Lockdown: 6 First Aid Tips You Need To know

Lockdown has been extended in most states across Nigeria, and some states are under indefinite curfew, therefore, first aid tips are needed to take one’s health more seriously now.

The Coronavirus pandemic is here, and we are all trying to stay safe by staying at home. Sick persons have been advised to stay away from hospitals, except it is serious.

This directive is to avoid persons down with other ailments, and diseases will not contract the deadly Coronavirus in a bid to get treated. Therefore, first aid tips are some of the best things to get familiar with at this point.

You might use this to save yourself, your family member or a neighbour. So, pay attention to these tips and do some jottings too.

Note, all of these tips are as recommended by reliable medical organisations across the world, so you are in safe hands.

Snake Bite

Snakes bite are dangerous and should be attended to as quickly as possible; here are some tips to employ as first aid.

1. Move far away from the snake or get someone to kill it while another attend to the victim.
2. Let someone find out the closest hospital or health centre to your location.
3. Do not raise the affected part.
4. Wash the part bitten with soap and warm water
5. remove anything that can constrain the affected part because it may swell soon, and it may cause complication or death.
6. If the snake is a coral or cobra, wrap the affected area with an elastic pressure bandage. Wrap from the place closest to the victim’s heart down to the fingers or toes.

Those can help stabilise the victim until you get to the hospital. Ensure you help keep the bite lower than the heart. Do not cut into the wound; it would only cause more complications and infections. 

If you are lucky to kill the snake, you can take it along to the hospital and if not a picture of the snake can be better because a dead snake can still give a reflex bite for up to an hour.

Cardiac Arrest

According to the American Heart Association and American Red Cross 2019 guidelines, the steps to take when a cardiac arrest is suspected are

1. Reach out to your doctor immediately if you can
2. You do not need to be trained, so start compressing the victim’s chest. Hard and fast pressure on the chest is profitable.
3. Getting an Automated External Defibrillator is essential, so get another person to look for that but do not stop chest pressing while you prepare to get to a hospital quickly.

Bleeding

It does not matter how much bleeding is; it can be stopped, except for a mild one that can stop on their own. If Severe bleeding is not stopped in time, it could lead to death, so these tips are lifesavers.

1. Get a clean cloth to cover the bleeding area, and you will need to mount pressure on the affected area at this point. The fabric should not be removed no matter how socked it becomes, add more layers so that it can help clot and subsequent end to the bleeding.
2. You can also raise or suspend the bleeding area if you can, this will also help stop bleeding.

Burns

1. Ensure the cause of fire or burns is stopped
2. Do not think of applying ice, but cool the affected are down preferably with running water for a while.
3. You can use a gauze bandage on the surface.
4. Give the victim pain relief pills if necessary.
5. Oily things like ointments, butter should not be used on burns.
6. Do not break any blister formed on or around the wound.

Note, for serious burns; you might need to get to the hospital as soon as possible.

Fractures

Forget att the myths you have heard or believed about a broken bone and take these first aid tips seriously.

1. Do not attempt to straighten the fractured bone.
2. Pad the limb to make it immobile.
3. Put a pack of ice on the affected area, but not directly on the skin.
4. You can elevate or suspend the leg or hand.
5. Anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen can be given to the victim.

Nose Bleeding

Though you might need to see your doctor for further examinations if you suffer nose bleeding, utmost of such cases are caused by picking the nose.

1. Lean forward, not back.
2. Pinch the nose just below the bridge. Don’t pinch the nostrils closed by pinching lower.
3. Check after five minutes to see if bleeding has stopped. If not, continue pinching and check after another 10 minutes.
4. You can also apply a cold pack to the bridge of the nose while pinching.

Those are some first aid tips that could be helpful during this lockdown and after but ensure you stay safe so you might not have a personal need for these.