You Should not Try to Move Accident Victims From the Scene (Injured Person

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The correct answer to this question is true. You should not move an injured person until medical assistance arrives with a first aid kit at the accident scene.

If you are not a qualified and experienced medic, attempting to move an injured person from the scene of an accident can increase their injuries and prolong their recovery.

Let’s discuss the best way to handle an injured person.

What is the only Situation in which a Victim should be Moved

As we’ve seen above, you need to avoid moving accident victims as much as possible.

However, some life threatening or severe situations call for an emergency move and you can’t leave a victim where they’re at. This is where you need tips on what to do to move victims from the scene (true or false). Even if a professional isn’t available.

First, resist lifting a patient off the ground.

Dragging a victim by their legs or arms would be the better option.

While you’re moving victims at a scene, make sure their body is secure and well-positioned.

One of the safest first aid lifts is the blanket lift. To execute this appropriately, six people should be involved. Search for help if possible.

Here are four other safe first aid methods you can use to secure and move a patient.

Arm Drag

Choose this method if the victim’s legs are injured at an accident.

Bend low and lift the patient’s arms, creating a space to clasp and hold them tight at the elbows.

Leverage their body weight to pull them to safety.

Photo courtesy of wikihow.com

The Leg Drag

Search and rule out any leg injuries first before using this method.

Bend low and firmly clasp the patient’s ankles.

Lean back and leverage their body weight to drag the victim to safety.

Log Roll

You’ll need something hard and supportive nearby that would allow you to roll the victim onto the item and move them to safety (an example of this would be a piece of wood).

You’ll need multiple people for this move. Make sure the accident victim’s spine is straight while they are being moved onto the support item.

Photo courtesy of wikihow.com

Clothing drag

The clothing drag method comes in handy when you’re carrying someone who’s injured.

This method is critical when it comes to avoiding direct traction on the body. There are, however, drawbacks.

For instance, clothing can tear and cause an accident victim more harm.

Using these previously mentioned methods comes in handy for cutting down risk of further injury.

For this method you’ll need sturdy clothing to place under the patient’s armpits.

Bend and lean back as you pull on the clothing until you manage to move your patient to safety.

How can Providing First Aid Care be Hazardous for the Person Providing the Assistance?

Offering first aid can be dangerous for the provider’s health if the victim is suffering because of a contagious disease.

Getting into contact with body fluids such as lymph and blood can expose first responders to a major health risk – contracting diseases.

Depending on the cause of injury in the first place and assuming the same conditions still exist, providers could be at risk of suffering a similar fate as the victim.

When would you Place a victim in the Recovery Position?

If you notice that the accident victim on scene is unconscious, but breathing, physically analyze them and look for signs of any severe conditions.

If none are found, then you can place them in a recovery position.

Doing so is critical because it keeps their airway open, clear, and prevents choking.

Once a victim is lying on their back, you’ll want to kneel by their side and:

Stretch their arm close to you. Ensure their palm is facing upwards and their arm is alongside their body.

Fold the other arm to ensure that the backside of their hand is on the cheek next to you and hold it down

With your free hand, bend the victim’s knee to a right angle furthest from you

Pull the bent knee and roll the victim so that they lie on their side. Exercise caution while doing this.

Make sure the victim’s bent arm reinforces their head while their extended arm acts as a barrier to prevent them rolling further than intended

Their bent leg should be at an appropriate angle

To open their airway, move their head backward and raise their chin to check and see whether anything is clogging the airway.

When a Victim is bleeding, the First thing you should do Before Starting First Aid is…

If you come across a bleeding victim, first dial 911 or any other emergency number and call for immediate help.

Remember, at that moment a victim will be tense. Work to keep them calm until help finally gets there.

First, however, before going to the scene of an accident, search your environment and make sure it’s safe so you don’t end up getting injured too.

If there are no signs of danger, get close by the victim and speak with them.

Let them know that help is on the way and that they need to stay calm to avoid further injury.

If the situation gets worse before help arrives, you may want to:

Clear the Wound of any Waste or Clothing

Check the victim’s wound for any waste or clothing.

Don’t try removing anything out of a wound if it’s deep inside. Doing so can escalate the bleeding.

Always wear protective gloves on scene when handling bleeding accident victims.

Try to Stop the Bleeding

Place a sterile bandage on the wound. If you can’t find a first responders kit, use a clean cloth.
With your palm, press the wound firmly to control bleeding.
Apply steady pressure until bleeding finally stops.
Use a piece of cloth or a thick bandage to secure the wound.
Never apply pressure if there’s a deep object in the wound.
If a victim has an eye injury, it may be best to wait until a qualified medic arrives.

Assist the Injured Person to Lie Down

If you can, help the victim lay down on a blanket or a piece of cloth. This will help them maintain body heat.

Never Attempt to Remove the Bandage

Sometimes a wound will be too deep and blood will seep through bandages secured on the wound.

If this happens, do not try to remove it.

Rather, add more bandages and maintain pressure constantly.

Use Tourniquets

A tourniquet is a gadget that compresses a limp with a tight bandage or cord to stop blood flow through an artery or vein.

It can come in handy to control severe bleeding.

Use these on a victim only if you’re qualified and experienced in doing so.

Remember, medical personnel will want to know how long a patient has had a tourniquet, so you’ll want to get your timing right.

When waiting for medical help, make sure your accident victim does not move any wounded areas unnecessarily. Doing so can cause more injury and pain.

When Carrying a Patient Up or Down Stairs, You Should Avoid

In the line of duty, an emergency medical technician encounters many things.

One of the most challenging tasks is carrying a patient up stairs.

Here are tips to ease the task.

Get help when carrying heavy patients up stairs. Two people should carry the patient shoulder to shoulder while two other people hold the bottom of the stretcher.

Carry patients feet first when going down stairs and head first when going up stairs

Make sure your back maintains the locked in position

- If a patient can use a stair chair, carrying them becomes much easier. Use a strong, yet light, kitchen chair in the absence of a stair chair and an extremity lift if a kitchen chair or stair chair is not available.

Can You Survive a Broken neck?

Breaking your neck is not a death sentence. However, if the injury extends to the spinal cord it can be fatal.

Christopher Reeve, known as the famous superman actor, at some point suffered a broken neck that caused him to become quadriplegic.

He survived his injury because medics discovered the problem early in advance and quickly treated him appropriately.

When the neck breaks, three injuries are likely to occur – as seen below.

Fractured Vertebra where the Spinal Cord isn’t affected

A fracture in vertebra can be treated with or without surgery depending on an injuries severity.

If there’s a dislocation, for instance, victims will need to go through surgery.

Fractured Vertebra with Partial Injury on the Spinal Cord

Three different health syndromes can emanate from this condition.

The central cord syndrome
Brown-Sequard syndrome
Anterior cord syndrome.

Fractured Vertebra with Spinal Cord Injury

If immediately after the neck injury the patient lacks movement below the injury level, this is not enough to render them paralyzed.

Medics will need to wait for a period of 24 to 72 hours to give the bulbocavernosus reflex enough time to complete.

Medics will then proceed to analyze the patient’s neurological status.

If the spinal cord is seriously damaged, quadriplegia or paralysis (which could be partial or total) may occur.

The patient will have no sensation or movement below the injury once their bulbocavernosus reflex ends.

However, assuming the injury is above or at C4 level, a patient’s diaphragm and breathing will be affected.

But, if a cervical spine injury occurs below C4, the victim will be paralyzed – but their breathing won’t be severely affected.

How can Neck Injuries be Fatal?

A victim of a car accident scene is likely to die of injuries associated with neck injuries such as liver, head, spleen, pelvis, and lung injury. When you’re attending to an accident victim, assess their airway, breathing, and circulation (ABC) to ascertain any other possible injuries. Where possible, having basic first aid training comes in handy. Every person should strive to attend basic first aid training or seminars.

Diaphragm paralysis can cause deprivation of oxygen in patients, a condition which is also called asphyxiation. In such a case, a patient will need intubation, a process where a tube is inserted in the victim’s body to facilitate artificial ventilation.

The cervical spine can have different fractures at various levels. If you have to transport a patient, exercise caution to avoid causing further injury. Remember to immobilize their spine using a cervical collar. This comes in handy for reducing a patient’s pain and encouraging healing.

Neurogenic shock may occur. This is a type of distributive shock that occurs due to low blood pressure and is characterized by a slowed heart rate, resulting from an interruption of independent pathways found in a spinal cord. This can occur due to spinal cord injury.

Finally

Accidents are common and chances are that at some point you’ll witness one where you’ll need to help victims from the scene. Hopefully you’re questions feel answered.

When faced with such a situation, it’s easy for people to panic and wonder how to help.

One thing to make sure and remember is that, when possible, you should not try to move accident victims from the scene (true or false).

Dial 911 and call for help.

Before help arrives, keep victims as calm as possible.