VOLUME 7 • ISSUE 4 • APRIL 2013
YE A
RS
7
THANK YOU FOR 7 YEARS OF A SLICE OF ORANGE
A SLICE OF ORANGE Refreshing Your Health
FIRST RESPONSE • Allergies • Burns • Choking • Cuts and scrapes • Unconsciousness • First aid kit must-haves
First response BE A “DOCTOR” WHEREVER YOU ARE BY KNOWING WHAT TO DO IN AN EMERGENCY.
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E
mergencies can happen, even at work. Unfortunately, a doctor may not always be present when these problems happen. Be a first responder, and know the first aid for the most common medical emergencies that can happen at work or at home.
A SLICE OF ORANGE
VOLUME 7 • ISSUE 4 • APRIL 2013
First aid kit must-haves Allergies
Choking
Allergies to insect bites,
If you are choking, find
food, or other allergens
people who can help
can lead to anaphylaxis,
you, and make the univer-
a severe and potentially
sal sign for choking: your
fatal reaction that can lead to a sudden drop
The required contents of a first aid kit for the workplace depends on the risks present. However, for a regular office workplace, the contents may be similar to those found in a home first aid kit. These include:
hands clutching your throat.
in blood pressure and difficulty of breathing. Treat allergies immediately with an antihista-
Other signs of choking include inability to
mine, such as diphenhydramine (warning: di-
talk; difficulty of breathing or noisy breath-
phenhydramine can cause drowziness).
ing; inability to cough forcefully; skin, lips and nails turning blue or dusky; and loss of con-
If a person with allergies has signs of ana-
sciousness.
phylaxis, such as dizziness, facial swelling, or difficulty of breathing, do not wait for the
The Red Cross recommends the “five-and-
antihistamine to work, since this is usually in-
five” first aid approach during choking.
sufficient to treat anaphylaxis. Have the per-
• Give 5 back blows between the
son lie still on his or her back. Loosen tight
person’s shoulder blades with the heel
clothing and cover the person with a blanket.
of your hand.
Don’t give the person anything to drink. Then
• Give 5 abdominal thrusts of the
• Elastic bandages
immediately bring the victim to the emergency
• Flashlight
room, because he or she needs to receive
• Alternate between 5 blows and 5 thrusts
injectible medications.
Medical supplies: • Disposable gloves • Adhesive bandages • Sterile gauze pads • Tweezers
Heimlich maneuver. until the blockage is dislodged.
• Alcohol 70% • Thermometer • Sphygmomanometer (blood pressure cuff)*
Burns
This is how to perform the Heimlich maneu-
• Stethoscope*
You can get burned by
ver on someone else:
Medications:
flame,
• Stand behind the victim. Wrap your
• Aspirin 80 mg tablets (take two tab-
electricity. However, in
arms around the waist. Tip the person
lets when a heart attack is
an office environment,
forward slightly.
suspected; should not be used for
chemicals,
or
the most common cause of burns is hot drinks
• Make a fist with one hand. Position it
or water.
slightly above the person’s navel.
• Grasp your fist with the other hand.
those allergic to aspirin or those with ulcers) • Paracetamol for pain and fever • Anti-inflammatory painkillers such
In the event of minor flame burns or scalds,
Press hard into the abdomen with a
soak the burn in cool water for 5 minutes.
quick, upward thrust, as if trying to lift
• Anti-diarrhea tablets such as
Minor burns can then be treated with an an-
the person up.
loperamide
tibiotic cream or aloe vera. Large burns or
• If the person becomes unconscious,
burns to the face and neck need to be treated
in the emergency room.
(CPR).
perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation
as ibuprofen or naproxen
• Oral rehydration salts • Antihistamine, such as diphenhydramine *Optional
Do not put butter or oil on burns. Also, do not
Cuts and scrapes
put ice or ice water directly on the burn. If
Wounds should first be
severity of the wound, as these chemicals
blisters form over the burn, do not break them.
washed with clean run-
may irritate the wound.
ning water. Use tweezers Victims of electrical burns need to be brought
to remove any dirt that
To stop bleeding, apply firm but gentle pres-
to the hospital because electrical burns may
remains in the wound after washing. Before
sure on the wound with a clean cloth or piece
cause internal injury even though the skin
using soap, hydrogen peroxide, or povidone
of gauze. If the blood soaks through the
shows no injury.
iodine on wounds, have a doctor assess the
gauze you’re holding over the wound, just put
A SLICE OF ORANGE
VOLUME 7 • ISSUE 4 • APRIL 2013
more gauze on top of what you already have
if you have been properly trained. The Philip-
Maintain this position until medical help ar-
in place and apply more pressure for 20 to
pine Heart Association (www.philheart.org)
rives. Do not try to wake up an unconscious
30 minutes. If the wound is on the arm or leg,
and the Philippine Red Cross (www.redcross.
person by throwing water at him.
raise the extremity above the heart.
org.ph) conduct regular BLS trainings.
Visit your doctor if the wound is deep; if the
If the victim is breathing and his heart is
bleeding does not stop after 20 minutes of
beating, and you do not think he or she suf-
pressure; if you can’t get the edges to stay
fered from a spinal injury, put him or her in
together; or if the edges are jagged.
the recovery position: 1. Kneel to one side of the person.
Unconsciousness
2. Place the person’s arm that is nearest you
What do you do when
at a right angle to their body, so it is
you find someone un-
bent at the elbow with the hand pointing
conscious and unsure of
upwards.
the reason why? First, try
3. Place the other hand next to their
to determine any reason for unconsciousness.
For example, is he or she wearing a medical
4. Pull the person’s knee that is furthest
alert tag or bracelet?
from you, so that their leg is bent and
their foot is flat on the floor. Gently roll
the victim’s body towards you so that
Next, call for medical help.
opposite cheek.
the furthest knee rests on the floor near
While waiting for help to arrive, check the
you. The victim’s face should rest on
person’s airway, breathing, and circulation.
the opposite hand.
If any of these are not intact, perform Basic
5. Gently raise the chin to tilt their head
Life Support (BLS). However, since incorrectly
back slightly. Check that nothing is
performed BLS can cause harm, do this only
blocking their airway.
Looking to enhance your corporate healthcare benefits? E-mail us at benefits@activelinkbenefits.com. The information in this newsletter is not intended as a substitute for professional medical care. Consult a doctor for all matters relating to your health, particularly for symptoms that may require diagnosis or medical attention. © 2013 ActiveLink
Benefits Made Better
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RECOVERY POSITION
A Slice of Orange
is a newsletter designed to help clarify basic health information and offer juicy tips on uplifting your health.
Editorial team Alvin Delfin Christine Llenes-Delfin Ivan Olegario, MD