Simple Ways To Prevent Accidental Deaths

How death is caused by accidents?

Deaths due to accidents can be grouped into three categories. On the spot accidents occur due to severe damage of vital organs like brain or heart. The second (first few minutes to hour) is the early treatment of airway, lungs or bleeding in ¡°THE GOLDEN HOUR¡±. Dr. R Adams Cowley has coined the word while treating the victims of World War 1 in France, emphasising the need for early treatment to prevent death.

The most common injuries which threaten the life of trauma victims within the first few minutes to hour is the damage to or blockade of ?the airway (wind pipe or lungs) or massive external or internal bleeding. We give you a step by step guide on how to help accident victims unitl the paramedics arrive.

Simple Way to Prevent Accidental Deaths # 1: Ensure safety

First ensure the safety of the rescuers and remove the victim form the wreckage.

??Move the victim to a safe place, like the side of the road, platform etc.

? Take care of the neck while lifting the victim to prevent injury to the spinal cord.

? Move the victim to a safe, flat and firm surface.

? Stop external bleeding by compression, until the bleeding stops.

Simple Way to Prevent Accidental Deaths # 2: Check their breathing

Check if the victim is responsive to call and breathing normally.

? If not or even if in doubt, start CMR.?

? Call for a cardiac ambulance immediately.

? Inform the police and the firebrigade (if required to extricate the victim from the wreckage).

??Look through the victim's personal belongings and try and contact his/her relatives.

Simple Way to Prevent Accidental Deaths # 3: Ambulance wait

While waiting for the ambulance to arrive

? Stop external bleeding.

? Prevent any movement of the neck.

? Immobilise the fractured limbs and if possible splint them.

? If the ambulance is late or unavailable, take the victim to the nearest medical facility.

? Keep a watch on the victim's breathing and if necessary administer basic life support (30 Chest compressions @at least 100/minutes).

Simple Way to Prevent Accidental Deaths # 4: Choose a Hospital

Severe trauma victims must be taken into tertiary care institutes, preferably a trauma centre.?

Simple Way to Prevent Accidental Deaths # 5: Important Action

At the medical facility staff will assess the breathing , circulation, check the neurological status and pupils, record vital signs, insert an IV cannula and start an intravenous drip.

Also See:?How to Prevent Dangerous Blood Clots

Simple Way to Prevent Accidental Deaths # 6: Tip to prevent shock

Opening and securing the airway to facilitate breathing, removing the air from the chest if the lung injury has resulted in what is called tension pneumothorax (air under pressure compressing the organs of the chest) and replacing the fluid lost ?(blood / vomit/ serum) can prevent shock.

Simple Way to Prevent Accidental Deaths # 7: Deal with blood loss cautiously

Initially the body will try to compensate for the lost of blood, by increasing the heart rate, but if the bleeding does not stop and blood loss continues, then the blood pressure drops and organ injury starts.

Every minute spent with low blood pressure increases the chance of death and if associated with severe head injury, it triples the chances of dying or remaining in a comatose state.

Third pattern of death due to accident

The third pattern of death is due to infection and consequences of multiple organ failure. Only good care in a tertiary care hospital can prevent death organ failure.

Also See:?Segregation Tied to More Lung Cancer Deaths