Safety in the Home and First Aid
The following will be covered in this chapter:
1. Common Accidents in the Home, Causes, Prevention and Management
2. Assembling a First Aid Kit
A child falling off a bicycle
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A First Aid box
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The home is a safe haven for security and comfort. In order to maintain safety, it is important to take
necessary precautions in the home.
By the end of the lesson, you should be able to:
Identify common accidents in the home and their causes.
Explain how to prevent common accidents in the home.
The common accidents in the home are:
Cuts and bruises
Burns and scalds
Fractures and sprains
Suffocation
Choking
Shock
Foreign bodies in the eyes and nose
Fainting
Nose bleeding
Drowning
Insect stings and bites
Snake bites
Poisoning
Cuts and Bruises
A cut is a slit or break on the skin caused by sharp objects such as razor blades, broken glass and knives while bruises are caused by blunt blows.
Prevention
Store sharp objects safely.
Use and care for knives appropriately.
Dispose off empty tins, broken bottles and other sharp objects e.g. by burying.
Keep doors of cupboards, wardrobes and drawers closed.
Household items should be kept in their appropriate places.
Management
Cuts
Clean the wound with clean water or a weak antiseptic solution.
Cover with sterile gauze or a pad of cotton wool and bandage.
For a deep cut, press onto the wound with a pad of cotton wool and bandage.
Raise the wounded part if it is a limb to reduce pain.
Seek medical attention.
Bruises
Cool the bruised part with very cold water or dab with a cloth soaked in cold water.
Raise the injured part if a limb to cut down amount of blood flowing into it so as to reduce the swelling.
Burns and scalds
Burns are caused by dry heat such as hot charcoal, metal and open flames while scalds are caused by
moist heat such as stream and hot liquids.
Prevention of burns and scalds
Matches, boiling stoves, hot liquids, burning candles should be kept away from children.
Store flammable liquids away from children.
Lids covering hot foods should be opened away from the handle while cooking.
Saucepablows
direct or indirect force on bones
falls
A sprain is a tearing or stretching of ligaments. It is caused by a stretching of a joint beyond the normal level of motion.
Rooms should be tidy and well lit.
Floors should be free from spills and peels.
Arrest any bleeding that may occur.
Use a splint to hold the fracture in place.
Apply a sling.
Choking
Choking is when one is not able to breathe. Choking is caused by food or foreign objects such as seeds,
bones and coins stuck in the throat or air passage making breathing difficult.
Encourage the casualty to cough
Give back slaps
Obstruction
Avoid putting foreign objects in the mouth. Children should not play while eating. If casualty is breathing, encourage him/her to cough as this will help to dislodge the obstruction. For babies, hold upside down by the legs and pat gently on the upper part of the back until the object pops out.
For older children and adults, hit the person sharply with the palm of the hand between the shoulder
blades until the object pops out. You can also stand behind the casualty, link your hand below their naval, press the belly with strong jerks until the object pops out.
Suffocation
Suffocation occurs when there is inadequate supply of fresh air or when the wind pipe is blocked, hence preventing air from getting into the lungs.
A child wearing a polythene bag over his/her head
Dispose off polythene bags appropriately.
Cooking stoves should be used in well ventilated rooms.
Replace worn out gas tubes.
Identity the cause and act appropriately. If it’s the lack of fresh air, take the person outside to an airy
place. If it is due to a polythene bag getting stuck in the head, remove it. Check the airways are open and the casualty is breathing. If breathing has stopped, start artificial respiration. Take casualty to hospital for further assessment and management.
Shock
Shock is a temporary lack of supply of blood to the brain and other vital organs. It is caused by upsetting or good news and events such as electric shock, excessive injury, and illness.
Causes
Severe bleeding, either internal or external.
Loss of plasma in burns or crash injuries.
Heart failure as in acute heart attacks.
Loss of body fluid from recurrent vomiting or severe diarrhoea.
Acute abdominal emergencies, example perforation of stomach or ruptured appendix.
All electric wires should be well insulated and defective equipment repaired and replaced.
Do not touch electric switches and appliances with wet hands.
Prepare one for bad news
Lay the casualty down and deal with the injury or underlying cause of the shock.
Raise and support legs to improve the blood supply to the vital organs.
Loosen tight clothing at chest, neck, waist to reduce constriction in these areas.
Protect when necessary with a blanket or sheet.
Do not give casualty anything to drink.
Take him to hospital as soon as possible.
Foreign bodies in the ears, eyes and nose
A foreign body is anything undesirable that enters into the body such as dust, insects and seeds
(common with children).
A child putting a bean in the nose and then breathing it out.People should protect their eyes when walking or working in an area where there are dust particles in the air e.g. by wearing protective gear. Keep small items such as seeds and beads away from children.
Foreign body in the eye
Advise the casualty not to rub the eye. Let the casualty sit facing the light, separate the eyelids gently with clean fingers and thumb. If foreign object can be seen, wash it out with clean water. If it is stuck on, remove with a moist swab or damp corner of clean cloth. If the object remains stuck on, bandage the eye and seek medical assistance at the nearest health facility.
Foreign body in the nose
Calm the casualty and request him/her to breath through the mouth. Press the unaffected nostril with a finger and blow the nose to remove the object. If it does not come out, do not attempt to remove it, but seed medical assistance. For small children, seek medical assistance immediately.
Foreign body in the ear
Reassure the casualty and let him/her lie down. Flood the ear with clean water if an insect is lodged
inside. If unsuccessful, refer casualty to nearest health facility.
Fainting
It occurs due to temporary loss of blood flow in the brain causing a brief loss of consciousness.
Illness such as anemia
After receiving bad or good news
Hunger
Overworking
Standing for a long time
Avoid standing for too long.
Avoid overcrowding and poorly ventilated rooms.
Break bad news calmly.
Lay the casualty down and raise the legs slightly above the level of his head.
Loosen all tight clothing.
Ensure there is plenty of fresh air.
Reassure the casualty.
Gradually, raise him into the sitting position and give sips of water, if required.
If he/she does not regain consciousness, seek medical assistance.
Nose Bleeding
This happens when blood comes out of the nose. It may be caused by an injury, blowing the nose
forcefully and picking the nose.
Someone pinching the nose to prevent blood from coming out during nose bleeding. The head should be slightly bent.
Avoid picking the nose.
Avoid blowing the nose too hard and often where possible.
Sit the casualty down with the head forward.
Pinch the nose firmly below the bridge for 10 minutes, making the person breath through the
mouth.
After 10 minutes, request the casualty to release the pressure on the nose.
Encourage the casualty to spit out any blood that flows into the mouth.
If nose bleeding persists beyond 30 minutes, seek medical attention.
Drowning
Drowning is the blockage of air passages by liquids when swimming or if one falls into water bodies such as lakes, rivers and basins. A child bending into a bucket full of water. The child then falls inside. Water storage containers must have tight fitting lids. Do not store water in open containers. All water pools around the house should be drained. Bathtubs should be unplugged after use.
Do not swim unaccompanied by a life saver.
Remove the casualty from the water as quickly as possible.
Shout for help if you cannot swim.
Once the casualty is out:
Open airways by placing casualty briefly on the side to drain out the water.
Check for breathing and blood circulation.
Start artificial respiration immediately if the casualty is not breathing.
If there is no pulse, start Cardiac Pulmonary Resuscitation.
If casualty starts breathing, put him/her in a recovery position.
If no response, continue with Cardiac Pulmonary Resuscitation until help arrives.
Insect stings and bites
Some insects such as bees, wasps and scorpions sting while others such as mosquitoes, ticks, lice and
cockroaches bite.
Keep the environment clean.
Do not disturb bees and hornets.
Air beddings thoroughly and change them frequently.
Bites
Clean the affected area thoroughly with clean water.
If possible apply alcohol or alcohol mixed with iodine on affected areas except those close to the eyes.
Stings
Pluck the sting firmly with fine tweezers.
Apply a cold compress to relieve pain and minimize swelling.
Snake bites
Snake bites can be poisonous or non-poisonous.
Different types of snakes
Do not provoke snakes.
Clear bushes around the house
Lay the casualty down. Reassure the casualty and keep him/her calm and still.
Wash wound well and pat dry with clean swabs.
Lightly compress the limb above the wound with a roller bandage and immobilize the injury.
Clear bushes around the house
Poisoning
Poison is any substance which when taken causes harm to the body. It gets into the body through
swallowing, breathing in gases (inhalation), contact through pesticides and chemicals pushed through the skin.
Baby drinking paraffin from a bottle
Man seated in an enclosed room without ventilation and there is a jiko, hence he is inhaling carbon
monoxide.
Wash hands after handling pesticides.
Label medicines, insecticides and all other poisonous substances and keep them away from the
reach of children.
Medicines should be taken as prescribed by the doctor.
Do not store chemicals near food
Management of poison that does not burn
If conscious, give drinks of milk or water immediately.
Induce vomiting by touching the back of the throat with fingers.
Give more drinks as you take the person to the nearest health facility.
Note: take the container that held the poison with you.
Management of poison that burns
Give casualty water to drink immediately.
Wash away poison from the skin.
Refer casualty to nearest health facility
Note: take the container that held the poison with you
Do not store chemicals near food.
What is First Aid?
First Aid is the immediate help given to a person who has had an accident or sudden illness before being placed under medical care. It is usually done at the place where the accident occurs. A person who gives first help uses a First Aid Kit. This is a container with items required to give the first help.
By the end of the lesson you should be able to assemble items in a First Aid Kit.
Contents of a First Aid Kit
Cotton Wool
Bandages
Disposable Gloves
Clinical Thermometer
Ointment
Petroleum Jelly
Antiseptic
Adhesive Dressings
Surgical Blades
Scissors
Tweezers
Pain Killers
Gauze
Safety Pins
Sling
Notepad and Pen
Water