This month's topics will discuss head, neck and spinal injuries. We participate in a sport that is associated with a significant amount of danger and these particular types of injuries must be handled with extreme care, all too often we focus on moving a victim away from the hazard after an incident has occurred but we cannot stress enough the importance of extreme care when dealing with someone who has a possible head, neck or spinal injury. Regardless of where or how these injuries have occurred remember to use simple common sense when handling the victim.

Head Injuries

Head injuries are common in a person's life, most of the injuries are minor, such as scrapes, bumps, bruises, and "goose eggs." Some however are serious enough to warrant medical attention. There are two types of head injuries: internal and external. If there is ever any doubt as to how severe the injury is do not hesitate to seek medical attention or call 911

Signs and Symptoms

Unconsciousness, which could be followed by a seizure
Unequal sized pupils
A depression in the skull or swelling around the injury site accompanied by a severe headache lasting a few hours
Clear fluid coming from the nose or ears
Dizziness, sleepiness, or confusion
Difficulty with speech, vision, or walking
Pale, sweaty appearance, possibly with some vomiting
A cut or laceration on the skull with a large amount of bleeding

First Aid

DO NOT MOVE the victim if you suspect a head injury, neck or spinal injury may have occurred as well.
Check for unconsciousness and monitor the victim's airway, breathing, and circulation.
Treat accordingly.
Call 911.
Keep the victim still and immobilize the head and neck using towels or blankets etc.
This helps to prevent further injury to the head and neck.
Control any bleeding with light direct pressure followed by ice or a cold pack. This will reduce swelling.
Watch for signs of shock and treat accordingly.

Neck And Spinal Injuries

Neck and spinal injuries are often overlooked by people rendering first aid.
These injuries can occur as the result of:
Auto accidents
A fall from any height
A blow to the head
A penetration wound
A severe blow to the head, neck or back
Any serious blow to the upper body

First Aid
Stabilize the head to keep it from moving.
Maintain an open airway.
Activate the EMS system.
Treat for shock

This Months Safety Tip
Electrical safety:
how many times have you latched on to a plug wire or placed a sweaty hand on a distributor and found out just how much spark an MSD really puts out. I'm sure that in a lot of cases it was indeed the most memorable part of your day. Electricity can cause sever injury even death, always remember that if your not thoroughly educated on how to handle electricity it is always best left to a trained professional. Always remember to take great care when digging holes on residential property, be careful when trimming trees where power lines are present, some high powered lines don't even require that you touch them to electrocute you but can do so by merely getting close, take great care when raising and lowering ladders, contrary to some beliefs aluminum ladders are a very good conductor of electricity, always pay close attention to where you are standing in relation to water as I'm sure you are aware water is also a good conductor of electricity and always stay clear of downed power lines remember high power lines.

This Month's Featured Product

This 3-shelf, 941-piece motorsports first aid station, is designed for medium sized race teams businesses, offices and work sites and can act as a satellite first aid cabinet for buildings, wings or departments. The metal cabinet holds a wide variety of items, offering simple refilling and compliance assurance with the help of a full-color, easy-to-use reordering schematic. The swing-out door and easy-to-carry handle make this first aid station extra convenient. for more information about this kit and others check it out on LearnFirstAid.com

Well, that's it for this month, I've had the pleasure of meeting and talking to many of you at various events and look forward to meeting and hearing from many more of you. If you see the LearnFirstAid.com, Worthy dragster please stop by we'd love to meet you and shake your hand and until then good luck and as usual SAFETY FIRST !

It is important to remember that the topics discussed here are only a partial description of first aid treatment and it is our strongest recommendation that you complete a first aid course in your area in order to provide the best possible care This information in no way constitutes a complete training course or is a substitute for sound medical advice.

As with all of the topics this information is regarded as a first aid treatment and is in no way a substitute for sound medical advice of that of a physician.