You will learn how to recognize life-threatening emergencies and manage them until professional medical assistance arrives.
What happens if the situation you are in is not consistent with what you learned from your standard first aid class. What if you have to manage a serious injury on your own for hours or days before professional medical care arrives?
Cuts
Some injuries can be treated at the home with simple first aid measures, depending on how severe they are. However, larger or gaping cuts that don't stop bleeding require medical attention.
To prevent infection, clean and disinfect the wound. A clean dressing should be used on the cut and it should be changed regularly.
Also, it may be a good idea to apply a bit of antiseptic on the cut and graze. For this purpose, pine sap is a great choice.
A cloth or gauze can be used to stop bleeding. If blood soaks through the cloth, place another one on top and keep applying pressure until bleeding stops.
Scrapes
All of us will be exposed to cuts, scrapes and puncture wounds from time to time. These wounds are quite common in the wilderness. However, knowing how to treat them properly can help you avoid infection and keep your health.
With a few quick actions, most small cuts and scrapes stop bleeding quickly. To stop the blood flow, you can use a gauze pads or a clean cloth to press down against the wound.
You can also apply a bit of rubbing alcohol to a cut or scrape. This will remove any dirt or other particles stuck to the wound.
Also, rubbing alcohol will clean the skin and kill bacteria which could cause infection. Next, cover the wound using a sterile gauze pad or bandage. As it helps prevent infection, it is crucial to keep the wound clean and change the bandage or dressing on a regular basis.
Burns
You will need to seek first aid if you have been injured by a hot object, flame, liquid, or other heat source. First aid involves removing the source of the pain, applying heat to the affected area, and then covering it with a bandage.
Ice is not recommended to cool the burn. This can cause further tissue and skin damage. It can also cause shock (a rapid drop in your body temperature).
Remove any jewelry, belts, and tight clothing from the area. You can also offer pain medication to ease the burning sensations.
If the burn is severe or covers most of the body, call 111 immediately to arrange for an ambulance. It is possible to treat minor second-degree burns at home with the steps outlined above.
Broken Bones
Bones are living tissues that can get bruised in many ways. If they are struck with enough force, they can be broken.
A cast or splint is used to prevent the fractured bone from moving during healing. This allows the bone to mend naturally and reduces pain and bleeding.
Broken bones may require surgery to reduce or heal the injury. The type and severity of the injury as well as your age and medical history will determine the best treatment.
It is important to get professional help immediately if you suspect that you have suffered a serious injury. If you are unable to get to A&E, call Triple Zero (000) or 999.
FAQ
What's the time taken to find help once you are lost?
This depends on several factors:
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Wherever you are
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Which type of terrain are you in?
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It doesn't matter if your cell phone reception is good
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Whether you have been seen by someone
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It doesn't matter if your are hurt
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It doesn't matter if you're dehydrated
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Whether you have been drinking water
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You can tell if you've eaten in the last 24 hours.
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You should wear appropriate clothing
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You can carry a map or your compass.
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How familiar do you feel with the region?
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How much time has passed since you became lost
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How long have you spent searching for help?
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How long does people take to notice you are gone?
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You are amazed at how fast they find you and start searching for you
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How many rescuers attract you?
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How many rescues has your family received?
What are the basic skills for survival in the wild?
It is essential to be able to make a fire, especially if you are living off the ground. It's not just a matter of lighting a match; you must learn how to start a fire using friction and flint. You should also learn how to avoid burning yourself with the flames.
It's important to learn how to make shelter with natural materials like leaves, grasses, trees, etc. These materials will help you stay warm at night. And finally, you'll need to know how much water you need to survive.
Other Survival Skills
Even though they will help you to stay alive, they are not as crucial as learning how lighting a fire. For example, you can eat many different kinds of plants and animals, but if you don't know how to light a fire, you won't be able to cook them.
Also, you will need to be able to identify edible and non-edible food sources. If you don't know this, you may starve or become sick.
What can you do when faced with a survival situation
It is not easy to think of what to say next. It is important to be ready for any eventuality. Make sure you know how to react when confronted with an unexpected problem.
If you aren't sure what to do, you must be able to adapt.
In a survival situation, there are likely to be problems like:
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Being stuck in a remote location
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Getting lost
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Having limited food supplies
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Low on water
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Facing hostile people
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Facing wild animal
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Finding shelter
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Predators must be stopped
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Making fire
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Tools
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Building shelters
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Hunting
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* Fishing
How to Navigate Without a Compass, or with it?
Although a compass does not tell you where you're going, it can help you get back to your home in case you lose your bearings.
There are three ways to navigate:
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By landmarks
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By magnetic North (using an compass).
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By stars
Landmarks can be objects you recognize as soon as you see them. These can be trees, buildings, rivers, and so on. Because they give you a visual clue about where you are, landmarks are very useful.
Magnetic North simply means the direction where the Earth’s magnetic field points. If you look up at a skyline, you will notice that the sun seems to be moving across it. However, the earth's magnetic field actually causes the sun to move around the earth. Although it appears that the sun is moving across the sky and around the horizon, it actually does so. The sun is directly overhead at noon. At midnight, the sun is directly below you. Because the earth's magnet field is constantly changing, the exact position of the magnetic North Pole changes every day. This means that your course could drift a lot in a single day.
Another method of navigating is using stars. Stars appear as if they rise and fall over the horizon. These points are in space and can be used to locate your position relative to other places.
Statistics
- In November of 1755, an earthquake with an estimated magnitude of 6.0 and a maximum intensity of VIII occurred about 50 miles northeast of Boston, Massachusetts. (usgs.gov)
- so you can be 100 percent hands-free, and there's less chance you'll put your torch down and lose it. (nymag.com)
- The downside to this type of shelter is that it does not generally offer 360 degrees of protection and unless you are diligent in your build or have some kind of tarp or trash bags, it will likely not be very resistant to water. (hiconsumption.com)
- We know you're not always going to be 100% prepared for the situations that befall you, but you can still try and do your best to mitigate the worst circumstances by preparing for a number of contingencies. (hiconsumption.com)
External Links
How To
How to Dress a Wound
To learn how to properly treat a wound, it takes a lot of effort. Basic knowledge is required, including anatomy, physiology and medical instruments. You may inflict injuries on yourself if your experience is not sufficient. However, if you want to dress a wound, you should follow these steps:
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Clean the wound thoroughly. Make sure there is no dirt or foreign material in the wound. Place gauze over the wound after you have cleaned it. Before touching the wound, wash your hands with clean water.
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Use pressure. Two fingers should be placed under the skin around the wound's edge. Do not press too hard. This step stops bleeding.
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Be sure to cover the wound. The wound needs to be covered with sterile bandage material. Sterile bandages include cotton, nonwoven fabric, surgical tape, and adhesive strips. Keep applying pressure until the wound heals completely.
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After treatment, monitor the wound. Look out for signs like redness and swelling. These signs are indicators that the wound may have become infected. This is a sign that the wound has become infected.
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It is important to remove the bandage every day. Every day, or when there are signs of infection, change the bandage.
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Wash the wound area with soap and warm water. Follow the instructions on the package. Do not use alcohol because it may dry up the wound.
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Avoid scratching the area. The wound may bleed once more if you scratch it.
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When you take a bath, be careful. You are more likely to get an infection if you take a bath.
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Always take good care of the wound. Your body temperature will increase as you recover from surgery. High temperatures can cause complications. You should keep your wounds dry and cool.
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If you need help, get it. Call 911 if you feel unwell.