Before the Doctor Comes

every year in the United States more than 100,000 people meet accidental death at work at home and along the highways explosions fires drownings all contribute to this yearly [Music] toll every year in the United States more than 10 million people suffer accidental injuries and many of these occur in the home thousands yes millions of such accidents are never heard of but they're happening every day every hour every minute and many a person today is a helpless injured for life all because someone didn't know what to do in an emergency those vital moments before the doctor came the knowledge of first aid is something everybody should know today more people than ever before are learning to save human lives and ease suffering by learning what to do before the doctor comes hundreds of thousands of people in every phase of American Life men in the Army the Navy the firemen the policemen men and women everywhere are learning the principles of first aid in factories schools and churches throughout the nation today in Red Cross classrooms from coast to coast a vast Army of people is busy learning the principles of first aid they learn to keep the victim lying down to examine him for injuries to care for severe bleeding severe bleeding must be checked at once spurts of blood indicate that an artery has been cut here is a graphic illustration showing how the blood travels away from the heart in oneway traffic through the arteries arterial bleeding can be stopped by applying pressure at the point where an artery crosses a bone there are six pressure points on each side of the body at which this pressure can be applied the first is just in front of the ear against the skull apply pressure here for bleeding of the scalp and face above the brow the second pressure point is against the side of the Jawbone about an inch forward of the angle pressure here controls bleeding from facial wounds below the brow pressure point number three is in the side of the neck just behind the windpipe this is the point to press for deep cuts of the throat and neck to check bleeding of the shoulder and the armpit apply pressure at Point number four which is behind the inner end of the collarbone against the first rib the fifth pressure point is on the inside of the upper arm halfway between the shoulder and the elbow for arm and hand bleeding press inside the arm a hands breath below the armpit to check breeding of the thigh leg or foot press the heel of your hand against the middle of the Garn with the fingers pointing upward this is pressure point number six remember each of these six pressure points is also located on the other side of the body and to control bleeding from a cut artery pressure must be applied at the nearest pressure point between the heart and the wound for arterial bleeding in the leg an assistant applies pressure to the artery in the groin then the first a puts a firm pad directly over the artery next he places a wide flat band folded in the form of a cat twice around the leg a hand's breath below the grind never use a wire or rope tie a half knot place a short stick even a pencil will do the job on the half knot and tie a square knot over it twist the stick to tighten the tourniquet thereby pressing on the artery and stopping the flow of blood then tie the steak so it will not untwist this frees both hands for other necessary first a duties it is vitally important to loosen the tourniquet every 15 minutes therefore when you apply a tourniquet Mark TK and the time of its application on the victim's forehead with a lipstick iodine or a soft pencil this tells the doctor or whoever gets the case when the tourniquet was applied and when it must be loosened unlike arterial bleeding where the blood spurts blood flows from a cut vein in a steady stream you have learned that to check arterial bleeding pressure is applied between the heart and the wound in Venus bleeding it is just the opposite pressure is applied beyond the wound because the blood is flowing through the veins back to the heart and must be checked before it reaches the wound in the case of an injured arm it should be elevated and a compress and firm bandage applied while the assistant maintains pressure near the edge of the wound for even in severe Venus bleeding a stero pad will usually stop the flow of blood when held tightly over the wound because the blood will clot against the compress for deep cuts and severe bleeding in the palm of the hand the flow of blood can be checked by placing a pad of sterile gauze in the Palm closing the fingers over it and applying a tight bandage the middle of the cat is placed over the front of the wrist the ends are carried diagonally behind the Fist and around over the fingers then back to the wrist cross behind the wrist again then tied in a square knot for minor wounds apply a 2% mild tincture of iodine the iodine must be thoroughly dyed before the sterile dressing can be applied the dressing may be held in place with adhesive or a bandage no matter how small a wound may be it is always large enough for germs to enter the body and cause infection in shock cases loosen the victim's clothing symptoms of shock are pale face rapid weak pulse cold perspiration chills mental dullness and sometimes vomiting the most important thing is to keep the victim warm a person suffering from Shar loses body heat very rapidly because of poor circulation of the blood the more heat lost the worse the shock becomes wrap him in blankets coats robes anything available apply external heat whenever possible hot water bottles are best any kind of bottle filled with hot water will do you can even use fruit jars Elevate the victim's speech so that gravity will help the blood flow back to the heart where shock has caused an insufficient Supply always keep the head low never use a pillow under the head of a person in Shar or one having the appearance of going into Shar stimulants have an important place in restoring the body to normaly if the victim is conscious enough to swallow without choking aromatic spirits of ammonia black coffee or strong tea may be given never give a stimulant in any case of severe bleeding until the bleeding has been checked shock is responsible for many deaths never neglect shock in any accident how do we breathe expansion of the chest draws air into the lungs and relaxation lets it out in any accident resulting in stoppage of breathing artificial respiration must take the place of this natural process and must start immediately lay the victim face downward one arm extended directly overhead the other bent at the elbow the face resting on the hand and fingers then NE and straddle one or both thighs at such a distance from the hip bones as will allow you to assume the correct position proper rhythm is all important remember hands on swing forward swing back relax hands on swing forward swing back relax swing forward slowly so the weight of your body is grad ually brought to bear on the victim the shoulder should not go beyond the heel of your hand at the end of the forward swing the rate of artificial respiration is 12 to 15 times every minute always continue without interruption until the victim breathes normally notice carefully the position of the hands place your palms on the small of the back so that the little fingers are in line with the lowest rib your wrist should be about 4 in apart while respiration is being continued an assistant should loosen any tight clothing about the neck chest or waist be sure the nose and mouth are free for breathing as in sha keep the victim warm and continue artificial respiration through the blanket use any hot water containers to give warmth in carrying out resuscitation one person can work only a limited time without fatigue so a relief operator must take over it is important that the change over be made without losing the rhythm of respiration kneeling the relief man adjusts his body to the rhythm of the first operator at a give him signal he takes over at the first operator's queue for applying pressure in artificial respiration always remember pressure must be adjusted to the size of the victim train your eye on the leg of the table notice the position of the operator shoulders in relation to the table leg as he leans forward in handling a child the tempo of your Rhythm should be slightly faster and your pressure lighter artificial respiration is one of the fundamentals of first aid the chant of handson swing forward swing back relax today is echoing in Red Cross classrooms throughout the land wherever Earnest workers are learning to utilize those precious moments before the doctor comes burns are extremely painful and frequently result in shock Burns also make be followed by serious infection therefore all Burns should be covered with a dressing tanic acid jelly is recommended for all Burns it can be applied to sterile gauze and held in position by a bandage tied just firmly enough so that it will hold the dressing in place never apply oils or grease as they are hard to remove and prevent the doctor from using the treatment he prefers every first aid kit should contain tanic acid jelly when tanic acid is not available the best home care for burns is a moist dressing of bicarbonate of soda also called baking soda to a quart of lukewarm water in a clean Basin add at least 6 teaspoons of baking soda moisten sterile gauze in the solution and apply to the burn again remember never used cotton iodine or any oily greasy substance in extensive Burns shock is almost always present so keep the victim as warm as possible until the doctor comes in chemical burns douse the area of the burn with large quantities of lukewarm water this dilutes the chemical and washes much of it away the dressing is moistened in a solution of baking soda and applied to the burn over this a large triangular bandage is then Loosely tied to hold the dressing in place for when you break a leg the large blood vessel which runs close to the Bone may be damaged by the sharp edges of the broken bone the muscles cause these broken ends to overlap and may even force them through the skin the pain of the Tor muscles helps to create muscle spasm this must be overcome by traction the first ater firmly takes hold of the bent knee with both hands and pull steadily to draw the bones back into line while this pull is being maintained an assistant straightens the leg and grasping the foot by the heel and InStep takes over the pull by hand to permit the first AER to apply the traction splint first attach a Kat bandage to the end of the splint for use as traction bands if the victim's leg is in a normal position the ankle hitch may be applied before traction is started taking care that the leg is not moved while the hitch is being applied a regular Spain ankled bandage is now put on as an ankle hit but not too tightly an assistant must steady the leg while the hitch is being applied another person may support the leg during the application of traction the first ater slips the half ring splint onto the leg and turns the ring down into position and moves it up against the sitting down bone the sidebars must be at the middle of each side of the leg fasten the canvas strap firmly now that the splint is in place insert the ends of the cat already tied to the splint through the bandage Loop under the foot draw firmly downward pass the ends out around the sidebars and tie on top with a square knot once traction is started the pull must not be released until the splint is secured in place a short stick is inserted in the traction bands between the foot and the end of the splint the stick is Twisted to take up the slack until sufficient traction is applied the stick is then tied in place to prevent being Jarred loose now the assistant can release the manual traction the first ater places the Cates on the splin to support the leg the cvat is pushed under the leg up through the splint crossed under beneath the leg and then tied together this is called a cradle hitch a cette is tied to the splint just above the knee again the same procedure under the leg through the splint cross under on the bottom and tie a square knot on the side another cette is applied to secure the upper part of the leg watch closely the depth sure manner in which cradle hitches are made always securing with a square knot on the same side no fracture of the arm or leg should be moved before proper traction has been applied at no time must the heel of the injured limb be permitted to rest on the ground or floor with the Cates in place and the injured leg snug in its cradle the foot is kept elevated while the victim is transported if you happen a half ring splend a board can be used a notch at each end keeps your Cates from slipping a board about 4 in wide and half an inch thick should be used as the assistant applies manual traction by holding the leg a cat is slipped under the knee then slid up until the bandage is in the groin the ends are tied in a square knot forming a loose loop at the hip into which the notch on the upper end of the board is placed the ends of the triangular bandage are now tied around the board to hold the bandage in place approximating the upper part of a half ring splint the ends of the traction bandage already tied to the board are passed through the Stirrup Loop of the sprained ankle bandage drawn downward and passed around the board in opposite directions and tied to the board a short strong stick is then inserted between the traction bandages below the foot and twisted until sufficient pull is uptain mained the stick is then tied on to prevent unwinding several Broad vat should be applied around the leg and board from the ankle to the upper thigh if the board is rough Place padding between the leg and board again notice that the heel never touches the floor the leg always remains elevated for a fractured arm roll a small stick about 4 in long into a triangle angular badage to make a grip in the victim's hand this will avoid constriction around the wrist now the fingers and thumb are closed around the stick to form a fist a cette bandage is then wrapped around the hand to prevent the fingers from opening the ends of the rolled bandage held in the hand protrude on both sides beyond the thumb and little finger and are to be used for traction bands as in leg fractures manual traction must be constantly applied by the assistant until the traction on the splint is completed the first AER slides the ring over the hand up the arm until it rests firmly in the armpit then she draws the ends of the traction bands down snugly tying them onto the notch at the end of the splint this supplies traction to the broken arm now Kat up tight around the splin to support the arm if a Murray Jones spint is not available a board or pool may be used a that bandage drawn through the armpit is tied in a loop above the shoulder and is tied around the top of the pole improvising the Ring of a Murray Jones splint the pole should reach well above the shoulder and at least a foot below the hand as in using the Murray Jones splint while the assistant pulls firmly on the arm the ends of the traction band are pulled down and made fast around the end of the pole to avoid too much pull on the arm do not use a stick to twist the traction bands unless the traction bands have slipped loose in tying the knot when fixed traction is established the pull by hand may be released support the arm with cette bandages scarves Mufflers or large handkerchiefs may be used for this purpose using a stick or board push a cat onto the body and tie around the waist leaving one long end this end is used to draw the arm Loop downward and reli pressure in the armpit it is then tied again at the waist if two poles and a blanket are available place the poles on the blanket about 3 ft apart the blanket is then folded over one pole the second pole is placed on top of the folded blanket and overlapped the weight of the victim will hold the blanket securely over the poles if no poles are available or if the victim must be carried through a narrow passageway the three-man carry may be used at a given signal they begin to lift support him on their knees roll him toward their chests and they're ready to carry the reversal of this procedure is carried out in lowering the victim at his destination by placing the victim in the center of a blanket and rolling the edges toward him an improvised stretcher can be made this requires preferably three bearers on each side in this carry the hands of the bearers are worked under the victim's back and at the command lift he is carefully lifted on the hands and forearms the hands of the bearers should be alternated from the two sides all the bearers use a military sidestep in conveying the victim to an ambulance during Transportation keep the victim lying down when a regulation stretcher is available three bearers take their position the leader at the shoulder the others at hip and knee all bears face the injured person and kneel on the knee nearest the victim's feet after asking the Bears if they are ready the leader says lift then they lift together holding the victim on their knees until an assistant slides a stretcher against their toes at the command lower the victim is then lowered to the stretcher at a given signal the stretcher is raised and the three men nearest the victim's feet step off with the left foot first and the man at the victim's head steps off with the right foot when a victim with a head injury is brought down a flight of stairs he is always carried feet first in the case of a fractured leg or Shar the victim is brought down head first a fifth person should always be assigned to support the end of the splint to avoid jolting the injured leg never move a broken leg without splints you have just seen a demonstration of the principles of first aid which men and women all over the country are being taught to eat the pain and suffering caused by thousands of accidents every year accidents cannot always be prevented but the suffering of victims can be eased and lives can be saved by first aers who have learned what to do before the doctor comes oh