Always observe an accident victim before trying to give them first aid and dont forget to ask for their permission to help! sounds funny but that is the truth.

do we have paramedics in Nigeria

rhema4u: do we have paramedics in Nigeria

i don't know about other states but enugu has a very functional paramedic service.

I believe it has become clear that tourniquets should NOT be applied in the event of a snake bite.... I am saying this because a lot of my classmates had to re-sit paediatrics because of this!!!

But this is a very educating and informative thread, following ASAP!!!

Lagusta,thanks. I know you're a medic,I followed your thread for medics, for sometime. Please make an input if you can.

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wats the cure to appollo ? And how does it spread ?wats the cure to appollo ? And how does it spread ?wats the cure to appollo ? And how does it spread ?

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Well done Centje. An excellent and comprehensive list. I just have a few things to add -

Regarding the snake bite, it is not always possible to see the fangs of a snake as they are laid backwards against the roof of the mouth until the strike. Also, NOT all posonous snakes have triangular heads and vice versa. You simply cannot discern if a snake is poisonous by looking at it - unless you a herpetologist and have indepth knowledge of snake taxonomy. Treat all snakes as potentially poisonous.

Regarding the dog bite, there is no specialist first aid needed. The main areas of concern are from general infections (a dogs mouth and saliva contains a lot of bacteria and various pathogens), and from Rabies.

If bitten by a dog, you MUST clear the wound of any debis or dirt.
You MUST wash and clean the wound with soap and water. This must be done immediately, carefully and thoroughly.
You MUST apply an antiseptic and antibiotic cream
You MUST cover up the would with a clean dressing
And you MUST seek attention at a hospital as soon as you can.

This is to examimine the possibility of Rabies. Also the wound may need stitching. If it is an unknown dog, the possibility of rabies can be high, and the dog must be observed for a few days/weeks.
If is it is a known dog, with no recent indication of ill health or irrational behaviour, then the possibility is quite low.

You are more likely to get a general infection from a dog bite than to get rabies. Signs of an infected bite wound are -

Redness and swelling around the wound
The wound becomes more painful
Fluid or pus is leaking from the wound

Also, you are just as likely to get a general infection from a human bite as from a dog bite.

^^thanks dear. if you can, please do add first aid for any condition.

BEE or WASP STING

A bees or Wasp sting is different from other insect bites because venom is injected into the wound. The main danger is from Anaphylactic Shock – where a person has an adverse reaction to the sing/venom. This can be fatal, so prompt first aid and action is required if there are any signs of this.

(1) First, be safe and move away from the area as fast as you can. Bee’s release a pheromone after stinging which attracts other bees to the location

(2) If there are no obvious signs of a severe allergic reaction, remove the stinger as soon as possible (some wasps do not leave stingers). This can be done using your fingernails or a pair of tweezers. Removing the stinger as soon as possible affect the amount of venom injected into the skin.

(3) Control the swelling. Use ice compression over the area to achieve this. Remember, NEVER apply the ice directly to the skin. This may cause frostbite. Wrap in a cloth or towel before applying. Pack of frozen peas CAN be applied directly to the skin

(4) If you were stung on your arm or leg, elevate the limb.

(5) Remove any tight-fitting jewellery from the area of the sting. As it swells, rings or bracelets might become hard to get off.

(6) Treat the symptoms. There will be localised swelling and redness at the site of the sting, along with pain. Take some pain killers to mitigate the pain. The pain will usually subside after a couple of hours, but swelling may last for more than a day. For itchiness, take an antihistamine or apply a mixture of baking soda and water or calamine lotion.

(7) The might take 2-5 days for the area to heal. Keep it clean to prevent infection.


Signs of a severe allergic reaction – ANAPHYLACTIC SHOCK

- Difficulty breathing or wheezing
- Tightness in the throat or a feeling that the airways are closing
- Hoarseness or trouble speaking
- Nausea, abdominal pain, or vomiting
- Fast heartbeat or pulse
- Skin that itches, tingles, swells, or turns red
- Anxiety or dizziness
- Loss of consciousness
- Rashes


If the person has anaphylaxis, emergency measures have to be implemented pretty quickly to save their life. This is done by an injection of Epinephrine. Most people who know they can suffer a severe allergic reaction to bee/wasps stings actually carry this.

- If they are unable to inject it, inject for them into outer muscle of the thigh. Do NOT inject it a vein or buttock muscles. Do not inject medicine into hands or feet. This can cause tissue damage.

- If there is no injection, get the person to a hospital immediately. If they stop breathing, then commence CPR

- Make sure that someone stays with the person for 24 hours after anaphylaxis in case of another attack.

what an educating thread!The other day I was bitten by a wasp and due to lack of knowledge i put water ther it became worse/I now know better

thanks, romeo4real and preeky!

centje: BITES AND STINGS

Common causes:
Scorpion,snake,bee,ant,wasp...

Pointers:
Pain and swelling of the affected area, discolouration, altered sensation like numbness or 'pins' and 'needles'
Others: nausea,vomiting,headache,poor vision,muscle weakness/paralysis,difficulty breathing.
A small percentage of people can develop severe reaction (anaphylaxis), signs of which include facial swelling, difficulty breathing and shock(clammy skin,racing pulse,confusion or sleepiness).

WHAT TO DO:

* Wash the area with soapy water or salty solution or savlon antiseptic wound wash.

* If it's a bee sting, remove the stuck venom sack by scrapping or direct pull,otherwise it keeps releasing its venom.

* keep the person still/calm. Nervousness increases the spread of the venom.

* keep the affect area lower than the level of the heart.

* If the wound is bleeding apply steps in listed in the first aid for bleeding.

* If it's a snake bite,make effort to kill it and get a picture of it to the hospital or simple note the features of the snake. It will help the doctor decide whether the snake is poisonous or not.
Don't panic when bitten by snake because over 80% of snake are non poisonous and only very few of the of the poisonous get to bite people.

*seek medical attention immediately.

Features of a poisonous and non poisonous snakes:

[Non Poisonous]

Snakes

Head - Rounded

Fangs - Not present


Pupils - Rounded


A'nal Plate - Double row of plates


Bite Mark - Row of small teeth.



[Poisonous Snakes

]

Head - Triangle - except Cobra


Fangs - Present


Pupils - Elliptical pupil

A'nal Plate - Single row of plates


Bite Mark - Fang Mark



DON'Ts

# Don't cut the wound
# Don't drink things like kerosine,oil,alcohol etc
# Don't apply ice

# Applying a tourniquet above the affected area is still controversial.

A question if I may ask?
"Shock therapy" or "Shock treament" for snakebites and poisons, are they available in Nigeria?

firestar:

A question if I may ask?
"Shock therapy" or "Shock treament" for snakebites and poisons, are they available in Nigeria?

it's not a such a sophisticated/invasive therapy,it can be given by any doctor unless the cardiopulmonary system is severely affected. In otherwords it's a readilly available therapy.

Good job centje! I like your dedication on here. Perhaps, i'll like to be like you, someday. Well done.

Rocktation: Good job centje! I like your dedication on here. Perhaps, i'll like to be like you, someday. Well done.

thanks Rockbabe, that's a big encouragement from you!

I would urge against the use of of shock therapy for snakebites, as it's efficacy has not yet been proven - especially if the eletric shock is from a vehicle, motorcycle or house appliance; these can cause death or extremely serious burns.
Advocates of snakebite shock therapy advise the use of a "stun" gun which give a high voltage but low ampere electric shock.
Whilst there is certainly enough anecdotal evidence to warrant proper scientific research, no proper trial have been done to prove these claims.

However, if there is no alternative medical treatment available, then i guess any treatement is worth taking a risk on.

Bros Centje; got a question. Few months back I was told I have arthritis, I had a problem with my left hand, from jaw down to the ribs. I was assigned to O.T and Physio, I felt a lot better but they had put me out for two weeks, I still do the stuff I was taught to do in O.T but its getting worse. Its like m a stroke victim or something...what steps should a sister take?

Was kinda reluctant to ask you here but I lost you number.

@ Romeo4real,i think i didn't get firestar's question. i Was thinking of treatment of anaphylactic shock.

@ Humble,i will PM you

centje: @ Romeo4real,i think i didn't get firestar's question. i Was thinking of treatment of anaphylactic shock.

@ Humble,i will PM you

thanks

More grease to your elbows dr centje..

Great and informative thread.

Where can one train/acquire first aid skills? Not seeking to be a doctor but to be knowledgeable enough to offer those critical immediate help during crisis/emergencies.

Any idea where one can acquire these skills in Lagos?

Cheers.

By far the Best post I've ever stumbled upon on Nairaland. Thumbs up

Everything U posted is useful to all. I've Bookmarked, 'saved page' and would revisit as often as I can.

Good Job op.

@all, thanks alot!!