Health and First Aid | Stroke, Heart Attack and Injury Care, Set 3
Problem 1
During a meal, one side of a person's mouth suddenly droops, one arm falls when both are raised, and speech becomes slurred. The family says the person was normal ten minutes ago. What is the most appropriate response?
View explanation
Sudden facial droop, weakness in one arm or abnormal speech is enough to suspect stroke and call 119 immediately. Tell emergency services not only when the signs were noticed but also when the person was last known to be normal, because that information is important for treatment decisions. Waiting for all signs to persist or testing the person with water and walking delays early transport.
Problem 2
An adult suddenly reports squeezing chest pain and looks pale and sweaty. The person can still respond when spoken to. What is the most appropriate first response?
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Squeezing or pressure-like chest pain with pallor and sweating can indicate a heart attack, which may progress to sudden cardiac arrest, so call 119 immediately. While the person remains responsive, allow rest in a comfortable position, give no food or drink as a rule, and continue observation. Testing the symptoms with food or exercise or having the person drive delays emergency transport and help if the condition suddenly worsens.
Problem 3
While direct pressure is maintained for severe bleeding, the person becomes slow to respond, looks pale, has cold and sweaty hands and feet, and breathes rapidly and shallowly. There is no vomiting or injury that interferes with breathing. What is the appropriate response?
View explanation
Reduced responsiveness, pallor, cold sweat, cold extremities and rapid shallow breathing after severe blood loss suggest shock, in which vital organs may receive inadequate blood flow. Call 119 promptly; where breathing and injuries permit as stated here, lay the person on the back, loosen restrictive clothing and keep the person warm. Walking or cooling may worsen the condition, and controlling the external bleeding does not remove the need to respond to shock.
Problem 4
An adult who has not struck the head suddenly develops a nosebleed. The person is fully alert and can sit without help. What is the appropriate basic care?
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For an ordinary nosebleed, have the person sit, lean slightly forward and pinch the nose firmly. Tilting the head back or lying flat can send blood into the throat, causing discomfort or nausea if it is swallowed. Forceful nose blowing immediately after the bleeding stops can restart it and should be avoided.
Problem 5
The scene of a traffic collision has been made safe and 119 has been called. A person on the road has a neck that appears bent to one side and reports neck pain. What is the appropriate care while waiting for emergency services?
View explanation
When a neck injury is suspected after a traffic collision, a lay rescuer should not pull or straighten a neck that appears bent. Keep the neck still in the position in which the person was found, minimize unnecessary movement and hand over to emergency services. Making the neck look straight is not treatment; sitting, turning or pulling can worsen the injury.
Problem 6
After a fall in a park, a person has a shallow scrape on the knee with sand and mud in it. There is no major bleeding, and tap water is available. What is the appropriate first care for the wound?
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Even a shallow scrape contaminated with sand or mud should be rinsed thoroughly with clean running water. Dirt left in the wound can contribute to infection or interfere with healing. Sealing or leaving the wound unwashed preserves contamination, and saliva is not a substitute for clean running water. Major bleeding would take priority over washing, but the question explicitly excludes it.
Problem 7
An injured arm is being supported and immobilized with a triangular bandage. Circulation in the hand must still be observed afterward. How should the bandage be positioned?
View explanation
When supporting an arm with a triangular bandage, leave the fingertips slightly exposed so that circulation can still be checked from their color and condition. Completely concealing them makes it easier to miss changes caused by an overly tight immobilization. The purpose is to preserve observation while supporting the arm, not to constrict the whole hand or the fingertips alone.
Problem 8
Outdoors, a person twists an ankle while wearing a shoe and reports severe pain when someone tries to remove it. What is the appropriate approach when immobilizing the ankle temporarily?
View explanation
A shoe does not have to be removed before an injured ankle is immobilized; immobilization can be performed with the shoe still on. Forceful removal despite pain causes additional movement at the injured site. The goal is to limit unnecessary movement, not to test the ankle by walking or use forceful rotation and massage.
Problem 9
A person may have fractured a forearm in a fall, but no purpose-made splint is available. A thick magazine, cardboard, an umbrella and a soft handkerchief are at the scene. What is the appropriate response?
View explanation
Even without a purpose-made splint, a firm, long object such as a thick magazine, cardboard or an umbrella can serve as an improvised splint. Immobilization is intended to limit unnecessary movement at the suspected fracture, not for a lay rescuer to pull the arm and correct its shape. A soft item around the fingertips alone does not support the forearm, and allowing the arm to swing without support is also inappropriate.
Problem 10
After a fall on a mountain path, a person may have a lower-leg fracture. No splint of suitable length is available, but there is a blanket and the other leg is uninjured. How should the leg be immobilized without forcing the deformity back into place?
View explanation
If no suitable splint is available for a suspected lower-leg fracture, padding such as a blanket can be placed between the legs and the uninjured leg used as a splint. The padding prevents forceful direct contact and helps the sound leg support the injured one. Do not pull a deformity back into shape or test it by weight-bearing; limit unnecessary movement without substantially changing the position found.