Watch Your Head

While at mass today, there was a lady a few seats to my left who passed out and crumpled to the floor. People quickly lifted her and placed her back into her seat while fanning her. Maybe it's the heat. She looked better after the mass though.

Scary. It reminded me suddenly of a similar incident (well... kinda) that happened a few months back.

At a nearby mall, an old lady in front of me didn't see a step after reaching the ground floor through an escalator and began to stumble forwards. Unfortunately, there was a second step that sent her falling head first with a big thud into the marble floor. So there I was standing with an unconscious old lady sprawled on the floor right in front of me. What do i do?!? How the heck am I supposed to know? I'm a systems analyst. You want me to inform her that her fall was very inefficient and she should have spun to the right instead to minimize the damage? You want me to come up with a documentation and give out a presentation as well? Ok, so I know squat about first aid... What I did was I looked for a security guard so he could radio in some help and probably a stretcher. I don't think it's safe to move her that time.

So did I do the correct thing? Here's what I found out from the Internet:

• For minor injuries, put ice and monitor the patient.
• For moderate to severe injuries, call for help.
• Check the person's airway, breathing, and circulation. If necessary, begin rescue breathing and CPR.
• If the person's breathing and heart rate are normal but the person is unconscious, treat as if there is a spinal injury. Stabilize the head and neck by placing your hands on both sides of the person's head, keeping the head in line with the spine and preventing movement. Wait for medical help.
• Stop any bleeding by firmly pressing a clean cloth on the wound. If the injury is serious, be careful not to move the person's head. If blood soaks through the cloth, DO NOT remove it. Place another cloth over the first one.
• If you suspect a skull fracture, DO NOT apply direct pressure to the bleeding site, and DO NOT remove any debris from the wound. Cover the wound with sterile gauze dressing.
• If the person is vomiting, roll the head, neck, and body as one unit to prevent choking. This still protects the spine, which you must always assume is injured in the case of a head injury. (Children often vomit ONCE after a head injury. This may not be a problem, but call a doctor for further guidance.)
• Apply ice packs to swollen areas.