Showing posts with label First aid. Show all posts
Showing posts with label First aid. Show all posts

Saturday, November 13, 2010

Basic first aid quiz

Test yourself on basic first aid!

1. What is the first thing you do when someone is bleeding? a) run away, b) put pressure on the wound as quickly as possible with ungloved hands, c) put on gloves, d) do not help.
2. What do you do if someone has a broken bone? a) wait for it to grow back, b) make a sling or brace and move it as little as possible, c) ignore it, d) carefully straighten it out.
3. How do you care for burns? a) run cold water over the burned area, b) pop the blisters, c) leave it alone, d) run hot water over it.
4. What do you do if you see someone drowning? a) dive in and begin rescue-breathing, b) run away, c) throw them something to float on and get a life guard, d) yell out to them and guide them to the side.
5. What is the difference between hypothermia and hyperthermia? a) "hypothermia" means too much heat and "hyperthermia" means too much cold, b) "hyperthermia" means too much heat and "hypothermia" means too much cold, c) they both mean too much cold, d) they both mean too much heat.


6. List 3 items that should be in a first aid kit: _______________, _______________, _______________.

7. True or false: First aid is the care you give someone sick and/or injured before medical care arrives.
8. T or F: When an accident or emergency happens, the most important thing is to stay calm.
9. T or F: When giving first aid to someone who is bleeding, gloves are required only if there is a lot of blood.
10. T or F: If the injured person is talking, breathing, or coughing while choking, you should still perform abdominal thrusts (Heimlich maneuver).
11. T or F: You should not put ice on a sunburn, but gently soak the area in cool water.

12. What should you do for blisters? a) put ice on it, b) break it, c) wash the area with soap and warm water, d) none of the above.
13. What should you do for a nosebleed? a) tilt the person's head backwards, b) pinch the lower part of the nose for 5 minutes, c) have the person sit leaning forward with their head forward, d) both b and c.
14. Hyperthermia is a) constant shaking, b) when a person has too much body heat, c) when a person is unconscious, d) both b and c.
15. Water in a first aid kit should be a) distilled and in an unbreakable container, b) tap water, c) bottled water, d) salt water.
16. What is the first number you should call in case of an emergency? a) 991, b) your parents, c) your teacher, d) 911.
17. What should you always wear to protect yourself when handling blood or wounds? a) socks, b) lotion, c) latex gloves, d) your glasses.
18. Which of these things is the only thing you should put on a burn? a) ice, b) cold water, c) petroleum jelly (e.g. Vaseline), d) butter.
19. How should you remove a bee stinger from a person's skin? a) with tweezers, b) with your fingers, c) with a cotton swab (e.g. Q-tip), d) by scraping it with a credit card or stiff piece of paper.
20. What position should a person be in to help stop a nose bleed? a) head down, b) head up, c) head to one side, d) upside-down.
21. When should you move an injured person? a) when there is danger, such as a fire or exposed electrical wires, b) if she tells you to, c) if she can walk, d) if a friend tells you to.
22. If a person gets something in his or her eye, you should a) have her rub it out, b) pour a cup of cool water over the opened eye, c) open the eye and take the object out with your fingers, d) use tweezers to take it out.

23. True or false: If a person feels as though she is going to faint, she should walk around.
24. T or F: Signs of heat exhaustion are rapid pulse and dilated pupils.
25. T or F: If person has frostbite, you should rub the affected area very hard until it warms up.
26. T or F: When a person gets a tick, you should pull it out and save it for a doctor to look at.
27. T or F: When someone is in shock, he or she sweats a lot and has cold or clammy skin.
28. T or F: If someone gets a blister on her foot, you should always pop the blister.


Answers:

1. c) put on gloves
2. b) make a sling or brace and move it as little as possible
3. a) run cold water over it
4. c) throw them something to float on, and get a life guard
5. b) "hyperthermia" means too much heat, and "hypothermia" means too much cold
6. first-aid book, soap, safety pins, scissors, distilled (not tap) water in an unbreakable container, tweezers, sewing needle, matches, adhesive tape and bandages, flashlight and batteries (keep the batteries separate), paper drinking cups, sterile gauze, triangular bandage or clean cloth, cotton swabs, oral non-mercury thermometer, non-latex gloves, instant ice pack, pocket face shield (mask), plastic bag for disposal of used supplies, emergency phone numbers
7. T
8. T
9. F
10.F
11. T
12. c) wash the area with soap and water
13. d) both b and c (pinch the lower part of the nose for 5 minutes, and have the person sit leaning forward with the head forward)
14. b) when a person has too much body heat
15. a) distilled and in an unbreakable container
16. d) 911
17. c) non-latex gloves
18. b) cold water
19. d) by scraping it with a credit card or piece of stiff paper
20. a) head down
21. a ) when there is danger, such as a fire or exposed electrical wires
22. b) pour a cup of cool water over the opened eye
23. F
24. F
25. F
26. T
27. T
28. F

Monday, July 19, 2010

Poison ivy

Poison ivy along the trail in Eaton Canyon, Pasadena, July 2010. The two bottom photos are of the same plant, from a short distance and then closer up.

Poison ivy image from Thomas College.

Poison ivy is well-known for its ability to cause a severe rash and blisters on the skin wherever you brush against the plant.

Poison ivy grows throughout most of North America. You can recognize it by the way that the leaves grow in groups of three, and by the almond-like shape of the leaves and their shiny, reddish color when mature. The plant bears sprays of greyish-white berries as early as late June here in southern California. It can grow as a shrub, as a ground cover, or as a vine on another tree or support. The leaves usually have small notches along the edges, but some plants have more notches than others, and even some leaves on the same plant are more notched. When in doubt, stay away!

Do not touch even dead leaves, as the irritant oil can remain active for years. Do not touch pets that have come into contact with the plant. Do not burn any part of the plant or breathe the smoke from an accidental fire. Do not eat it.

Treat poison ivy rash with calamine lotion, an oatmeal or baking soda bath, or with baking soda mixed with a little water to make a runny paste. The rash can last from 1 to 4 weeks. Wash your skin thoroughly with lukewarm water as soon as possible after contact. The rash is not contagious, but you can transfer the irritant to another part of your body or to someone else if you still have some on your skin. If you have touched poison ivy, do not touch your eyes or rub them, even with part of your clothing that may have come into contact with the plant.

Poison oak, a similar species, grows in western North America.

Read more about poison ivy and poison oak at Wikipedia.