Bites and first aid

1. Northern Christian College
“ The Institution for Better Life”
Laoag City
COLLEGE OF NURSING
“bites and first aid”
Reporters: Rhodmark, Karen, Rox Anne, Windy, Rose Anne
BSN IV-A S.Y. 2012-2013

4. Snake bites are punctured wounds
caused by the fangs of snakes. As
far as the treatment of the wound
is concerned, it is dealt with as a
minor wound. You should always
assume that the snake is
poisonous.

5. Signs
 The patient will tell you that he has
been bitten by a snake.
 The punctured wounds produced by the
snake’s fangs are clearly visible.
 The patient may show signs of
poisoning.
 Signs of shock

6. Symptoms
 Casualty may experience disturbed vision.
 Casualty may feel nauseated or already be
vomiting
 One or two small punctured wounds with sharp
pain and local swelling
 Breathing may become difficult or fail together
 Symptoms and signs of shock
 Salvation and sweating may appear in advanced
stages of venom

7. Treatment
•Give salt water (5-6 tsp salt in 200 ml water)
•Drink the salt water hourly for 6 hrs.
•After taking for 6 hrs., drink salt water once in four
hourly for 6 times
•This tx----- nullify the snake venom complications.
Aim
•Reassure the casualty
•Prevent absorption of venom and
•Arrange urgent removal to hospital

8. First aid
1. Tie a piece of cloth or a tourniquet, tightly above
the bite. To prevent venous blood return.
2. Loosen the tourniquet for one minute in every
twenty minutes.
3. Keep the bitten limb hanging down.
4. Treat for shock reassure, and keep the patient at
rest and warm.
5. Examine the wound.

9. 6. If there is doubt, and you cannot get the
patient to hospital quickly.
i. Wash the wound with luke warm water, with
potassium permanganate added if available.
ii. Sterilize a knife or blade in a flame, and make
a cut 1 cm deep in the form of a cross over the
bite.
iii. Suck out the liquid (poison), using a piece of
plastic over your mouth to protect yourself or
suck out the liquid which out of the wound
and spit it out. If the bite is on arm, the patient
can suck his own wound.

10. iv. Apply potassium permanganate crystals
in cut.
v. Apply a clean dressing.
vi. Treat for shock
vii. Refer to the nearest hospital
viii. If breathing fails, do artificial respiration.

12. SCORPION STING
What to do when you see a patient who has been
stung by a scorpion. As a rule, you will be told that
the sting is by a scorpion because the patient or
some relative has actually seen the scorpion.
Proceed as a follow:
•Examine the site of the sting
•Look for signs of shock, particularly in small
childrens.

13. Treatment
 Apply a cold compress to the site of
sting (or) sodium bicarbonate paste
(cooking soda paste)
 Treat for shock
 Give hot drink and keep the patient
warm.

15. Bee, wasp and hornet stings occur frequent in
rural areas, especially if their nests and
disturbed. The insects have a sting which is left
at the site of puncture and has to be removed. If a
person is prone to allergies, a bee, wasp or hornet
sting may be a serious condition because of the
shock produced.
Signs
The site of the sting looks red, swollen and
painful.

16. First Aid Treatment
1. Remove the sting with a pair of forceps
2. Apply cold compresses to the site.
3. A paste with sodium bicarbonate (cooking
soda) or washing soda can be applied or
if available antihistamine ointment.
4. Treat for shock.

18. The large effects of Jelly Fish Sting vary from minor local
reactions to large wheals, severe pain and sometimes death.
First aid measures are:
1. A paste of sodium bicarbonate in water
2. Seek medical aid urgently if symptoms are severe
3. Sting of Portugese Man of War
4. The effects vary from slight stinging to cramps nausea
and difficulty in breathing. The first aid is as follows:
5. Swab the area with methylated spirit to which a little
vinegar has been added to acidity it.
6. Do not rub or apply fresh water or sand
7. Remove any gelatinous strands present in the flesh
using cloth or soft paper, once symptoms subside.
8. Seek medical aid in severe cases.

20. The spine of the sea urchin can breakoff into the
skin causing local burning and numbness. The
wounds heal slowly and the rate of infection is
high.
FIRST AID
•Wear gloves while handling the sting.
•Remove the spine.
•Cover the wound with dry dressing
•Get medical aid

22. A snail like creature is found in such shells. It injects a
very potent poison through a minute hollow barhed
harpoon. It can be fetal and there is no antidote. Such a
shell must not be handled. In case a patient is bitten.
FIRST AID:
•Watch the patients pulse and respiration, and give
external cardiac massage and artificial respiration when
necessary.
•Get medical aid urgently.

24. Coral is razor sharp. The cuts are large and deep
and get infected readily. They heal slowly and
tend to form ulcers. In case with coral cuts.
FIRST AID:
•Clean with methylated spirit
•Remove all foreign material from the cuts
•Cover the wound with sterile dressing
•Arrange for medical aid.

26. This is a condition in which local tissues are
frozen, usually at the extremities. They become
injured by prolonged constriction of the surface
blood vessels as a result of exposure to extreme
cold. As with heat burns the damage may be either
surficial or deep and the affected tissues may be
destroyed.
To prevent frost bit, wear adequate clothing
and gloves, and leave as little skin exposed as
possible.

27. Symptoms and Signs
1. The affected areas tip of nose, ears, fingers
or toes become at first pale, then waxy
whites later a mottled blue colour, and
finally black.
2. Blustering may occur.
3. Casualty may complain of pins and needles”
and intensepain, but the part gradually
becomes num and pain disappears as the
freezing bites deeper.
4. The skin feels hard and stiff.

28. Aim
•Warm the affected are slowly and naturally to prevent
further tissue destruction.
•Arrange removal to hospital.
Treatment
Note:
If there are signs of accompanying hypothermia, treat
hypothermia before frost bite. Do not attempt to thaw
out a part if the casualty will later be exposed to cold or
a journey, as to freeze thaw refreeze is disastrous for
tissues. Simply cover the affected part in dry gauze,
wool and loose bandaging, or enclose it in plastic bag.

29. 1. At the first signs of whiteness, pain or tingling handle
damaged tissues gently. Remove frozen covering
carefully, together with rings or watches. Warm the
part with your own hands. Alternatively, if a finger is
first bitten place the casualty’s affected hand in her
opposite arm pit until normal colour returns.
2. Get her to warm surroundings soon as possible. She
may walk on frost bitten feet before thawing out but
never after wards carry her on a stretcher. If colour
does not return rapidly, place the affected part in
warm water, (tested first with your elbow).

30. 3. As the part thaws out, the colour will
improve and pain will return. Dry and
dress the thawed area with dry gauze or
wool and lightly bandage it.
4. Elevate the limb to reduce swelling.
5. If authorized by a doctor, give the casualty
two paracetamol tablets.
6. Arrange removal to hospital, transport as a
stretcher case.

31. Do not rub the area
Do not burst blisters
Do not heat the part with fires or
hot-water bottles
Do not allow the casualty to smoke,

33. When the eyes are to glare produced by the reflection of
the sun on snow or concrete for too long, the cornea of the
eye can be injured. This painful condition can take as long
as a week to subside. It can easily be prevented by
wearing dark glasses.
S/s:
1. These normally appear sometime after exposure to
glare, welding flash or radiation.
2. Casualty complains of intense. Pain in the affected
eyes; eyes may feel gritty.
3. Affected eyes will be red, watering and sensitive light.

34. Aim ( Cover the eyes and seek medical aid if
injury is severe)
1. Bathe the eyes with cold water
2. Lightly dress both eyes with eye pads of
clean, nonfully material
3. If in doubt about the severity of the injury,
seek medical aid urgently.

36. Incubation period: 15 days to 8 months
Symptoms in the casualty:
3 stages:
I. Invasion stage: increased irritation or pain in
the region of bite; restlessness; insomnia;
quickened pulse and slight fever are common.
II. Excitement stage: restlessness becomes intense
with great mental excitement; hypersensitiveness
to any stimulus; sets up distressing spasms of the
muscles of the throat and respirations;
consciousness unfortunately remains clear.
III.Paralytic stages: exhaustion; followed by heart
failure; developed disease is incurable.

37. Symptoms in the dog:
1. For domestic dogs: Hot nose’; refusal
to food; restlessness ensues rapidly;
the dog wanders about anxiously;
accompanied by a change of
expression; wrinkling of the
eyebrows; and haunted look.
2. Dog tears at its bedding, chews up its
water tin; altered tone in the bark.

38. First Aid Treatment:
“Prevention is everything in dealing with rabies,
as the disease is always fatal.”
1. Wash the whole abraded surface with soap and
water whether licked, scratched or lacerated.
2. If pure carbolic acid (phenyle) is available,
paint carefully the abraded surface and edges of
the wound by means of a match, or slip of split
cane, dipped in pure carbolic acid.
3. Don’t kill the dog.
4. Refer to nearest hospital.