Chemical burns

If a chemical burns the skin, follow these steps:

1. Remove the cause of the burn by first brushing any remaining dry chemical and then rinsing the chemical off the skin surface with cool, gently running water for 20 minutes or more.
2. Remove clothing or jewelry that has been contaminated by the chemical.
3. Wrap the burned area loosely with a dry, sterile dressing or a clean cloth.
4. Rewash the burned area for several more minutes if the person experiences increased burning after the initial washing.
5. Take an over-the-counter pain reliever. These include aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, others), naproxen (Aleve) or acetaminophen (Tylenol, others). Use caution when giving aspirin to children or teenagers. Though aspirin is approved for use in children older than age 2, children and teenagers recovering from chickenpox or flu-like symptoms should never take aspirin. Talk to your doctor if you have concerns.

Get a tetanus shot. All burns are susceptible to tetanus. Doctors recommend you get a tetanus shot every 10 years. If your last shot was more than five years ago, your doctor may recommend a tetanus shot booster.
Minor chemical burns usually heal without further treatment.
Seek emergency medical assistance if:

• The person shows signs of shock, such as fainting, pale complexion or breathing in a notably shallow manner
• The chemical burn penetrated through the first layer of skin, and the resulting second-degree burn covers an area more than 3 inches (7.6 centimeters) in diameter
• The chemical burn occurred on the eye, hands, feet, face, groin or buttocks, or over a major joint
• The person has pain that cannot be controlled with over-the-counter pain relievers

If you're unsure whether a substance is toxic, call the poison control center. If you seek emergency assistance, take the chemical container or a complete description of the substance with you for identification.

Chest pain

Causes of chest pain can vary from minor problems, such as indigestion or stress, to serious medical emergencies, such as a heart attack or pulmonary embolism. The specific cause of chest pain is often difficult to interpret.
Finding the cause of your chest pain can be challenging, especially if you've never had symptoms in the past. Even doctors may have a difficult time deciding if chest pain is a sign of a heart attack or something less serious, such as indigestion. If you have unexplained chest pain lasting more than a few minutes, you should seek emergency medical assistance rather than trying to diagnose the cause yourself.
As with other sudden, unexplained pains, chest pain may be a signal for you to get medical help. Use the following information to help you determine whether your chest pain is a medical emergency.

Heart attack

A heart attack occurs when an artery that supplies oxygen to your heart muscle becomes blocked. A heart attack may cause chest pain that lasts 15 minutes or longer. But a heart attack can also be silent and produce no signs or symptoms.
Many people who experience a heart attack have warning symptoms hours, days or weeks in advance. The earliest warning sign of an attack may be ongoing episodes of chest pain that start when you're physically active, but are relieved by rest.
Someone having a heart attack may experience any or all of the following:

• Uncomfortable pressure, fullness or squeezing pain in the center of the chest lasting more than a few minutes
• Pain spreading to the shoulders, neck or arms
• Lightheadedness, fainting, sweating, nausea or shortness of breath

If you or someone else may be having a heart attack:

• emergency medical assistance. Don't "tough out" the symptoms of a heart attack for more than five minutes. If you don't have access to emergency medical services, have someone, such as a neighbor or friend, drive you to the nearest hospital. Drive yourself only as a last resort, if there are absolutely no other options. Driving yourself puts you and others at risk if your condition suddenly worsens.
• Chew a regular-strength aspirin. Aspirin reduces blood clotting, which can help blood flow through a narrowed artery that's caused a heart attack. However, don't take aspirin if you are allergic to aspirin, have bleeding problems or take another blood-thinning medication, or if your doctor previously told you not to do so.
• Take nitroglycerin, if prescribed. If you think you're having a heart attack and your doctor has previously prescribed nitroglycerin for you, take it as directed. Don't take anyone else's nitroglycerin.
• Begin CPR on the person having a heart attack, if directed. If the person suspected of having a heart attack is unconscious, emergency medical specialist may advise you to begin cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Even if you're not trained, a dispatcher can instruct you in CPR until help arrives. If help from a 911 dispatcher or emergency medical specialist is unavailable, begin CPR. If you don't know CPR, begin pushing hard and fast on the person's chest — 100 compressions per minute.

Angina

Angina is a type of chest pain or discomfort caused by reduced blood flow to your heart muscle. Angina may be stable or unstable:

• Stable angina — persistent, recurring chest pain that usually occurs with exertion
• Unstable angina — sudden, new chest pain, or a change in the pattern of previously stable angina, that may signal an impending heart attack

Angina is relatively common, but can be hard to distinguish from other types of chest pain, such as the pain or discomfort of indigestion.
Angina signs and symptoms include:

• Chest pain or discomfort
• Pain in your arms, neck, jaw, shoulder or back accompanying chest pain
• Nausea
• Fatigue
• Shortness of breath
• Anxiety
• Sweating
• Dizziness

The severity, duration and type of angina can vary. If you have new or changing chest pain, these new or different symptoms may signal a more dangerous form of angina (unstable angina) or a heart attack. If your angina gets worse or changes, becoming unstable, seek medical attention immediately.

Pulmonary embolism

Pulmonary embolism occurs when a clot — usually from the veins of your leg or pelvis — lodges in an artery of your lung. The lung tissue served by the artery doesn't get enough blood flow, causing tissue death. This makes it more difficult for your lungs to provide oxygen to the rest of your body.
Signs and symptoms of pulmonary embolism include:

• Sudden, sharp chest pain that begins or worsens with a deep breath or a cough, often accompanied by shortness of breath
• Sudden, unexplained shortness of breath, even without pain
• Cough that may produce blood-streaked sputum
• Rapid heartbeat
• Fainting
• Anxiety
• Sweating

Pulmonary embolism can be life-threatening. As with a suspected heart attack, call emergency medical assistance immediately.

Aortic dissection

An aortic dissection is a serious condition in which a tear develops in the inner layer of the aorta, the large blood vessel branching off the heart. Blood surges through this tear into the middle layer of the aorta, causing the inner and middle layers to separate (dissect). If the blood-filled channel ruptures through the outside aortic wall, aortic dissection is usually fatal.
If you think aortic dissection is the cause of your chest pain, seek emergency medical assistance immediately.

Pneumonia with pleurisy

Frequent signs and symptoms of pneumonia are chest pain accompanied by chills, fever and a cough that may produce bloody or foul-smelling sputum. When pneumonia occurs with an inflammation of the membranes that surround the lung (pleura), you may have considerable chest discomfort when inhaling or coughing. This condition is called pleurisy.
One sign of pleurisy is that the pain is usually relieved temporarily by holding your breath or putting pressure on the painful area of your chest. This isn't true of a heart attack. If you've recently been diagnosed with pneumonia and then start having symptoms of pleurisy, contact your doctor or seek immediate medical attention to determine the cause of your chest pain. Pleurisy alone isn't a medical emergency, but you shouldn't try to make the diagnosis yourself.

Chest wall pain

One of the most common varieties of harmless chest pain is chest wall pain. One kind of chest wall pain is costochondritis. It causes pain and tenderness in and around the cartilage that connects your ribs to your breastbone (sternum).
In costochondritis, pressing on a few points along the edge of your sternum often results in considerable tenderness in those small areas. If the pressure of a finger causes similar chest pain, it's unlikely that a serious condition, such as a heart attack, is the cause of your chest pain.
Other causes of chest pain include:

• Strained chest muscles from overuse or excessive coughing
• Chest muscle bruising from minor injury
• Short-term, sudden anxiety with rapid breathing
• Peptic ulcer disease
• Pain from the digestive tract, such as esophageal reflux, peptic ulcer pain or gallbladder pain that may feel similar to heart attack symptoms.

Animal bites

If an animal bites you or your child, follow these guidelines:

• For minor wounds. If the bite barely breaks the skin and there is no danger of rabies, treat it as a minor wound. Wash the wound thoroughly with soap and water. Apply an antibiotic cream to prevent infection and cover the bite with a clean bandage.
• For deep wounds. If the animal bite creates a deep puncture of the skin or the skin is badly torn and bleeding, apply pressure with a clean, dry cloth to stop the bleeding and see your doctor.
• For infection. If you notice signs of infection, such as swelling, redness, increased pain or oozing, see your doctor immediately.
• For suspected rabies. If you suspect the bite was caused by an animal that might carry rabies — including any wild or domestic animal of unknown immunization status — see your doctor immediately.

Doctors recommend getting a tetanus shot every 10 years. If your last one was more than five years ago and your wound is deep or dirty, your doctor may recommend a booster. You should have the booster as soon as possible after the injury.
Domestic pets cause most animal bites. Dogs are more likely to bite than cats are. Cat bites, however, are more likely to cause infection. Bites from nonimmunized domestic animals and wild animals carry the risk of rabies. Rabies is more common in raccoons, skunks, bats and foxes than in cats and dogs. Rabbits, squirrels and other rodents rarely carry rabies.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/first-aid-animal-bites/FA00044

Choking

Choking occurs when a foreign object becomes lodged in the throat or windpipe, blocking the flow of air. In adults, a piece of food often is the culprit. Young children often swallow small objects. Because choking cuts off oxygen to the brain, administer first aid as quickly as possible.
The universal sign for choking is hands clutched to the throat. If the person doesn't give the signal, look for these indications:
* Inability to talk
* Difficulty breathing or noisy breathing
* Inability to cough forcefully
* Skin, lips and nails turning blue or dusky
* Loss of consciousness

If choking is occurring, the Red Cross recommends a "five-and-five" approach to delivering first aid:
1. Give 5 back blows. First, deliver five back blows between the person's shoulder blades with the heel of your hand.
2. Give 5 abdominal thrusts. Perform five abdominal thrusts (also known as the Heimlich maneuver).
3. Alternate between 5 blows and 5 thrusts until the blockage is dislodged.

To perform abdominal thrusts (Heimlich maneuver) on someone else:
1. Stand behind the person. Wrap your arms around the waist. Tip the person forward slightly.
2. Make a fist with one hand. Position it slightly above the person's navel.
3. Grasp the fist with the other hand. Press hard into the abdomen with a quick, upward thrust — as if trying to lift the person up.
4. Perform a total of 5 abdominal thrusts, if needed. If the blockage still isn't dislodged, repeat the five-and-five cycle.

If you're the only rescuer, perform back blows and abdominal thrusts before your local emergency number for help. If another person is available, have that person call for help while you perform first aid.

If the person becomes unconscious, perform standard CPR with chest compressions.

To perform abdominal thrusts (Heimlich maneuver) on yourself:
If you're alone and choking, you'll be unable to effectively deliver back blows to yourself. However, you can still perform abdominal thrusts to dislodge the item.

• Place a fist slightly above your navel.
• Grasp your fist with the other hand and bend over a hard surface — a countertop or chair will do.
• Shove your fist inward and upward.

Clearing the airway of a pregnant woman or obese person:

• Position your hands a little bit higher than with a normal Heimlich maneuver, at the base of the breastbone, just above the joining of the lowest ribs.
• Proceed as with the Heimlich maneuver, pressing hard into the chest, with a quick thrust.
• Repeat until the food or other blockage is dislodged or the person becomes unconscious.

Clearing the airway of an unconscious person:

• Lower the person on his or her back onto the floor.
• Clear the airway. If there's a visible blockage at the back of the throat or high in the throat, reach a finger into the mouth and sweep out the cause of the blockage. Be careful not to push the food or object deeper into the airway, which can happen easily in young children.
• Begin cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) if the object remains lodged and the person doesn't respond after you take the above measures. The chest compressions used in CPR may dislodge the object. Remember to recheck the mouth periodically.

Clearing the airway of a choking infant younger than age 1:

• Assume a seated position and hold the infant facedown on your forearm, which is resting on your thigh.
• Thump the infant gently but firmly five times on the middle of the back using the heel of your hand. The combination of gravity and the back blows should release the blocking object.
• Hold the infant faceup on your forearm with the head lower than the trunk if the above doesn't work. Using two fingers placed at the center of the infant's breastbone, give five quick chest compressions.
• Repeat the back blows and chest thrusts if breathing doesn't resume. Call for emergency medical help.
• Begin infant CPR if one of these techniques opens the airway but the infant doesn't resume breathing.

If the child is older than age 1, give abdominal thrusts only.
To prepare yourself for these situations, learn the Heimlich maneuver and CPR in a certified first-aid training course.

http://www.emergencycareforyou.org/