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Injuries: Injuries Are One of Our Nation's Most Important Health Problems 5 Leading Causes of Injury-Related Death Are

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MICHAEL KEPSEU
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13 views14 pages

Injuries: Injuries Are One of Our Nation's Most Important Health Problems 5 Leading Causes of Injury-Related Death Are

Uploaded by

MICHAEL KEPSEU
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Injuries

• Injuries are one of our nation’s most important


health problems
• 5 leading causes of injury-related death are –
– Motor Vehicle crashes
– Falls
– Poisonings
– Drowning
– Choking
• Two types of injuries are –
– Soft tissue
– Musculoskeletal (muscles, bones, and joints)
Soft Tissue Injuries
• Types of wounds
– Open
• Abrasions: Most common type of open wound.
Scraping of the outer skin
• Lacerations: A cut in the skin and is commonly caused
by a sharp object.
• Avulsions: A portion of the skin and sometimes other
soft tissue is partially/completely torn away.
• Punctures: Usually caused by a pointed object, such as
a nail, piercing the skin
Types of Wounds Continued
• Closed wound
– The soft tissue damage occurs beneath the surface
of the skin, leaving the outer layer intact.
– A closed wound may bleed internally
– Examples:
• Lease severe type = bruise or contusion
Signals of Internal Bleeding
• Tender, swollen, bruised or hard areas of the
body, such as the abdomen
• Rapid, weak pulse
• Skin that feels cool or moist or looks pale
• Vomiting blood or coughing up blood
• Excessive thirst
• Becoming confused, faint, drowsy or
unconscious
Care for closed wound
• Apply direct pressure
• Elevate the injured body part if it does not
cause more pain
• Apply ice or a cold pack
• When applying ice or a chemical cold pack,
place a gauze pad, towel or other cloth
between the source of cold and the person’s
skin. Leave the ice on for no more than 20
minutes. Remove for 20 and replace.
Care for an Open Wound
• Use a barrier between your hand and the wound.
• Apply direct pressure for a few minutes to control any
bleeding
• Wash the wound thoroughly with soap and water. If
possible, irrigate the wound for 5 minutes with clean
running tap water.
• Apply triple antibiotic ointment or cream to a minor
wound
• Cover the wound with a sterile dressing and a bandage, if
it is still bleeding slightly or likely to come in contact with
dirt/germs
Burns
• Burns are a special type of soft tissue injury
• Burns can damage one or more layers of skin
and the layers of fat, muscle and bone
beneath.
• Burns are caused by –
– Thermal (heat)
– Chemicals
– Electricity
– Radiation
Burn Classified by depth
• Superficial
– 1st degree
• Partial thickness
– 2nd degree
• Full thickness
– 3rd degree
• Critical burn requires medical attention. These
burns can be considered life threatening,
disfiguring, and disabling
Call 9-1-1 if…
• Trouble breathing
• Burns cover more than 1 body part or a large
surface area.
• Suspected burns to the airway. (Note burns
around the mouth or nose.)
• Burns to the head, neck, hands, feet or genitals.
• Has a full thickness burn and is younger than
age 5 or older than age 60.
Thermal (heat)
• Remove the source of heat

• Cool the burn using cold running water.

• Cover the burn loosely with a sterile dressing


Chemical
• Brush off dry chemicals that cause burns using
gloved hands and then flush the area with tap
water (under pressure), being careful not to get
the chemical on yourself or the person.
• If an eye is burned by a chemical, flush the
affected eye. Make sure the affected eye is
lower than the unaffected eye as you flush.
• If wet chemicals get on the skin, flush the
affected area with large amounts of cool water.
Electrical
• Be sure the person is no longer in contact with the power
source before making contact with the person
• Turn off the power at its source and care for any life-
threatening conditions.
• In case of high-voltage electrocution, such as that caused
by downed power lines, call 9-1-1
• Electrocution can cause cardiac and breathing
emergencies. Be prepared to give CPR or use an AED and
care for shock and thermal burns
• Obtain medical help for all victims of electric shock to
determine the extent of injuries.
Radiation
• Care for sunburns as you would any other
burns.

• Cool the burn and protect the areas from


further damage by keeping it out of the sun.
Closing
• Caring for wounds involves a few simple steps:
– Control bleeding
– Minimize the risk of infection
– Always use barriers such as disposable gloves to
avoid contact with blood
– Use dressings and bandages that, when correctly
applied, help control bleeding and minimize
danger of infection
– Take steps to minimize shock

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