head neck spinal injuries (practice/HW)

Head, neck or spinal injuries are caused by high-impact/high risk activities. Identify all the examples of high-impact/high risk activities in an aquatic environment.

• entering head - first into shallow water

• receiving a blow to the head

• striking a submerged or floating object

• Being pulled out of the water by a backboard

Backboards are a standard piece of rescue equipment used at aquatic facilities for immobilizing and removing the victim from the water. Backboards work best when they are equipped with:

• straps and a head immobilizer

• runners and are made of wood

• head immobilizer and are made of plastic

• a lifeguard tube and runners

The following statements describe appropriate rescue techniques for a victim with a suspected spinal injury, EXCEPT

• If the victim is in shallow water, you do not need to use a rescue tube to support yourself

• If the victim is submerged, you should not use the rescue tube when submerging and bringing the victim to the surface

• If the victim is small and is in shallow water, you do not need to use a backboard to extricate the victim.

• If the victim is at the surface in deep water, you may need a rescue tube to support yourself and the victim

Special considerations for spinal injuries at a facility with a beach or other zero-depth entry may include

• injury from board diving and extrication from deep water onto a pier high above the water

• injury from exiting a slide and dealing with current in a catch pool

• Injury from plunging during a running entry, in-line stabilization and extrication from extremely shallow water

• Injury from fall from play structure, dealing with victim's life jacket during stabilization and extrication

A concussion is a mild traumatic brain injury (TBI). It can occur after an impact to your head or after a whiplash-type injury that causes your head and brain to shake quickly back and forth. A concussion results in an altered mental state that may include becoming unconscious.

Traumatic brain injury is usually caused by a blow or other traumatic injury to the head or body. The degree of damage can depend on several factors, including the nature of the injury and the force of impact.

Symptoms of concussion may include headache, dizziness, confusion, fatigue, nausea, slurred speech, ringing in the ears, temporary loss of consciousness, and amnesia about events leading up to the injury.

What are the signs and symptoms of a head injury?

• Headaches

• Nausea

• Dizziness

• All of the above

How can you tell someone has broken their nose?

• They have a headache

• Bleeding from the nose, crooked or misshaped nose, difficulty breathing

• They have the sniffles

• Dr Google says so

Causes of eye injuries:

· Particles or debris entering the eye.

· Contact between eye and tools such as nails, wires, and other sharp or pointy objects.

· Chemicals that release a steam or haze.

· Chemicals splashing into the eye.

· Trauma to the face and eye from an auto accident or other collision.

You are riding a bike over gravel and feel irritation in your eye. What is the possible cause of this?

• Scratches

• Foreign particles in the eye

• Eye sensitivity

• All of the above

Signs and symptoms of eye injuries:

· Eye swelling

· A feeling that something is in the eyes (foreign body sensation)

· Sensitivity to light (photophobia)

· Eye watering

Management of eye injuries:

· Wash eye out with water

· If there is a scratch see eye doctor immediately

· To treat swelling in the eye apply ice pack

A person has been hit in the eye with a tennis ball after failing to hit it. How would you treat the injury?

• Sit them down and give them water

• Apply ice pack straight away

• Put it under hot water

• Tell them to keep playing

Teeth injuries can include broken/fractured teeth and teeth being knocked out of the mouth or have been displaced by unknown external forces. These injuries cause swelling in the gum/ oral tissue and redness in the affected area. A minor tooth fracture involves chipping only of the tooth. A deeper fracture can involve both the tooth and the dentin of a tooth. Death of pulp tissue can lead to serious tooth infection. The main sign/symptom of a tooth injury is bleeding and soreness and redness in the gum area. To manage a tooth injury, check the patient’s airway in case there is a chance of blood going down. Control any bleeding by applying pressure on the wound. If the tooth has been knocked out, clean the tooth and place it back in its original position in the socket.

How do you manage a dislodged tooth?

• Replace the tooth back in its socket

• Sterilize the tooth and take it to the dentist in a container

• Clean the tooth and leave it for the tooth fairy

• Wash away blood with water and throw away the tooth

another name for Pink Eye

• periorbital ecchymosis

• Subconjuctival hemorrage

• Conjunctivitis

• Stye