Problem

Causes

Symptoms

Treatment

Bleeding

Injury
Accident creating a break in the blood system.

Artery – spurting blood.
Vein – constant flow of blood.
Capillary – oozing blood.
Clammy skin, dull eyes, rapid pulse, and pain for internal bleeding.

Elevate wound and apply direct pressure. Also, apply digital pressure on pressure point for artery. Use a tourniquet only as a last resort. Seek medical help for internal bleeding. Leavens of the yarrow plant or a spider web packed on a wound will help stop bleeding.

Burns

Heat
Chemical

1st degree- Reddened skin
2nd degree – Reddened skin, blisters
3rd degree – Skin destroyed, tissues damaged, charring.

Cut away clothing. Flood with water to remove chemical. Give liquids every 15 minutes. For severe cases, give one quart water containing ½ teaspooon salt and ½ teaspoon baking soda. Separate burned areas by bandaging. Do not break blisters and do not use ointments. Immerse in cold water to stop paon. Treat for shock.

Circulatory Failure

Heart attack.
Drowning.
Electrical Shock

No breathing. No pulse.

CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) as soon as condition id noted. Open airway. Give 4 quick breaths and check for carotid pulse. If no pulse, depress lower sternum 1-1 ½ inches 15 compression to 2 mouth-to-mouth breaths for an adult. For a child, depress sternum ¾ inche and use 5:1 compression, breath ratio. Compression rate: adult 80/min. infant-child 100/120 per min.

Diabetic Shock

Insufficient food
Excessive insulin

Weak, pale & moist skin – normal to shallow breathing, convulsions, tremors, acetone odor on breath.

Immediate oral administration of candy, juice or granulated sugar.

Diabetic Coma

Excessive food
Insuficient insulin

Skin red & dry, abdominal pain, intense thirst, exagerated air hunger.

Transport immediately to medical care facility.

Diarrhea

Various organic digestive tract disorders. Often resulting from dirty water, food, or unensils.

Frequent passage of watery stools.

Restore lost body liquids to prevent dehydration. If possible, obtain antibiotics to correct. Tea made from stinging nettle roots or leaves will help if you have no antibiotics. Drink only a little to avoid constipation. Blackberry juice or tea made from the inner bark of chokecherry, or red oak will also help.

Epileptic Seizure

Convulsive fit due to cerebral disfunction.

Spells of muscular spasms – convulsions, loss of conciousness, loud breather sounds, seizures may be chain reactive.

Do not restrain victim, clear area of objects that could cause harm. Place small amount of padding between teeth to prevent injury to mouth and to facilitate artificial respiration if necessary. Give mouth-to-mouth if indicated – 12 breaths per minute for adults and 20 breaths per minute for children.

Eye Injury

Foreign bodies in the eye

Impaired vision. Redness and watering.

Do not rub. Flush with clean water. In object on upper lid, lift eyelid and remove with sterile gauze or cloth. Hold eyelid down or cover eye until ovject can be removed. Cover both eyes if eye movement could cause further damage. One eye cannot moce without the other moving. Do not remove penetrating object. Cover and seek medical aid.

Foreign objects- choking

Foreign body lodged in upper airway.

Fits of coughing, unable to speak or breath, victim turns pale and then blue.

Open victim’s mouth and attempt to remove object with fingers. Place head lower than body and give 4 sharp slaps on the back followed by 4 bear hugs from behind with your fist placed above victim’s navel. Continue until the obstruction is passed of victim becomes unconscious. For the unconscious victim, repeat above procedure. If artificial respiration is possible discontinue attempts to remove object and concentrate on mouth-to-mouth respiration.

Frostbite

Prolonged exposure to freezing temperatures.

Body parts (usually toes, fingers, nose, or ears) feel cold and numb. Skin is pale gray-yellow. Frozen parts feel doughy.

Warm frozen part slowly. Do not rub, chafe, heat, or manipulate. Best approach is to palce frozen part in warm circulating water (102 to 105 degrees). Once thawed, have victim gently exercise. Treat for shock as required.

Fracture

Injury accident resulting in broken bones.

Deformity, irregularity, swelling, discoloration, grating sound, exposed bone, pain, paralysis with broken spine, deep breathing and coughing in ribs. Wound, deformity, blood or liquid from ears and nose, or unconciousness if skull.

Immobilize. Treat victim where he lies. Improvise  splint for simple or compound fracture. If bleeding is present. Cover with clean bandage to prevent contamination. Do not attempt to puch bone ends back into place. Treat victim for shock and seek medical help. For broken ribs, place arm of injured side acress chest and wrap 3 cravat bandages around trunk of body and then wrap a fourth from elbow to shoulder. NOTE: If possibility of back or neck injury is present, victim must be places on a rigid support for transportation with minimul movement. Secure victim to support stretcher using cravat bandages. If head injury is present raise head and shoulders slightly. Do not attempt to stop bleeding, and do not attempt to stop fluid from nose to ears.

Heart Attack

Failure of the heart.

Shortness of breath, anxiety, pain in chest, ashen color, possible perspiration and vomiting.

Loosen clothing at neck and waist. Place victim in sitting position. Give oxygen if available. Do not provide any stimulants. Reassure victim of recovery. Administer nitroglycerine pill if victim carries same.

Heat Cramps

Strenuous exercise in a hot environment.

Faintness. Profuse perspiration. Painful muscle cramps.

Move victim to cool place. Give sips of salted water (1 teaspoon of salt per glass of water). Victim should drink ½ glass every 15 minutes until glasses drunk. Apply manual pressure to cramped muscle.

Heat Exhaustion

Exposure or work in a hot environment.

Pale and clammy skin. Profuse perspiration, rapid and shallow breather. Weakness, dizziness, and headache.

Place victim in cool area. But do not chill. Cover victim if cold. Elevate feet and loosen clothing. Give sips of salt water (1 teaspoon of salt to half pint of water). In case of vomiting, discontinue liquids.

Heat Stroke

Heat Exhaustion

Body temperature may reach 106 degrees F. face is red and flushed. Skin is hot and dry with no perspiration. Victim becomes rapidly unconcious.

Undress victim and lay him down in shade with head and shoulders raised. Cool body quickly with cold applications, or sponge bath. Treat for shock. Seek medical help.

Hypothermia

Exposure resulting in chill of inner core of body.

Shivering, numbness, low body temperatures, muscular weakness, and drowsiness.

Dry body if wet. Place victim in a warm environment; e.g. sleeping bag, blankets, hot tub, or between two warm blankets. Give artificial respiration as required. Provide warm drinks (NO alcohol).

Impaired Breathing

Suffocation
Gas poisoning
Electrical
Shock
Drowning
Heart failure
Blocked airway

No chest or abdomen movement. Air does not exit nose or mouth.

Clear airways. Give artificial ventilation or CPR for heart failure. See ciculatory Failure for CPR technique.

Infection

Failure to sterilize new cuts, sores, or wounds on an immediate basis.

Area around injury is swollen and reddened. Lump may appear under arm pit or in groin area indicating blood poisoning as a result of infection.

Wash with disinfectant soap. Cover with sterile dressing or bandage. Painting first with iodine may or may not help. Treat infection with antibiotic ointment. Field approach is to wash with pounded bulb of soap plant, or a root of Yucca, mixed with water. Use pitch of the lodgepole pine as a disinfectant. Make a salve from smashed curled dock roots to treat infection.

Insect Bites

Bite of insect

Local irritation and pain, swelling and redness. Itching or burning.

Remove stinger if present. Wash with soap and water. Apply paste of baking soda and water. Seek medical help for allergic reaction. Mixture of 3 parts ground eucalyptus pods, 1 part rice flour, and 2 parts water wil keep most insects away. Old boiled roots from the Biscuit root plant also work well.

Poison

Accidental intake of a poisonous material. Bacteria or toxin in food.

Stomach cramps. Depression. Loss of reflex activity. Coma. Burns around the mouth. A chemical odor on the breath.

Dilute by drinking large quantities of water or milk. Induce vomiting except when poison is corrosive or petroleum product. Take 2 teaspoonsful of magnesia in water for acids. For alkalis, use a teaspoongul of vinegar in a glass of water. If a victim unconcious, give CPR and seek medical help.

Protruding Intestines

Injury accident opening stomach area.

Intestines are outside the victim’s body.

Do no try to replace intestine. Leave organ on the surface and keep moist with gauze dressing soaked in sterile water. Then cover with aluminum foil. Plastic wrap, or other non-adherent materials. Cover with an outer dressing and bandage to hold in place. Seek medical assistance soonest.

Radiation Sickness

Radioactive fallout.

Lack of appetite. Nausea and vomiting. Fatigue and weakness. Headache. Diarrhea. Sore or bleeding mouth. Loss of hair. Bleeding under the skin.

A large dose of radiation causes death. Body will repair itself if dose received is small. Use soap and water to wach radioactive dust off the hair, the body, and food containers. Seek decontamination assistance, if trained personnel available.

Shock

Any serious injury

Shallow beathing, weak pulse, nausea, shivering, pale, dilated pupils, or mental confusion.

Open airways. Control bleeding. Keep victim lying down except for head or chest injuries, heart attack, or stroke. Elevate feet and maintain normal body temperature.

Snakebite

Poisonous Snake

Puncture marks, burning, swelling, nausea, respiratory distress, and shock. Severe causes also have convulstions, pinpoint pupils, twitching, slurred speech, paralysis, unconciousness, or no breathing.

Kill or identify the snake. Keep victim calm. Position bite below the heart. If bite is on a limb but not on a joint, apply a 1-1/2 inch wide constricting band 4 inches above the bite. To make it loose enough slip one finger underneath while tightening. If victim cannot reach a hospital in 4 hours without physical exertion, (or if severs symptomss develop), cut just through the skin and ½ inch long over each fang mark. Cut along the long axis of limb. Draw venom out with a suction cup or your mouth. Do not swallow. Make certain that constricting band does not stop arterial circulation.

Sprains

Stress of accident that tears or stretches ligaments and/or tissues around joint.

Pain in movement. Swelling. Discoloration.

Use pillow splint. Elevate injured part. Apply cold compresses. Treat as a fracture.

Strains

Overstretching of a muscle or tendon.

Intense pain. Moderate swelling. Pain and difficulty in moving.

Rest. Apply mild dry heat.

Stroke

A blood clot or rupture of blood vessels in the brain.

Paralysis on one side of face or body. Pupils unequal size. Respiraton slow with snoring. Face flushed or ashen gray. Pulse first slow and strong; later rapid and weak. Usually unconcious.

Keep victim warm and quiet. Do not allow tongue or saliva to block air passage. If breathing is satisfactory, place victim in semi-reclining position. Seek medical aid.

Wounds

Injury accident resulting in abrasion, puncture, laceration, avulsion, or incision.

Bleeding and visual evidence of specific type of wound.

Stop bleeding soonest except for puncture wounds. Allow blood time to wash the puncture. Cover with sterile dressing or the cleanest cloth available. Wash shallow wounds with soap and water. Clean, sterilize, and close the wound as required. Options are to bandage or to stitch. Do not remove imbedded objects unless you have no alternative. Stabilize imbedded object with bulky dressing and seek medical help.