; you should see the chest rise and fall with the breasts. If it doesn’t rise, you haven’t created a tight seal with your mouth or by pinching the nose closed.


Just be calm and try again. Be aware that administering air this way can result in stomach distention, or vomiting if air travel into the stomach. Be gentle. At this point, you also need to check the child’s circulation. If you feel a pulse, continue the rescue breaths every 3 seconds, removing your mouth after each so the child can exhale. If there is no pulse, you will need to give CPR, until help arrives.


• Suffocation: As in chocking and drowning, the ABC’s of first aid need to be followed, that is “airway, breathing, and circulation”. Check and clear the airway, check breathing, etc. In suffocation in children, prevention is most important. Young children under 3 are especially vulnerable to suffocation as they are inexperienced with chewing and put everything into the mouth. Brain death and permanent damage occurs within 4 minutes of oxygen deprivation.


A baby can suffocate on chunks of almost any food, candies and even popcorn. Strings from pull shades and drapery, clothing drawstrings, pacifier cords can become entangled around the neck of a curious child, and cribs are associated with 40% of strangulation and suffocation deaths each year.

Children may suffocate fro accidentally trapping their heads between spaces in high chairs, strollers, and play equipment. It is up to parents and supervisors to identify and remove hazardous items around the house.


• Unintentional firearm injury: This seldom occurs in families that posses firearm. Although less common than burns or drowning, children and guns are very devastating mixtures, resulting in major injury and death. Firearms are recommended to be kept locked and unloaded, with ammunition locked away in a separate location. It is also suggested asking the friend’s of your children if they have firearms, and if so how they are stored.

CONCLUSION

Home security is not just about keeping people out of your house; it’s about protecting the things that are valuable to you, including your children, personal information and identities, valuables, and all of the other things that matter most to you.

THANK YOU

household emergency by dr. aliyu i. aliyu

Health & Medicine

emergency physicians

household emergency

emergency medical technicians

cleaning products

basic prevention simple

dangerous products

hot tap water

electrical appliances