b. Shortness of breath: If the victim has a chestinjury or breathing difficulties, place the victimin a sitting or semisitting position.c. Shock: If the victim is in shock, place thevictim on his or her back with the head slightlylower than the feet. (Shock is explained later inthis chapter.)2. Move the victim no more than is absolutelynecessary. To determine the extent of the victim’sinjuries, carefully rip or cut the clothing along theseams. Removal of clothing in the normal way maymake injuries worse, especially if fracture injuries areinvolved. Shoes may also be cut off to avoid causingpain or increasing an injury. When the clothing isremoved, make sure the victim does not becomechilled.3. Keep the victim reassured and as comfortable aspossible. If possible, don’t let the victim see his or herinjuries. The victim can endure pain and discomfortbetter if he or she is confident of your abilities.4. Don’t touch open wounds or burns with fingersor other objects except when sterile compresses orbandages aren’t available and it’s absolutely necessaryto stop severe bleeding.5. Don’t try to give an unconscious person anysolid or liquid substance by mouth. The person mayvomit and get some of the material into the lungswhen he or she breathes, causing choking andpossibly death.6. If a bone is broken or you suspect that one isbroken, don’t move the victim until you haveimmobilized the injured part. That may prove lifesavingin cases of severe bone fractures or spinal cord injuries,for the jagged bone may sever nerves and blood vessels,damage tissues, and increase shock. Of course, threat offire, necessity to abandon ship, or other similarsituations may require that you move the victim. Butalways keep in mind the principle that moving thevictim could do further damage; always weigh the riskof moving the victim against other factors.7. When transporting an injured person, alwayssee that the litter is carried feet forward no matter whatthe injuries are. Carrying the litter this way lets the rearbearer observe the victim for any respiratoryobstruction or stoppage of breathing.8. Ke e p t h e i n j u r e d p e r s o n c o m f o r t a b l ywarm—warm enough to maintain normal bodytemperature.Very serious and mutilating injuries may requireheroic first-aid measures on your part. However, thegreater the number of injuries, the more judgment andself-control you must exhibit to prevent yourself andwell-intentioned bystanders from trying to do too much.REVIEW 1 QUESTIONSQ1. Describe the primary purpose of first aid.Q2. List the primary tasks when administering firstaid.a.b.c.Q3. Describe the general first-aid rule for thefollowing conditions:a. Shockb. Broken bonesc. Transporting injured personnelARTIFICIAL VENTILATIONLearning Objective: When you finish this chapter, youwill be able to—Recall the procedures used to administerartificial ventilation.14-2Student Notes:
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