While most of us look forward to the Christmas season, it does bring its risks! Read on for tips and actions to help if the worst should happen.
Your Pre-Christmas shopping list:
- 300mg Aspirin (not 75mg) – you will need to purchase these from a pharmacy (for heart attacks)
- Food thermometer (from £5, available on Amazon)
- Rehydration sachets (e.g. Dioralyte)
- Anti-histamine tablets and/or cream (for minor allergies)
- Plasters of assorted sizes and shapes
CHOKING
Anyone can choke, but this often affects babies, children and elderly people more – choking on toys or finger foods, for example.
If your casualty is coughing:
- Encourage them to cough – if they are coughing, they are breathing!
If your casualty cannot speak or cough:
- Lean them forwards – over your knee if they are a child, or across your knees with their head downwards for an infant.
- Deliver up to 5 back blows with the palm of your hand between their shoulder blades at the top of their back.
- If they are still choking:
- For an infant under 1, lay them with their face upwards along your arm and push two fingers firmly into the centre of their chest up to 5 times.
- If over the age of 1, stand behind them (kneel for a child), make a fist with one hand and reach it around them, placing it firmly below the base of their ribcage between the chest and belly button. Reaching around the other side, place your second hand over your first and pull in and up. Do this up to 5 times.
- If the thrusts do not shift the object, return to the back blows and cycle between blows and thrusts until either the object is removed or the patient becomes unconscious, in which case begin CPR.
- If thrusts are needed, the casualty MUST be seen in the hospital to ensure any resulting damage is assessed. You have saved their life – well done! But make sure they are medically assessed too.
ALLERGIES & ANAPHYLACTIC SHOCK
Check with your guests whether they have any allergies or intolerances. Minor allergies can often be treated with an antihistamine medication, so have some in the house just in case.
If any of your guests have a serious allergy, they may be prescribed an EpiPen – ask them to bring it with them.
Whilst anaphylaxis can be extremely serious, those with allergies usually know what to do to avoid their triggers and what to do if they do come in contact with them. If they go into anaphylactic shock, they will struggle to breathe, may come out in a rash, have swelling around their face and neck, and be anxious. EpiPens are easy to use – if they can administer it themselves, let them, but if your help is needed, stay calm and follow the instructions on the device.
If an EpiPen is administered, you MUST call 999 and obtain medical assistance, even if the EpiPen works swiftly. They will need to go to the hospital for any secondary reaction to be medically managed.
Minor allergies can be managed with anti-histamine tablets or for skin reactions, an anti-histamine cream.
FOOD POISONING
Store food and drinks correctly according to directions on their packaging, and ensure food is thoroughly cooked through before serving. Food thermometers can be bought cheaply (around £5) – if food reaches 86°C it’s safe to consume, or holds at 80°C for 6 seconds or 70°C for 2 minutes then this is equally safe. Cool leftovers down quickly and refrigerate them as soon as possible – the quicker they move through the ‘danger zone’ of 63°Cdown to 5°C, the safer they will be to consume later.
If anyone does succumb, rest and hydration are key to recovery. Having rehydration sachets available can be a shrewd move. If you are concerned that the person is becoming dehydrated, seek medical attention or guidance from a pharmacist.
BURNS
Whether from a log burner or in the kitchen, the treatment is the same whatever the cause. Place the burn under cool running water as soon as possible and keep it there for a minimum of 20 minutes.
Seek medical attention if the size of the burn exceeds one side of an arm (around 5%) if red, one hand size if blistered, or any size if there is an open wound and/or the skin looks charred. Burns to the face, neck, chest, all the way around a limb, or to the genitals should always receive medical attention, and if the burn is caused by electricity or chemicals then the casualty should be seen in A&E.
Wrap the burn in cling film to protect it from infection when transporting to the hospital or minor injuries unit.
INFECTIONS
‘Tis the season… for chest infections. Urinary tract infections can also cause problems, particularly in more vulnerable casualties. If your casualty has a high temperature and symptoms of an infection, visit your local pharmacy or walk-in centre where they can prescribe antibiotics. Emergency pharmacists are available over the festive period; you can find which are open by calling 111.
CUTS & GRAZES
Small cuts and grazes need to be cleaned thoroughly and dressed with a plaster or appropriately sized bandage to prevent infection.
For larger or deeper cuts, you may need to apply pressure to stop the bleeding. Do not remove the pressure for 10 minutes after it is applied – if you keep checking, the wound will keep bleeding! If bleeding is profuse and difficult to stop, call 111 or 999.
If a cut has resulted in bright red spurting blood, then apply pressure quickly and call 999. Do not remove the pressure until the ambulance crew arrives.
HEART ATTACKS
The number of heart attacks rises by over 1/3 during the Christmas period, with most occurring on the 25th, 26th and 31st of December and 1st of January. Stress, rich food and drink, and little exercise all put additional pressure on the heart.
Symptoms include pain or tightness in the chest, pain or numbness in the left arm, left jaw, left side of the neck, pale, cold and/or clammy skin, shortness of breath, dizziness and a ‘feeling of impending doom’.
Phone 999, sit the casualty on the floor against a wall with their knees raised, and reassure them. Offer them 300mg aspirin (if not allergic) and ask them to chew it or place it under their tongue – this means it will absorb into their system quicker than swallowing. Remain calm and reassuring.
Quietly ask another person to go and retrieve the nearest defibrillator, just in case it is required (Click here to find your nearest one.)
We wish you all a happy and healthy festive season – and if you’re not sure how you’d respond in an emergency, why not book your space on a course to learn these skills as your New Year’s resolution?
