First Aid: A Helpful Reference for Anyone

These pages hold instructions on how to do some common first aid procedures as well as others that may include long-term care.

NOTE - This page is meant to be a reference during role-play. It is not meant to diagnose, prevent, treat, or cure any real medical condition. Any risk or liability is your own.

Bandages and Dressings | Burns and Scalds | Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation | Controlling Bleeding | Delivering a Baby | Miscellaneous Procedures | Shock | Sprains, Strains, and Fractures | Treating Wounds

Credits

Miscellaneous Procedures

Fainting | Frostbite

Fainting

Fainting is a temporary loss of consciousness due to an inadequate supply of oxygen to the brain and is a mild form of shock. Fainting may be caused by the sight of blood, exhaustion, weakness, heat, or strong emotions such as fright, joy, etc.
The signs and symptoms of fainting may be any or all of the following:

The victim may feel weak and dizzy, and may see spots.
The face becomes pale and the lips blue in both light and dark skinned people.
The forehead is covered with cold perspiration.
The pulse is rapid and weak.
The breathing is shallow.

The first aid for fainting is as follows:

If a person feels faint, the initial response might be sitting with the head between the knees.
Have the victim lie down with the head lower than the feet.
If the victim is unconscious for any length of time, something may be seriously wrong. Arrange for transportation to a medical facility.
Treat the victim for physical shock.
Maintain an open airway.
Do not give stimulants.

Frostbite

Mild to Moderate | Severe

Frostbite is tissue damage caused by extreme cold. It is most likely to occur when the wind is blowing, rapidly drawing head from the body. The nose, cheeks, ears, toes, and fingers are the body parts most likely to be affected.

Mild to Moderate
The symptoms of frostbite are not always apparent to the sufferer because frostbite has a numbing effect.

The affected area will feel numb;
The skin turns red, then white or blue-white.
The flesh eventually feels firm to the touch.

Treatment for mild to moderate frostbite is as follows:

Immediately remove wet clothing and dress the patient in warm, dry clothes.
Place the affected part close to the body for warmth.
Do not rub frostbitten areas.
Submerge the frozen areas in warm (not hot) water for twenty to thirty minutes. For areas where this is impossible, warm compresses will do. If neither are available, wrap the affected areas in warm blankets until a healer can see the injuries. Do not thaw frostbitten areas if they cannot be kept so. Thawing is extremely painful.
As the frostbitten area thaws, the patient will feel burning and prickling sensations as feeling returns to the area. This is normal. The skin may blister and turn colors, such as purple, blue, or red in color.
When the flesh is pink, soft to the touch, and all sensation has returned, it is completely thawed.
After they have been thawed, dress the affected areas in warm bandages. Put fabric between fingers and toes to keep the digits separated if they have been frostbitten.
Make sure that the patient keeps these areas still.
To replace any fluids that might have been lost, give patients warm drinks. Do not let them drink wine or ale while recovering, though, as that can interfere with blood circulation.

Severe
The symptoms of the latter stages of frostbite are:

The skin will be black where tissue has died;
Blisters
Gangrene
Damage to tendons, bones, muscles, and nerves.

In cases of sever frostbite, the patient should be taken to a trained healer as soon as possible. Do not attempt to thaw affected areas. If gangrene has set in, the affected part will need to be amputated to keep it from spreading to the rest of the body.

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For more detail relating to the healing of humans, here is a neat site that might help you. The golden fire lizard will show you the way!

Sources for these pages were:

Radcliffe, J. The New International Webster's Pocket Medical & First Aid Dictionary of the English Language. USA: Trident Press International, 1997.

Yahoo! Yahoo! Health Encyclopedia. June 2004.

All references to worlds and characters based on Anne McCaffrey's fiction are copyright ©
Anne McCaffrey 1967, 2001, all rights reserved, and used by permission of the author.

Special thanks to Nerissa and Avonelle, who helped in the compilation of this resource.