Emergency care for injuries: types of injuries and algorithm of assistance

Thanks to scientific and technological progress, the rapid development of mechanical engineering, mechanization of production processes, agriculture, the pace of human life accelerated, and the quality of life increased. Unfortunately, the chances of getting injuries, including fatal ones, have also increased. In order to save a person’s life, health workers must clearly and harmoniously implement emergency care algorithms for injuries. And with each damage - its own algorithm. The life of a person depends on how quickly and correctly first aid is provided. First aid knowledge is taught in schools, enterprises, and other organizations. This allows citizens to provide competent first aid to victims.

A person is able to get injured in the following situations:

• due to traffic accidents: traffic accidents, railways, shipping, plane crashes;
• in case of violation of safety regulations at home and during work;
• during natural disasters;
• in contact with animals;
• by negligence, during game events;
• in fights.
  

Depending on the number and depth of damage, injuries pose a serious danger. To prevent it, a person needs to provide emergency assistance as early as possible and competently. In case of injuries, depending on the location, clinic and health of the victim, therapeutic measures are taken.

Types of Injury

Injuries are classified by type:

1. Mechanical - occurs when a person causes open or closed damage from the outside with mechanical objects (blows, knife wounds, damage when falling, and the like).
2. Physical - when a person receives damage through temperature (burns, frostbite), electrical (lightning, current) effects, ultraviolet, infrared and radioactive radiation.
3. Chemical - injuries received under the influence of chemicals (acids, alkalis, solvents).
4. Biological - serious damage to the human body is caused by toxins of pathogens.
5. Psychological - as a result of frights, nervous breakdowns, reflex irritation of the human nervous system occurs. Emergency first aid for injuries of this type is provided by specialized psychological services. Emergency response teams have special helplines. But at a critical moment in a person’s life, an experienced psychologist may not be nearby. In this case, the main role is played by the actions of others. It is important to be able to control yourself in such situations and to give support to those in need with the strength of spirit.

Emergency care for injuries also depends on how serious the damage is.

Nature of injuries

The nature of the damage plays a role in first aid tactics. It happens as follows:

• isolated - occurs when one organ or part of the body is damaged;
• multiple - in case of damage to two or more organs or parts of the body;
• combined - when exposed to the body of several types of factors (burn and fracture);
• open - with damage to the skin or mucous membranes;
• closed - without damage to the skin.

By severity

All types of injuries are divided according to severity into three categories:

• lungs;
• medium;
• heavy.

Only in the classification of burns, 4 degrees of severity are distinguished, depending on the depth of the lesions.

Psychology of Assistance Behavior

As mentioned above, injuries require psychological support in addition to medical assistance. Given that injuries can be fatal, you can not panic, show fear. In this case, it is required to reassure the patient, instill confidence in him. And if there are doubts about the correctness of the actions - it is better to wait for a specialized service.

Head injuries

Skull injuries are considered serious for any degree of damage. Violations of the integrity of the brain lead to irreversible consequences, up to the death of a person. Depending on the type of injury, emergency care will vary.

Skull injuries are:

1. Light. In this case, the victim loses consciousness for a maximum of 20 minutes. When it comes to, it complains of nausea, vomiting, dizziness, drowsiness. There is a slowdown in heart rate, an increase in blood pressure. Mild manifestations of anisocoria are possible (uneven pupil size: one stops, and the other responds to stimuli), pyramidal insufficiency (due to disturbances in muscle tone, the victim walks on his toes).
2. Medium. In which the victim loses consciousness for a period of up to several hours. Having regained consciousness, a person has repeated bouts of vomiting, and disturbances in memory and psyche are possible. Persistent manifestations of bradycardia and increased blood pressure are noted in such people. From the neurological side, manifestations of meningeal symptoms, asymmetry of muscle tone, paresis (decreased tone) of the extremities, and speech impairment are possible.
3. Heavy. In which the victim is unconscious for up to one month. In these cases, severe disturbances in the functioning of vital functions are noted, which, without emergency care, lead to death. To determine the condition of the patient, first of all, pay attention to his eyeballs. In severe forms of head injury, floating movements of apples are noted, their divergence, pupils dilate (mydriasis). Respiratory disturbances, hypertonicity or paresis of limbs, convulsions occur. The victim is in a coma.

Classify injuries for emergency care for head injuries can be open and closed. With open injuries, violations of the integrity of the skin of the head are visible, sometimes affecting the skull and brain. If during the examination only damage to the skin is visible that does not affect deep-lying tissue, they speak of a closed head injury. With such injuries, most often there is a concussion. Their severity is judged by the presence of memory loss, the duration of the patient's unconsciousness.

Symptoms of TBI

External signs indicate open injury. With closed injuries, the correct diagnosis is more difficult to make. But all injuries have a similar general symptomatology:

• a person is drowsy;
• weakness;
• headaches and dizziness;
• both short-term and long-term loss of consciousness are possible;
• nausea, vomiting;
• amnesia attacks;
• neurological manifestations of TBI, the most formidable of which is paralysis.

Both with open and with closed trauma, the formation of hematomas that compress the brain, requiring the intervention of a neurosurgeon, is possible.

First aid for head injury

Emergency care for traumatic brain injury includes the following actions:

1. Lay the patient on a flat hard surface.
2. Turn your head on its side to prevent the retraction of the tongue, aspiration by vomit of the respiratory tract. This is especially important if the victim is unconscious.
   
3. As a first aid first aid for brain injuries, the most important step will be to call an ambulance team.
4. Before the doctor arrives, monitor the patient’s breathing and heartbeat. In the absence of these vital signs, an indirect heart massage and artificial lung ventilation are urgently needed. If a person who is near does not know the technique of artificial respiration, only indirect heart massage is allowed. This right also applies to cases in which there is a risk of infection. Ambulance brigades for these purposes are equipped with a special apparatus (Ambu bag). The amount of pressure on the chest should be at least 60 in one minute, the ratio with mechanical ventilation - 30: 2.
   
5. With open TBI, a sterile dressing must be applied to the wound. During emergency care in case of traumatic brain injury, it is necessary to carry out the following actions: hair around the damage - cut; the edges of the wound, so as not to aggravate the condition of the patient, are laid with a bandage; foreign objects cannot be removed from the wound; apply a bandage.
6. Attach an ice object to the damaged area.
7. Anesthetics are administered only by medical staff upon arrival.

First aid for damage to the abdominal wall

Damage to the abdominal wall is both superficial and penetrating. Only a doctor can answer the question of what kind of damage a person has during the initial surgical treatment of a wound, and if necessary, a laparoscopic diagnosis of the abdominal cavity.

Visual signs of damage to the abdominal wall

These include:

• Abrasions, swelling of the skin at the site of damage, accompanied by hematomas, hemorrhages in fatty tissue.
• With damage to internal organs, symptoms of peritonitis will appear: muscle tension of the anterior abdominal wall, pain, gas retention, constipation, nausea and vomiting.
• With the occurrence of abdominal bleeding, often arising from damage to the spleen, liver, a person complains of weakness. Pain in the abdomen. Pallor of the skin, a decrease in blood pressure are observed, the pulse is increased.

What to do

As an emergency care for injuries of the abdominal cavity, it is necessary:

• call an ambulance;
• lay the victim on a flat surface with raised legs bent at the knees;

• unfasten clothing in the abdominal area;
• apply cold on the stomach;
• if a person has open damage, apply an aseptic dressing.

In no case should

Here's what is not recommended:

• independently give the patient painkillers;
• to correct the organs that have fallen into the gaping wound (in this case, it is necessary to apply a sterile dressing lubricated with aseptic petroleum jelly on them);
• change position, move the patient;
• give the patient drink or eat.

For chest injuries

Non-penetrating and penetrating injuries are separated, the exact diagnosis of which can only be done by a doctor.

Often they are accompanied by heavy bleeding, as well as pneumothorax: air accumulates in the chest, squeezing the lung, because of this, a person runs the risk of dying from respiratory and heart failure.

50% of such injuries result in death. With them, damage to the spine, sternum, ribs, heart, lungs and mediastinum is possible.

With such injuries, victims complain of:

• shortness of breath, shortness of breath;
• severe pain at the sites of damage;
• lowering blood pressure;
• palpitations
• feeling of fear, anxiety.

Chest injuries, like abdominal injuries, can be either closed or open. With open injuries, the symptoms are supplemented by:

• coughing up blood;
• decreased breathing;
• the development of emphysema.

How to behave

Emergency care for chest injuries will be as follows:

• call a doctor;
• upon arrival, medical workers administer painkillers to avoid pain shock;
• give the patient a sitting or semi-sitting position;
• stop visible bleeding;
• in the presence of open pneumothorax - turn into closed: apply a tight hermetic dressing to the wound;
• in case of rib fractures - on inspiration, apply a compressive bandage with a bandage, temporarily immobilize the chest;
• in a sitting position, urgently transport the victim to a medical facility.

For eye injuries

Eye injuries are damage to the organs of vision under the influence of various factors, both domestic and industrial, chemical, mechanical and thermal influences. Immediate first aid can play a key role in preserving the person’s vision.

In case of mechanical damage

The patient experiences:

• severe pain;
• profuse lacrimation;
• involuntarily close and blush eyelids;
• the victim complains of visual impairment.

If a penetrating wound is inflicted in the eye by any object, in no case should it be pulled out! It is urgent to contact the ophthalmology department.

Damage Actions

An emergency aid for eye injury will be the removal of a foreign body that has got there. Wherein:

• Do not rub the injured eye so as not to intensify the damage;
• examine the condition of the mucosa of the lower eyelid;
• gently, using a cotton swab, remove the foreign body;
• if a foreign object has fallen under the upper eyelid, it is turned out: for this, the edge of the eyelid is pulled with the fingers and the fingers of the other hand are pressed onto the eyelid;
• instill an eye with a 30% albucide solution.

If a foreign body is visible within the cornea of ​​the eye, then you cannot remove it yourself!

First aid for thermal and chemical damage

Such injuries occur under the influence of steam, flame, molten metal and hot liquid. Necessary actions:

• stop exposure to the damaging factor;
• rinse eyes with plenty of clean water;
• if there are solid chemicals in the eye - remove them with a cotton swab;
• contact an ophthalmologist immediately.

In case of radiation exposure

Such injuries often occur when welding without a mask, during operation without safety glasses when the quartz lamps are on. Sometimes the negative effect is exerted by bright solar radiation in the mountains, on snow-covered plains.

With such damage, apply:

• cold lotions in both eyes;
• special glasses that protect against ultraviolet radiation.

What symptoms should you contact your optometrist immediately? With:

• sudden visual impairment;
• the appearance of a dark spot;
• peripheral visual field limitations;
• sharp pains in the eye and head;
• the appearance of rainbow stains during the examination of luminous bodies;
• pain during eye movement.

First aid for fractures

Fractures are violations of the integrity of bone tissue that occur under increased mechanical stress.

Types of fractures:

• closed without displacement of bone fragments;
• closed with offset;
• open (with such damage, soft tissues are injured by bone fragments).

General symptoms:

• pain in the area of ​​damage;
• hematoma;
• visual deformation;
• with fractures of the limb - shortening;
• feeling of a crunch in a damaged place;
• swelling;
• decreased motor function.

First aid

What should be done:

1. Call an ambulance immediately. It is advisable for the dispatcher to report the nature of the damage, the presence or absence of bleeding.
2. Ambulance workers, upon arrival, inject narcotic painkillers.
3. The damaged limb is fixed in one position. Two joints should be deprived of movements: one - located above the damage, the other - below. Try to prevent the tire from touching the skin and the damaged area.
4. It is impossible to independently match fragments.
5. If there is bleeding, determine what it is. With an outpouring of wounds, dark blood is limited to a bandage. If the blood is scarlet, it pulsates from the wound - a tourniquet should be applied above the damage site (you can use a belt or other improvised means; the main thing is that after the manipulation the pulsation from the vessel stops). When using a tourniquet, write a note indicating the exact overlap time and number. In summer, a tourniquet is applied for 2 hours, in winter - 1.5 hours. Ideally, every 30 minutes, remove the tourniquet for 5 minutes.
6. Emergency care for closed injuries is different in that in this case there is no need to stop bleeding, apply a bandage.
7. Next - an ambulance transports the victim to a medical facility.

We examined the options for emergency care for various injuries.