Vim & Vigor - Fall 2011 - Parrish Medical Center - (Page 23)

6 SYMPTOMS Q| Q| SHOULD I REALLY PUT SEVERED BODY PARTS ON ICE? A: Yes ... and no. Severed body parts should ﬁrst be placed in a plastic bag or wrapped in plastic, then placed on top of ice for transport. Placing a body part directly on ice or in cold water can make reattachment difﬁcult. Remember, saving the victim’s life is more important than saving the body part. Perform lifesaving ﬁrst-aid techniques ﬁrst. NEVER TO IGNORE You’re comfortable on your couch watching a football game when you begin to feel pressure and pain in your chest. Briefly, you wonder whether you’re having a heart attack. You are 50, after all. But you chalk it up to the tacos you just ate. Maybe you’ll wait to see whether it passes. Don’t! “Time is tissue in many situations,” says Ryan Stanton, M.D., spokesman for the American College of Emergency Physicians. “With heart attacks and especially with strokes, if treatment is not started within three hours, there’s nothing much we can do but rehab.” Here are six symptoms you shouldn’t disregard: 1) Heart attack symptoms. Chest pressure or radiating pain (to the back, arm or jaw), sweating, nausea and vomiting 2) Stroke symptoms. Weakness, numbness on one side, confusion, slurred speech, dizziness and trouble with balance 3) The worst headache of your life 4) Unconsciousness of any duration 5) A new onset of seizures 6) Severe abdominal pain MY FRIEND IS COUGHING AND CLUTCHING HIS THROAT. SHOULD I PERFORM THE HEIMLICH MANEUVER? A: No. Coughing is a sign that the airway is only partially blocked. Do not interfere, but be ready to step in if the situation worsens. Q| Q| Q| SHOULD I PREVENT A SEIZURE VICTIM FROM BITING HIS TONGUE? A: Only if you want to lose a finger. “The only thing you should do for a seizure patient is to keep him from being hurt by removing furniture and other objects that are around him,” Stanton says. SHOULD I PUT BUTTER ON A BURN? A: No. Never put anything organic on any burn. For minor burns, run cool water on the burn. Then wet a gauze pad or clean cloth and place it over the burn. Apply antibiotic ointment to prevent infection. SHOULD I TAKE AN ASPIRIN IF I THINK I’M HAVING A HEART ATTACK? A: Yes ... unless there is a medical reason not to, such as an allergy. “Anyone who suspects a heart attack should chew a noncoated adult aspirin as soon as possible,” Stanton says. “This will start working on the clot that’s causing the heart attack while the patient gets to the hospital.” Vim & Vigor · FAL L 2011 23

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Vim & Vigor - Fall 2011 - Parrish Medical Center

Vim & Vigor - Fall 2011 - Parrish
Contents
Tasty Tips
Opening Thoughts
Community Calendar
Don't Be a Drowsy Driver
The Art of Nursing
Healthy Hues
The New Survivors
First (Aid) Things First
Find Your Groove
A Healthy Tune
Stay in Circulation
'X' Marks the Spot
Pregnancy Predictors
Play It Safe
What's New?
A Walking, Talking Fitness Billboard
Community Health
Special Foundation Focus
Ask the Expert

Vim & Vigor - Fall 2011 - Parrish Medical Center