First aid facts over myths: What to do in an emergency

• Sprains
• Strains
• Bruises
• Twisted joints
• Dislocation
• Fracture

When someone hurts their bones, muscles, or joints, they might experience a few common signs that can help identify the injury. These can include:

• Pain in the injured area
• Changes in shape or appearance, like swelling or bruising
• Difficulty using the affected body part, or not being able to use it at all
• A broken bone that might be visible through the skin
• A feeling or sound of bones rubbing together
• Cramps in the muscles
• A sudden snap or crack noise when the injury occurs

If someone gets hurt, it can be tough to figure out exactly what kind of injury they have. To be safe, it's best to treat all injuries as if they could be serious, just as you would with a broken bone.

If someone has a recent injury, you can help them feel better by using the RICE method:

1. Rest: Have the person stop what they're doing and rest. Make sure they don't move or try to straighten the injured part of their body.
2. Immobilize: If you need to move the person or help is delayed, create a splint to keep the injured area still. Otherwise, keep them comfortable without moving the injury.
3. Cool: To reduce swelling and pain, gently cool the injured area with ice or a cold pack for 20 minutes each hour, ensuring comfort. Use a thin cloth to protect the skin from direct contact with ice.
4. Elevate: If possible, keep the injured area above heart level to help reduce swelling. But don't lift it if that causes pain.

Call 911 or the local emergency number if the injury appears severe or if the person is in significant pain.

1. Get consent if the person is awake and able to answer
2. Call 911 or your local emergency number, if the situation is serious
3. Act within your training
4. Do not put yourself in danger
5. Stay with the person once you start helping, if it is safe

Laws can vary by province or territory. This information is not legal advice. The most important message is simple: calling 911 is a safe and helpful first step in an emergency.

Cardiac arrest means the heart has suddenly stopped beating normally. Therefore, waiting for professional help during a sudden cardiac arrest is far riskier than performing CPR.

When a person's heart stops, and they are not breathing normally, they are clinically dying. In this life-or-death situation, doing nothing carries the ultimate risk. Immediate bystander CPR can double or triple a person's chances of survival.

CPR helps keep blood, which carries oxygen, flowing through the body until emergency help arrives. Performing CPR can make a big difference in keeping someone alive during a medical emergency.

If you think someone is in cardiac arrest, is unresponsive and not breathing:

1. Have someone call 911 or your local emergency number and get an AED. If you are alone, call 911 or your local emergency number yourself.
2. Give CPR. Learn how to perform CPR on adults, children, or infants, and practice chest compressions. Repeat the cycle of 30 compressions and 2 breaths.
3. When the AED arrives, open it and turn it on. Follow the AED's automated prompts. Apply the AED pads and, if prompted, press the shock button.
4. Continue CPR, starting with compressions, until emergency personnel or another person takes over; you are too tired to continue, the scene becomes unsafe, or you notice an obvious sign of life.

Doing something can make a difference. A first aid and CPR course will equip you with the skills to act confidently in these situations.

An AED, or Automated External Defibrillator, is a lifesaving device that can be crucial during cardiac arrest. It monitors the heartbeat and provides step-by-step guidance on what to do. AEDs are designed for use by the general public with no medical training, are highly intuitive and completely safe to use.

While performing CPR can help keep blood flowing and oxygen reaching the brain, an AED can often fix the main issue for many people who suddenly have cardiac arrest.

AEDs are often found in:

• Workplaces
• Schools
• Community centres
• Arenas
• Airports
• Gyms
• Public buildings

You should never put butter, oil, or ice on a burn. These common remedies can actually worsen the injury and significantly increase your risk of infection.

Call 911 or your local emergency number and grab an AED immediately if:

• The burns make it hard for the person to breathe.
• The person is in a lot of pain or is not responding.
• The burns were caused by dangerous things like chemicals, explosions, or electricity.
• There are large blisters or broken skin, or if the burns affect the face, neck, hands, genitals, or cover a big area of the body.

If any of these situations apply and you are alone, call 911 or your local emergency number first, get the AED, and then go back to help the person.

For minor, superficial burns, you usually don't need to call 911 or your local emergency number unless the person is experiencing significant pain or is not responding. However, always call for help if it's a full-thickness burn, no matter the size.

While care for all burns is similar, specific steps can vary depending on the cause. For many superficial burns, partial thickness burns and full thickness burns:

1. Cool the affected area with clean running or standing water for at least 10 minutes.
2. Remove jewelry and clothing from the burn site, but do not attempt to move anything that is stuck to the skin.
3. Once it is cool, cover the burn loosely with dry, sterile dressing, preferably non-stick gauze.

Encourage the person to seek medical attention even if it is not necessary to call 911 or your local emergency number. If it's a full-thickness burn, have the person lie down until EMS personnel arrive.

Tilting your head back during a nosebleed could be dangerous; this method causes blood to flow down the back of your throat, which can lead to choking, coughing, or vomiting.

How to help someone with a nosebleed:

1. Ask them to sit down and lean slightly forward. They should pinch their nostrils together for about 10 to 15 minutes. It's important not to pinch the nose if the person has had a serious head injury.
2. Once the bleeding has stopped, remind them to avoid touching, blowing on, or picking their nose, as this could cause it to start again.
3. If the person becomes unresponsive, help them lie on their side in the recovery position so any blood can drain from their nose.

If the nosebleed lasts longer than 15 minutes, is caused by a head injury, or they are losing a lot of blood, make sure to call 911 or your local emergency number right away.

Giving water to someone who is choking is unsafe. It can worsen the situation by blocking their airway more and potentially causing it to become completely blocked.

Here's what to do if someone is choking:

1. Coughing or talking: If the person is coughing or can talk, encourage them to cough strongly. Don't try to help because their own cough might clear the blockage.
2. Sit upright: If they can, have the person sit upright. This position can help them cough more effectively.
3. Stay alert: Keep an eye on them until the choking resolves on its own or if their condition gets worse.

Signs of complete choking:

If the person is completely choking, you might notice:

• They can't speak, cough, or breathe
• They make high-pitched squeaking noises
• Their skin changes colour, becoming flushed
• They look panicked and have wide eyes
• They clutch their throat with one or both hands

For adults or children over 12 months old, here's what to do next for a complete choking:

1. If you can, ask someone to call 911 or your local emergency number and get an AED while you help the person. If you're alone, start helping them immediately.
2. Try to remove the blockage using two of the following methods: back blows, abdominal thrusts, and chest thrusts. Switch between these methods until the object comes out, they start breathing again, or they become unresponsive.

Taking a first aid class can teach you how to perform these techniques correctly. This knowledge is especially important for parents, caregivers, teachers, and community members.

Putting an object in the mouth during a seizure is dangerous. It is physically impossible to "swallow your tongue," and inserting items like spoons, wallets, or fingers into a seizing person's mouth can easily cause broken teeth, jaw injuries, and severe choking.

If someone is having a seizure, call 911 or the local emergency number, and get an AED if:

• You don't know the person or their medical history.
• The seizure lasts for over a few minutes.
• They have multiple seizures in a row.
• They seem injured, pregnant, or might be having a diabetic emergency.
• The seizure occurs in water.
• This is their first seizure, or the cause is unknown.
• They don't wake up or are unresponsive for a long time.
• They have a fever or are intoxicated.
• Your workplace requires you to call for help.

Record the time that the seizure starts and stops. If you have called 911 or the local emergency number, give this information to EMS personnel when they arrive.

Provide first aid for a seizure following these steps:

1. Move nearby objects away
2. Protect them from injury
3. Do not hold them down
4. Do not put anything in their mouth
5. Roll the person onto their side, if you can do so safely
6. Stay with them

After the seizure, the person may be drowsy and disoriented for up to 20 minutes. Check the person's ABCs and place the person in the recovery position if the person is breathing normally.

Hyperventilation can happen for different reasons, including panic, stress, asthma, heart problems, or other medical emergencies. Breathing into a paper bag may reduce oxygen levels and could worsen some conditions.

If someone is breathing very quickly:

1. Stay calm and speak reassuringly
2. Encourage slow, steady breathing
3. Help them sit comfortably
4. Move to a quiet area if possible
5. Watch for signs that the condition is getting worse

Call 911 or the local emergency number if the hyperventilation does not stop after a few minutes or if the person becomes unresponsive. If you are unsure about what is causing rapid breathing, it is safe to seek medical help.