First Aid for Household Injuries
You're walking down the hallway, and out of nowhere, your foot catches on the edge of a rug. You go flying forward, landing flat on your stomach. As you get up, you realize that you've cut open your knee. You're driving down the freeway when another car cuts you off. You swerve to avoid it, but not fast enough! Your car slams into a concrete divider and you hear something break under your hood. You're just hanging around at home one day when suddenly your four-year-old runs into the living room with a bloody nose. After cleaning up his face and finding nothing broken or missing (thank goodness), it's time to treat that wound! These are some common household injuries people encounter every day...
You're walking down the hallway, and out of nowhere, your foot catches on the edge of a rug. You go flying forward, landing flat on your stomach. As you get up, you realize that you've cut open your knee.
- If your cut is bleeding a lot, use pressure to stop the flow of blood. Wrap a clean cloth around the wound and press firmly on it until you can get medical attention.
- Clean any dirt or debris from your cut with soap and water, but avoid using hydrogen peroxide or alcohol because these substances can cause irritation and delay healing time.
- If you have an open wound such as an incised laceration (where the skin has been sliced) or avulsion (a tear in which part of an organ has been pulled away), see a doctor immediately.
- For puncture wounds (such as bites), cover them with sterile gauze pads until they heal.
- Burns require immediate medical attention; if possible, soak them in cool water for 15 minutes before seeking help.
- Tell anyone who may assist you what kind of injury you've suffered so they know how best to help: simple fracture vs complex fracture; open wound vs closed injury; chemical burn vs thermal burn.
- If someone else suffers an injury while helping you out with first aid techniques, then make sure that person gets checked out by a doctor too!
You're driving down the freeway when another car cuts you off. You swerve to avoid it, but not fast enough! Your car slams into a concrete divider and you hear something break under your hood.
If you're bleeding, apply pressure to the wound with a clean cloth or towel. Don't remove any objects that are stuck in your wound unless they are sharp and could cause further damage if left alone. If you have broken glass in your wound, see a doctor immediately--do not try to pull it out yourself!
If the injured person cannot feel their fingers or toes (called "pale" skin), this is an indication that severe frostbite may have occurred and immediate medical attention should be sought out as soon as possible. Do not put ice on burns; use warm water instead because applying ice will only worsen the situation by causing further damage due to decreased blood flow under the burn area. If you have been burned but do not require medical attention right away (such as when cooking), immediately stop what you were doing before putting any kind of ointment/cream onto burned areas so as not to risk further irritation upon contact with clothing later on down the road when dressing up before going out somewhere fun like dinner with friends etcetera...
You're just hanging around at home one day when suddenly your four-year-old runs into the living room with a bloody nose. After cleaning up his face and finding nothing broken or missing (thank goodness), it's time to treat that wound!
- Clean the wound with soap and water.
- If it's a small cut, use a butterfly bandage on top of gauze pads (you can find these at any pharmacy). If it's large, use both together--but make sure the bandage is big enough to cover all your skin! Leave this in place until you see your doctor in case there are any signs of infection later on. You won't need stitches unless there's too much damage or the bleeding hasn't stopped after 10 minutes or so.
- Always wash your hands before treating someone else's injuries and again afterward; this will help prevent infection from spreading throughout the house.
- If someone has been hurt badly enough that they need stitches immediately (like if they've fallen off their bike), don't try this at home! Call 911 instead so they can get professional help right away.
These are some common household injuries people encounter every day.
If you cut yourself, treat it with a first-aid kit. If you break a bone, call 911 or go to the emergency room. If you get a bloody nose, put ice on it and take some acetaminophen if needed. Keep an injury kit stocked with bandages, gauze pads, and other materials that may be useful in treating common household injuries . Treating injuries as soon as possible can prevent further damage to your body or make recovery faster when they occur later on down the line--so don't wait until tomorrow!
If an injury seems serious enough for an ambulance ride but not life-threatening enough to require immediate medical attention at an emergency room (ER), then call 9-1-1 immediately after treating it yourself--unless doing so would endanger yourself or someone else more than waiting until help arrives would do so first!
Conclusion
The most important thing to remember when dealing with a household injury is that you should always seek medical attention if the injury is severe. This can include anything from a cut or burn to an eye injury or broken bone. If possible, always call 911 before trying any first aid on yourself or others!
