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Secondary assessment and identifying pelvis problems

When doing an injury assessment it is not always easy to know if some one has hurt their hips.  Hip damage can be life threatening and it is an area where the first aider can do some damage by moving the patient or being heavy handed on an assessment.

If possible look at the patients legs and see if they are the same length and see if one of the legs or feet are not in line.  This can indicate a problem with the pelvis.  It should be noted that it could also be a problem with a broken leg but there should be other indications on leg damage.

With a pelvis problem there can be groin pain and pains and discomfort down the legs as well as local pain.

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Cling film and burns

We know about putting cling film on to a burn but it is recommended that the cling film is applied in layers over the burn rather than wrapped around the limb as wrapping it will not allow for swelling.  If the cling film is laid over the burn instead swelling can occur and the film still has its benefits to the patient and medical staff.  Care should always be taken with working on any burn and you may need to safely secure the film if put on in layers but never put tape over or near the burn.

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Bathtub Safety Awareness

Researchers have reported that more than 43,000 children under the age of 18 are injured each year by doing something as ordinary as taking a bath or shower. A study focusing on the slip and fall aspect of bathtub injuries, was published in the July edition of Pediatrics. “What caught our attention was the frequency of the slips and falls,” said lead researcher Dr. Gary A. Smith, director of the Center for Injury Research and Policy at the Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio.  “There are about 120 kids a day injured by slips and falls in bathtubs and showers, and that number is constant over the 18 years the researchers looked at.” Smith said. “That is really telling me that we have a problem that needs to be addressed,” he noted.

Fall, slips and trips were the most common reason for injuries, accounting for 81 percent of all injuries, according to the report.  Smith first suggests that parents use slip resistant mats inside and outside of the bathtub to prevent slip and falls. Secondly, Smith remarks that manufacturers must look at the current standard for slip resistance and strengthen the criteria.

Dr. David L. Katz, director of the Prevention Research Center at Yale University School of Medicine, said it’s, “alarming that more than 40,000 children are injured badly enough each year in bath and shower tumbles to warrant a trip to the emergency room. “If these injuries were unavoidable, that would be one thing,” Katz said. “But they are extremely, if not completely, preventable.” Katz noted.

For now, parents are forewarned that tub and shower tumbles in young children are a common cause of injury, Katz said. “So the first line of defense is parental vigilance. But the more definitive response is to re-engineer tubs and showers,” he said.

ERC Changes 2010

Just for information remember that the European Resus Council meet every 5 years and review CPR and this is coming up in 2010.  When the changes occur we will keep you posted and then EFR or FAI will amend the material.  No news on what the changes are has been released yet.

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