First Aid for Poisoning - Part 2

Universal antidote. Another method of treating many poisonings is to give the universal antidote. This substance counteracts poisons by inducing vomiting and by slowing absorption of the poison by the system. The antidote can be made by combin­ing two parts burned toast, one part strong tea, and one part milk of magnesia. If prepared beforehand, it may be administered immediately with the water or milk. Most drugstores now carry it, and it is a valuable addition to any first-aid kit.

Strong acids and alkalis. The most common victims of poisoning are children too young to read. Sometimes they swallow cleaning preparations such as toilet bowl cleaner (a strong acid), or lye or ammonia (strong alkalis).

In the case of a strong acid, give plenty of milk or egg whites to dilute the acid and protect the lining of the stomach. Do not induce vomit­ing. Call a doctor or an ambulance immediately.

In the case of strong alkalis, give plenty of water and some vinegar, with egg whites or milk. Do not try to induce vomiting. As in all poisonings, call a doctor or an ambulance as soon as possible.

Try This
Dissolve a teaspoonful of ammonia in a half cup of water. Test the solution with both red and blue litmus paper. Which paper changes color? If the solution is an acid, the blue litmus paper will turn pink. If the solution is an alkali, the red litmus paper will turn blue. Make the same test on some household chemicals such as toilet cleaning powders, chlorine bleach, and aspirin dissolved in water.

Gasoline and petroleum products. These substances are dangerous because they can cause pneumonia or death if their fumes are inhaled. If you suspect a person has been poisoned from swallowing kerosene, gasoline, oil, or some other petroleum product, lay him down and keep him warm. Do not try to induce vomiting since damage to the lungs may result from the victim’s inhaling the fumes of the poison. Call a doctor or an ambu­lance right away. Make it clear that the poison is a petroleum product.

Poisoning by gas. Asphyxiation may occur if a person has been exposed to high concentrations of certain gases such as carbon monoxide. Leaky heaters and stoves and gasoline engines are the major culprits in this kind of poisoning. Once a victim has been safely rescued from the contaminated area, give him artificial respiration and call a doctor and the fire department rescue unit. Give artificial respiration even if the person is breathing a little by himself. Keep the person lying down and quiet until he is under medical care.

General Principles of First Aid

Rules of first aid. Whenever you are called upon to perform first aid, you should keep in mind all of the follow­ing principles.

1. First aid is emergency treatment which is given before medical treat­ment can be obtained. It is not medical treatment; therefore the first-aider should always call a doctor as soon as possible. It is the time between the accident and the doctor’s arrival that most concerns the first-aider.

2. Critical emergencies demand im­mediate attention. In these cases immediate first aid is the difference between life and death. Always check for severe bleeding, stoppage of breathing, and poisoning. Treat each of these conditions immediately. Do not call a doctor first. If there is an­other person present, send him for the doctor.

3. Keep the victim lying down, warm, and comfortable. Move him only to avoid danger, and do that gently. Remember that broken bones and in­ternal injuries may have occurred.

4. Check for all injuries. Do not give first aid for a cut toe and neglect a broken leg.

5. Never give liquids to an unconscious person or to one you suspect has internal injuries.

6. Encourage the victim. Do not talk to him about his injuries or allow him to examine them. Try to keep his spirits high.

These are the most important rules of first aid. There are other rules, but you will discover them as you are studying each of the first-aid tech­niques described in this chapter.

The importance of first aid. You may wonder why you are studying first aid when many adults are certainly well prepared to give it. The answer is simple. You may be the only person available to give first aid.

You are now spending more and more of your free time away from home. You may take long hikes in the woods. You may go swimming or ice-skating with groups of your friends. You may spend part of your time baby-sitting. Certainly, there are many times when you might be re­quired to give first aid to yourself or a friend.

In any accident that occurs far from adequate adult medical help, you would have to provide all the first-aid treatment. Then you would need all the knowledge of first aid you could obtain.

Your knowledge of first aid will not, of course, make you a doctor. You can use your knowledge only to help an accident victim who has no other medical help. If adults are nearby at the time of an accident, they may be able to offer good first aid. In a situation where there are adults who know first aid, you may not be needed. You may still be able to offer advice on the newest and most effective first-aid techniques, however.

Your knowledge of new and effective first-aid methods can be of great value to you when you are far from medical help. It can also make you a more valuable and responsible babysitter and family member.