BURNS & SCAIDS What is burn ? It is an injury due to dry heat e.g.

fire, hot machine-parts, electric spark, flame of explosion in mines. What is an injury due to moist heat e.g. hot water, steam, hot oil etc. Extent of burn The total surface area affected, determines the extent of burn. Greater the extent of burn more the fluid loss and consequent degree of shock. Extent fo burn should therefore be ascertained to judge the severity of injury. For this purpose, it is best to use the Rule of Nine e.g. Head & Neck Each Arm Each Leg Front of Trunk Back of Trunk =9 =9 =9

= 9 X 9 = 18 = 9 X 9 = 18

This the severity of injury of a person with burnt back is twice that of a person with a burnt arm. Treatment 1. Do not disturb the burn injury; do not prick the blisters : do not remove burnt clothing 2. Adopt strict asepsis. Clean and wash your hands put burn dressing over the burnt part of the body and bandage. 3. Combat shock 4. If the extent of burn is large take the victim to the doctor on a stretcher; do not make him walk in any case.

CIRCULATION OF BLOOD By the combined action of hearts, lungs, arteries, veins and capillaries, blood circulates all over the body. Blood provides life-giving oxygen and strength to the body. Pulse It is the feeling of throb over an artery-commonly on the wrist due to hearts action. Normally the pulse beats at the rate of 72 times per minute. Bleeding Over body contains about 5 liters of blood. Any bleeding due to bodily injuries slows down blood circulation and accordingly oxygen supply to vital organs; thus the injured person passes into a stage of shock. Arterial Bleeding Blood is bright red, comes out in regular jerks, takes times stop even firm pressure is applied. Venous Bleeding Blood is dark red, flows out steadily and stops immediately on applying pressure. Control of Arterial Bleeding Put a sterile dressing, apply direct pressure with hand, wait for a few minutes and see. If bleeding continues, apply tourniquet on the nearest pressure point towards the side of heart; loosen tourniquet every 15 mts. and see if bleeding has stopped. In case bleeding still continues, put on pressure bandage, apply tourniquet and take the victim to the doctor. Wound It is an injury with break in continuity of tissues of the body, permitting escape of blood and entry of germs. Type of Wound 1. Incised Caused by sharp instruments like timber mans axe, bleeds profusely. 2. Lacerated Caused by less sharp and heavy objects with severe pressure like tub wheels, engine couplings and other moving machinery. The edges of wound are irregular, free bleedings is less with big blood clot formation. 3. Punctured Caused by long, sharp and pointed objects, penetrating deep into the tissues like needles / spindles of machine. Bleeding is moderate but chances of TETANUS infection is more. 4. Contused Caused by direct blow by blunt and heavy object like falling mass of coal. Body is bruised, free bleeding is almost absent. Dressing of Wounds 1. Make the patient lie down; reassure 2. Expose the injured part of body carefully and examine the wound. In case any foreign body is present, remove it if possible; but do not disturb the wound or blood clot. 3. Arrest bleeding if there is any 4. Clean the surrounding skin with a piece of cotton wool soaked in tincture of iodine or other antiseptic solution. 5. Put a sterile dressing over the wound and bandage it. 6. Combat shock 7. Take the victim to the doctor quickly. In case victim has sustained injuries on his head, neck or back, do not make him walk, even if he is willing to do so ; transport him on stretcher only. Tetanus It is a disease which starts due to a wound only; and often turns fatal. Signs & Symptoms Difficulty in movement of jaw lockjaw, muscles of the affected part get taut, - this is a sign of local infection. Stiff nick & back Precautions

Even a small cut/wound should be covered with a sterile dressing to prevent infection. See your doctor immediately Immunise, well in time, against tetanus.

FRACTURE What is fracture? It is loss of continuity of the bone. Types of fracture: There are two main types of fracture 1. Simple (closed) Fracture without any break on the surface of skin; and outside air does not reach the broken bone. 2. Compound (open) Fracture with break with break on the surface of skin and outside air reaches freely to the broken bone. There are several sub-types of these two main types of fractures Sub-types 1. Comminuted: When the number of broken pieces of bone are more than two. 2. Impacted: when the broken ends are pushed into one another 3. Greenstick: when the part of the bone gets bent; there is superficial and incomplete creack on the outser surface of skin. This is common with childrens bones, which are more flexible. Hence such cases are not met with in mines. 4. Depressed: when a small area of the body surface is forced down, causing a local depression. When the fractured part also disturbs the surrounding tissues like nerves, blood vessels, muscles, or adjacent vital organs like lungs, heart, liver, spleen, kidney etc,. it is termed as complicated fracture. Symptoms of fracture: Pain, swelling, deformity, loss of power. Treatment 1. Do not attempt to move the patient from the site of accident. But if there is danger due to the fall of roof and sides or influx of noxious gases, the victim should be carefully removed to a safe place, even before rendering first aid. Do not attempt to reset the broken limb. Immobilise the broken with suitable splints. Bandage the broken part of body Combat shock Take victim quickly to the doctor.

2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

The broken limb is immobilised with splints & triangular bandages; there are different methods of bandaging of different parts of the body. These should be carefully understood and then practiced repeatedly.