The ability to provide first aid to a sick or injured tourist, and, if necessary, to organize and carry out his transportation to the nearest settlement, railway station or highway, requires sufficient knowledge and skills. A novice tourist, a participant in a weekend hike, is just getting acquainted with the simplest techniques for providing pre-medical care. medical care and with the simplest and most easily feasible methods of transporting the victim. It is necessary to know the purpose of medications belonging to various groups (painkillers, disinfectants, hemostatics, antipyretics), be able to perform artificial respiration, treat wounds or a burn site, make a dressing, master the skills of transporting a victim using improvised means (stretchers made from windbreaker poles, ski drags, etc. .).
When preparing for a weekend hike or a multi-day hike, it is necessary to carefully equip your first aid kit. It is very important, especially when hiking in remote, uninhabited areas, in high mountains and high latitudes, to have a professional doctor in your group. But not every group goes on a route with a doctor even to these areas. He is usually replaced by a medical instructor who knows how to provide first aid. The need for medical assistance while hiking is most often caused by colds and gastrointestinal diseases. A special group consists of severe injuries and diseases, the treatment of which is possible only in inpatient conditions. In these cases, only first aid is provided along the route to ensure transportation of the victim.
Colds(bronchitis, tonsillitis, etc.) are the result of hypothermia (low ambient air temperature, wet, drafty clothes). At the same time, the temperature rises by 1-3 degrees, you feel headache, general weakness. Tracheitis and bronchitis are accompanied by a dry, hacking cough. Sore throat, especially when swallowing, is characteristic of a sore throat. Treatment requires a day off or at least a reduction in physical activity. General warming of the body, hot drinks, and gargling are important. It is advisable to take milk with tea or soda (half a teaspoon per glass).
Of the medications, the most effective is biseptol or its substitutes. Antibiotics that can be used are ampicillin, oxacillin, amoxiclav, and macropen. For any cold at altitude, the patient is taken down.
At F a r e r o u r m a x i v i x a x it is necessary to ensure the immobility of the damaged limbs by applying a splint from any available material and bandaging it above and below the damaged area. Signs are swelling and pain.
For bruises, apply a pressure bandage and a cold compress during the first 24 hours, then heat. We must not forget that the bruise could also cause bone damage, so it is necessary to show it to a doctor.
For bone fractures, first aid should be aimed at creating immobility of the fragments and pain relief.
R e xtension of the connection The ankle joint can be identified by swelling of the tissue and pain when walking. However, unlike fractures and dislocations, movement in the joint is preserved and you can even step on the affected leg.
At Brain problems The victim must be provided with complete rest and a cold compress must be placed on the head. Cannot be transported. A doctor must be called to the place.
At CUTS AND INJURIES the skin around the damaged area is lubricated with iodine (but so that it does not get on the wound). The wound can be lightly sprinkled with white streptocide powder. A sterile bandage is applied.
Strong Bleeding from the wound can be stopped by pressing the artery above the wound with your hand. Sometimes you have to apply a tourniquet, but you must remember that you cannot hold it for more than one and a half to two hours - necrosis of the limb may occur. If it is necessary to hold the tourniquet longer, then it should be removed every hour and applied again when bleeding resumes. The tourniquet is not applied near the joints.
In case of venous bleeding, a tourniquet should not be used; it must be quickly applied pressure bandage.
Heat damage and sunstroke very dangerous. Signs: redness of the face, nausea, headache, difficulty breathing, and in severe cases, loss of consciousness. The victim should be seated in the shade, freed from constrictive clothing, belts, harnesses, and a cold pack should be placed on the head. Give caffeine orally (1 tablet - 0.2 g), for headaches - amidopyrine (1 tablet - 0.3 g), askofen (1 tablet - 0.5 g) or analgin (1 tablet - 0.3 g). Transport the victim down in a sitting or lying position.
O b o r o k occurs from a sudden drain of blood from the brain. Signs: pallor, sweat on the face, loss of consciousness. The patient is placed so that his legs are slightly higher than his head. The collar and belt must be unfastened. Apply a heating pad or warm compress to your head. Give ammonia to smell. In case of prolonged loss of consciousness, you should resort to artificial respiration. When consciousness returns, give strong coffee, valerian drops and a vasodilator (validol).
If Struck by lightning If there are completely no signs of life, even then it is often possible to save him if you immediately begin artificial respiration. Sometimes it has to be done over several hours.
At u k u s e m e and at the site of the bite two punctate wounds from the poisonous teeth of the snake are visible. The person feels pain, and soon the edges of the wound become red and swollen, swelling, dizziness, weakness, nausea, sometimes vomiting, shortness of breath, and rapid pulse appear. The poison quickly affects the human cardiovascular, hematopoietic and nervous systems.
When bitten by a viper, you should:
Suck the poison out of the wound as soon as possible, constantly spitting it out. This is one of the main measures emergency assistance. First, the wounds should be opened by squeezing the folds at the site of the bite. Squeezing out the poison with your fingers and suctioning should be done for 8-12 minutes. After stopping suction, it is advisable to rinse your mouth with a weak solution of potassium permanganate or water.
Limit the victim's mobility. If a leg is bitten, then bandage it to the other, if an arm, fix it in a bent position. The victim should not make long or rapid movements. The group must organize a bivouac in the first suitable place.
Take diuretics and drink as much liquid as possible - water, tea, broth. Do not give coffee or alcohol.
When allergic reaction- take 1-2 tablets of antihistamines (suprastin, diphenhydramine, tavegil). You can also drip 5-6 drops of galazolin or sanorin into the nose and wound.
When bitten by particularly poisonous snakes, the most effective remedy is antivenom serum (“anti-gurza” or “anticobra-antigurza”). It must be administered intramuscularly and preferably no later than half an hour after the bite.
cut the bite site for better removal of the poison (to avoid infection or damage to the tendons);
cauterize the bite site, because the length of poisonous teeth sometimes reaches more than a centimeter;
apply a tourniquet, because constriction of blood vessels contributes to even greater metabolic disorders in the tissues of the affected limb.
Insect bites. When bitten by bees, wasps, or hornets, you need to squeeze out the poison from the wound and remove the sting, lubricate the bite site with ammonia or iodine.
An embedded tick cannot be picked off, as its head will remain under the skin. The tick and the skin around it must be lubricated with any oil, gasoline, iodine, alcohol, or poured with nail polish so that all the pores become clogged and the tick begins to suffocate. When it sticks its head out, it should be removed using a slow rocking motion. After removal, lubricate the bite site with iodine or alcohol, and disinfect your hands. If, nevertheless, the head of the tick remains in the human body, it is necessary to pick it out with a fire-heated needle or pin, and disinfect the wound.
An encephalitis tick bite is extremely dangerous. Symptoms tick-borne encephalitis: impaired motor function, general weakness, aches throughout the body, lower back pain, short-term fever, increased heart rate, fever, intense pain, often a feeling of chills.
In this case, it is necessary to administer anti-encephalitis gamma globulin intramuscularly within 72 hours after the bite and immediately evacuate the victim from the route to the hospital, while protecting him from sunlight, giving him fluids often, and if sent to long distances- pre-give sleeping pills and painkillers.
If on an insect's ear, then often it cannot turn there to get out. You need to drip warm Vaseline oil into your ear, and then lie on your side where the clogged ear is. If the insect does not come out, the ear should be rinsed with warm water.
U k u s h i v o t n o g o may cause rabies or another disease. It is necessary to urgently consult a doctor.
At o z o g e moisten the skin with a not too strong solution of potassium permanganate or tannin. The resulting bubbles cannot be opened. For severe burns, give 1-2 tablets of pyramidon with analgin as an anesthetic, apply a sterile bandage and refer the victim to a doctor.
Frostbite may cause exposure to low temperatures, especially in combination with wind and high air humidity. The first signs of frostbite: tingling, tingling of the skin, sudden paleness of the skin, a significant decrease or complete loss of pain sensitivity. When frostbite occurs, it is useful to make energetic circular and swinging movements with your hands, quickly clench and unclench your fingers; when cooling your legs, run, jump, squat, and make swinging movements with each leg. When the skin turns white and loses sensitivity, you need to carefully rub it with your hand and a dry, soft woolen cloth. After the skin becomes sensitive, it is lubricated with fat.
If blisters form or the skin becomes dead, do not rub or massage the skin, but apply a bandage with levomikol or panthenol ointment. For increase internal temperature body - give hot tea, coffee, just hot water, several glucose tablets with vitamin C.
If the measures taken are ineffective or there are signs of severe frostbite, the victim is dressed warmly and urgently sent to the hospital.
In case of food poisoning, it is necessary to induce vomiting in the patient, forcing him to drink several glasses of warm water with soda and open his throat with a finger.
Help the needy. In case of white asphyxia (the skin is pale, breathing has stopped), resuscitation should begin immediately after removing the drowning person from the water.
In case of blue asphyxia (veins are swollen, the skin, especially the ears, fingertips and lips, has a purple tint), clear the mouth and nose of mud, dirt, sand, place the victim face down on your bent knee (backpack, etc.) to remove water from the respiratory tract and stomach. Then start artificial respiration. If cardiac activity has stopped (the pulse cannot be felt, the pupils are dilated and do not respond to light), immediately begin cardiac massage. Cardiac massage should be combined with artificial respiration (1:4).
When breathing is restored, it is necessary to hold your tongue with a bandage or handkerchief so that it does not sink. The victim must be warmed up and given valerian drops and hot sweet tea.
S n e g a n b l e p o t a . As a result of prolonged exposure to the open air, tourists can get eye burns or snow blindness. This disease occurs due to exposure of the organ of vision to direct and reflected from various surfaces (snow, water) ultraviolet rays.
As a rule, both eyes are affected. At first it feels like sand has gotten under your eyelids. Subsequently, the pain increases and lacrimation appears. Due to photophobia, the eyelids contract convulsively. The mucous membrane of the eyelids and eyes turns red and swells. The person goes blind and becomes helpless. This condition can last 1-3 days. The tourist group must stay at the bivouac until the victim recovers. It is necessary to wear sunglasses and do cold lotions (cold solution of potassium permanganate, cold solution of strong tea or 2% boric acid solution).
Abrasion usually observed in novice tourists. Water workers have abrasions on the palms, thighs and buttocks; for skiers, walkers and mountaineers - feet and hips. Do not run them as this may cause serious injury. When providing first aid, you should clean the skin with a piece of sterile gauze soaked in a 3% solution of hydrogen peroxide, alcohol, and then apply a sterile bandage with synthomycin ointment. Rubbed areas can be lubricated with Vaseline or glycerin.
Prevention of abrasions includes adjusting shoes, clothing, and equipment. When putting on proven shoes, you need to carefully straighten the folds of your socks and insoles. The place where abrasion begins to form should be sealed with an adhesive plaster, and gauze and ointment should be applied to the reddened area.
Material used
“Techniques and methods for improving the health of children and adolescents (Methodological recommendations)”, author E.I. Veretennikov, 2008;
On the hiking trail you may encounter difficulties and even dangers. Some of them are associated with real obstacles - passing passes, swamps, rapids rivers, others depend on weather changes and are episodic or seasonal. The third - the most numerous - are caused by the incorrect behavior of the tourists themselves.
For the convenience of presenting the material, possible dangers and accompanying injuries are conventionally divided in this section into four groups. The first is directly caused by the wrong actions of tourists, and the other three, in addition, are also associated with certain conditions of the trip.
DANGERS, INJURIES AND DISEASES CAUSED BY IMPROPER ACTIONS OF TOURISTS
Thermal burns
Careless handling of a fire, a camp stove, a camp gas kitchen, overturning dishes with hot food and scalding with boiling water or steam are very common causes of injuries while traveling.
Prevention of thermal burns. To prevent injuries associated with burns, the following guidelines must be followed. Those on duty at the fire must wear long trousers, shoes and mittens; fire fliers, a crossbar or a rope for hanging buckets must be absolutely reliable; prepared hot food should be placed only in a place where people cannot step on it; In winter, it is not recommended to place dishes with hot food in the snow, as when it thaws, they easily tip over; near the fire it is necessary to use long ladle; sparkling firewood should be avoided; do not allow games or entertainment with fire.
To prevent dishes with hot food from tipping over when using stoves (especially when cooking in a tent), and also to reduce gasoline consumption, you can make a camp kitchen yourself.
The kitchen consists of a folding frame made of a duralumin corner, to which a metal sheet with holes for pots is attached on top. Primus stoves are placed under them on a duralumin or other stand. The frame is covered on the sides with quartz (thin asbestos) fabric, which is attached along the perimeter of the sheet so as to provide access to primus stoves and pan lids.
First aid for thermal burns. In case of a flame burn, first of all, you need to extinguish the burning clothing on the victim (by wrapping the burning person thick fabric, dipping it in water, throwing snow on it) and quickly remove it. If you are burned by boiling water or hot food, you also need to quickly get rid of clothes soaked in hot liquid.
For minor burns, it is recommended to wipe the wound with a swab moistened with hydrogen peroxide, then apply a bandage of a sterile bandage soaked in a solution of potassium permanganate or baking soda. Subsequent treatment of local I-II degree burns in field conditions consists of lubricating the burned areas of the skin with streptocidal (syntomycin) emulsion or Vishnevsky ointment. After tourists go out into populated areas, they should consult a doctor.
In case of burns of large surfaces of the body or deep tissue damage (III-IV degrees), the victim must be urgently transported to the nearest medical center. Only sterile dressings are acceptable. If the burn touches areas of the skin near the joints, then before transportation, a splint made from available materials is applied to the limb.
In addition, the victim is recommended to take orally, or even better, inject some painkillers and heart medications - morphine, pantopon, camphor; inject antitetanus serum subcutaneously. The dosage of medications is given in the section “Campaign First Aid Kit”. If there is no medicine, you can give the victim strong, sweet tea before a doctor intervenes.
When providing first aid for burns, you should not do anything that could complicate subsequent treatment. Do not tear off areas of clothing that have stuck to the burnt skin; open blisters on the skin; lubricate the burn surface with fats or oils; use such “folk remedies” as cobwebs or urine. All of these can cause wound contamination or worsen tissue damage.
Injuries from cutting and piercing weapons
In the hands of an inept or undisciplined tourist, any cutting or piercing implements become potentially dangerous and can cause injuries and cuts. This usually happens when preparing firewood, falling while holding a knife or ax, or simply as a result of mischief.
Preventing injuries from sharp weapons. Tourists should follow the following rules: carry axes, saws, and knives on the route only in sheaths; at rest stops, put sharp tools in one designated place (in no case sticking them into trees, especially at a height human size); when spending the night, hide sharp weapons under the tent; use gloves with an ax and saw; when cutting branches from a lying tree, be on the other side of its trunk; do not allow all kinds of fun related to throwing knives or axes at trees.
First aid for injuries. In case of a small cut or abrasion, you need to remove dirt from the wound with a swab moistened with hydrogen peroxide, treat the skin around the wound with iodine or a solution of brilliant green, powder the wound with streptocide powder and apply an aseptic bandage. Scratches can simply be sealed with BF glue or covered with a bactericidal plaster. If there is no medication, the skin can be washed with gasoline, water and soap.
In case of venous or capillary bleeding, when blood fills the wound, a pressure bandage is applied to it with help. individual package, and the injured limb should be raised upward.
Arterial (pulsating) bleeding can be stopped by pressing the vessel above the wound site. If the arm is damaged, by pinching the brachial artery, the leg, by pressing the artery to the pubic bone with the large rollers of both hands (Fig. 43).
For persistent bleeding, use a tourniquet. The correct application of the tourniquet is determined by the cessation of bleeding and the disappearance of the pulse (to the periphery). Instead of a tourniquet, you can also use a belt, rope, towel, be sure to place a scarf, gauze, etc. folded several times under them.
The tourniquet can be on the limb for no more than 1-1.5 hours. After this period, it must be loosened, and, if the bleeding from the wound has not stopped, tightened again after a few minutes.
Treatment purulent wounds First of all, it involves cleansing them of pus. This is facilitated by dressings with a strong solution of table salt (1 teaspoon of salt in half a glass of water). The more the wound festers, the more often dressings should be done, but no more than 2-3 times a day. After the wound is cleared of pus and its surface becomes pink, you need to switch to ointment dressings (synthomycin emulsion, tetracycline or streptocidal ointment), changing them no more than once a day.
Rice. 49. Places where arteries are pressed to stop bleeding
Firearm injuries
When going to the taiga region, some travelers take hunting rifles with them. Careless handling of them, ignoring safety rules while hunting can result in serious injuries - wounds and burns.
Preventing injuries from firearms. Before going out on the route, you need to make it a rule that only its owner touches the gun; while traveling, playing with weapons or pointing guns at people is unacceptable; It is unacceptable to use the gun for purposes other than its intended purpose, for example as a support or lever; in populated areas, the gun must be kept unloaded and sheathed; You can cock the hammer (remove the bolt from the safety) only before firing; you cannot shoot at noise, in the dark or at an unclear target; The timing of the hunt and the direction of fire must be chosen in such a way that none of the other members of the group could accidentally end up in the shooting zone.
First aid for a gunshot wound. The victim stops bleeding (see above) and applies a sterile bandage to the wound. If possible, the wounded person is given anti-shock agents available in the first aid kit (see p. 45) and transported to a doctor. You cannot remove the debris yourself or “treat” it in other ways.
Food poisoning and gastrointestinal diseases
Eating unhealthy foods can lead to food poisoning or acute indigestion. Symptoms of the disease are cramping abdominal pain, chills, acute diarrhea, painful nausea, decline in cardiac activity, and fever. Since food is prepared for all tourists, poisoning can simultaneously affect most of the group and at the most unexpected moment (it should be borne in mind that the latent period of food poisoning lasts several hours).
TO stomach diseases It can also be caused by a violation of the diet, including long breaks in meals, eating dry food, very hot or fatty foods, and drinking bad water. Especially often, first-time tourists fall ill because, not knowing how to fight thirst, they quench it with water from polluted streams, swamps or puddles and thereby introduce dangerous microorganisms or chemicals into their bodies.
Prevention of food poisoning. To prevent such poisonings, it is necessary to observe the simplest hygienic rules: when traveling, you should not eat boiled varieties of sausages, untested home-made meat and dairy products, canned food in bloated (so-called “bombed”) cans; drinking water should be taken only from clean sources and be boiled; You cannot leave canned food in opened, especially metal, cans for secondary use; You should not eat foods that have a rancid smell or that have lost their normal appearance and color.
First aid for poisoning. First of all, you should rinse your stomach by drinking several glasses of warm water with soda until vomiting occurs. Repeat gastric lavage several times. Then take a saline laxative, half a glass of a pale pink solution of potassium permanganate and tetracycline.
Subsequently, you must follow a strict diet and drink strong, hot, sweet tea. Depending on the patient's condition, he should be transported or accompanied to a doctor. For pain, heart and painkillers are recommended.
First aid for heartburn, stomach pain and upset stomach. Treatment involves following a diet. For heartburn, sour foods, black crackers, jelly, compote, sweets, as well as fried poultry and spices, including salt, are excluded or limited. Milk and porridge (rice, buckwheat, semolina) help. Baking soda or crushed coal (carbolene) will also relieve or reduce heartburn. For abdominal pain, a hot heating pad (heated sand, stone) is useful; medications include besalol 1 tablet 2-3 times a day, vikalin (1-2 tablets per dose), anesthesin (1 tablet).
For stomach upsets, take besalol in the same dosage, chloramphenicol or enteroseptol, 1 tablet (0.5 g) 4-6 times a day.
Suspicion of surgical diseases. Acute surgical diseases of organs should not be confused with poisoning or acute gastrointestinal disease abdominal cavity(appendicitis, obstruction, ulcer, etc.).
The most characteristic manifestation of appendicitis is weak willpower in the upper abdomen, nausea, and less often vomiting 1-2 times. After a few hours (sometimes immediately), the pain moves to the right half of the abdomen, down. Moreover, cramping pain and loose stools are not characteristic of the disease. Before providing medical assistance, cold should be applied to the right half of the abdomen (snow, cold water). For oral medications - chloramphenicol, as a subcutaneous painkiller - caffeine. For unbearable pain and long-term transportation, a subcutaneous solution of promedol is recommended (doses on p. 47).
If acute surgical diseases are suspected, absolute hunger is necessary; the patient should not be given laxatives, should not drink, and should be urgently sent to the hospital.
Scuffs, diaper rash, calluses
Failure to comply with sanitary and hygienic requirements for equipment, and especially for clothing and shoes, can easily become the cause of various abrasions, sores and calluses while hiking. More often than not, those tourists who suffer from this suffer for the sake of misunderstood fashion. wear too tight trousers, tight high-heeled shoes or... without a heel and another not suitable for. hiking conditions shoes and clothing. Painful abrasions easily occur among those who do not keep their body clean on the road, do not pack their backpack well, put on their socks carelessly, do not repair them, or wear their shoes on bare foot without thick insoles and woolen socks.
Prevention of abrasions, diaper rash, calluses. The most important thing is to choose the right equipment for the travel conditions, fit it and check it before setting out on the route.
During the trip, you need to quickly react to changes in weather and other conditions and accordingly change the shape of clothing and the pace of movement, avoiding prolonged local overheating of the body, movement in damp clothes, which are not justified by the situation of “forced marches”, in which beginners, as a rule, have legs get lost.
If you discover the slightest inconvenience in shoes or clothing, you must, without waiting for it to develop into abrasion or abrasion, try to eliminate the cause that caused it. To do this, it may be advisable to change clothes, change shoes, and change socks. Sometimes, as a preventive measure, it is necessary to use bandaging your legs with an elastic bandage, wearing gloves (when rowing a boat), placing a soft object between the backpack and your back, etc. Regular hygiene procedures and maintaining body cleanliness.
First aid for abrasions, calluses, swelling. If abrasion is noticed in a timely manner, then it is usually enough to eliminate the cause of its occurrence and lubricate the skin with a softening antiseptic cream, for example “Children’s”. In case of obvious redness of the skin, it should be lubricated with iodine tincture, brilliant green solution or alcohol. For further loads, cover with a ring of cotton wool.
If, as a result of detachment of the epidermis and the accumulation of serous fluid underneath, painful blisters and calluses have already formed on the skin, then you can pierce the blisters with a calcined needle and apply a bandage with synthomycin emulsion.
When it gets hot (usually in the groin, under the arms), it is recommended to wash the irritated areas of the skin with water, apply talcum powder, and soften with cream.
Bruises, sprains, dislocations, fractures, concussion
The cause of many injuries is often various falls and breakdowns associated with improper behavior, disorganization and lack of discipline of tourists. Lack of discipline is the most formidable danger of tourist travel. It can manifest itself in disregard for the established rules for conducting hikes and in a reckless attitude towards the route, and in cases of tourists walking alone, and in their ignoring generally accepted norms of behavior and the rules of socialist society. Sometimes this is explained by weak, unauthoritative leadership of the group, leading to a split in the team and insubordination of participants common tasks, to an unauthorized change of route. Such groups are practically on the verge of an emergency.
Prevention of injuries caused by disorganization and lack of discipline. Covers the entire range of issues related to the preparation and conduct of the trip. This is the unification of the team of the tourist group, the instillation of high responsibility towards comrades, self-demandingness and intolerance to any violation of safety rules. Such tasks should be set before setting out on the route - when assembling a tourist group, distributing responsibilities, and conducting physical and technical training of travel participants.
On the route, preventive measures include: the introduction of group control over an unorganized participant; imposing public reprimand on an undisciplined group member or punishing him (for example, with extraordinary duty); expelling the offender from the group and removing him from the route. An extreme measure caused by the impossibility of establishing discipline and order in the group is refusal to continue the journey.
First aid for bruises. Bruises are characterized by damage to soft tissues with internal hemorrhage. In case of a bruise, it is recommended to lubricate the skin at the site of impact with tincture of iodine and apply a cold compress for a while, and then apply a bandage. On the second day after injury, heat is applied. In case of blows to the head, chest, or abdomen, the victim must be provided with complete rest, given anti-shock medications and transported to a medical center. If the bruise is in the abdominal area, the victim should not be given food or drink.
First aid for sprains and ligament tears. Signs of injury include sharp pain (at first), swelling, bruising, and painful movements in the joint. Cold is first applied to the area of the damaged ligament, and then a tight fixing bandage is applied, preferably with an elastic bandage. If there is a significant sprain of the ankle or knee joints (most often seen in tourists when they twist their legs), a splint is recommended. Analgin or amidopyrine is given orally.
First aid for sprains. Limited to splinting and painkillers. Self-alignment of joints is not recommended, since dislocations, especially of the ankle, knee, wrist and elbow joints, are often combined with fractures of the bone processes. It is mandatory to transport the victim (or accompany him in case of dislocation of the joints of the upper limb) to a medical center.
First aid for fractures. It consists of applying a splint from available material to fix the fracture site and the areas of the joints located above and below it (Fig. 44). The victim is given amidopyrine or analgin internally and transported to the medical center.
In treeless areas, it can sometimes happen that there is neither a bunch of brushwood nor a stick for a tire. Then it is recommended to bandage the injured arm to the body, and the leg to the healthy leg.
At open fracture In addition to applying a splint, you need to treat the skin around the wound with tincture of iodine, apply a sterile bandage and, if possible, inject anti-tetanus serum. If the tourist is in serious condition, measures should be taken to prevent shock (see p. 46).
Damage to the spine, skull, and pelvis is especially dangerous. Here, emergency medical intervention is necessary, but the victim can be transported to a medical facility only if he is ensured complete rest (on a special stretcher, wooden board, etc.).
First aid for concussion. Characteristic signs: loss of consciousness (even short-term) and vomiting, then severe headaches. Providing assistance consists of creating absolute rest for the victim, raising the head and applying cold compresses to it; You should limit your intake of liquids, sweet tea is fine. Oral analgin, 1 tablet 2-4 times a day. Transport to hospital.
Rice. 44. Applying splints using improvised means for fractures.
Acute vascular insufficiency, fainting
Excessive physical activity in poorly trained tourists - significant excesses in the pace of movement, the weight of the backpack, the climb when moving in the mountains, etc. - can cause acute vascular insufficiency, manifested in severe general weakness, palpitations, pain in the heart area. A person’s lips, nose, and fingertips turn blue, their pulse quickens, and they feel short of breath. Heart failure is predisposed by acute infections, lung diseases, cold exposure, and chronic vascular and heart diseases.
Fainting can be a consequence of overheating of the body, or be caused by a violation of the traveling regime and a long break in eating. Fainting (shock) can also be caused by fear, loss of blood, and severe pain from a fracture, dislocation or bruise.
Prevention of acute vascular insufficiency, fainting. To prevent such phenomena, it is necessary to have good physical preparation for the hike, tourists to carefully check their health with specialists and follow their recommendations, gradually and consistently increase the load, good acclimatization, and adherence to work and rest schedules along the route.
First aid for acute vascular insufficiency. Give the victim a semi-sitting position, ensure complete physical and mental rest, free him from constricting clothing, give caffeine, cardamine, validol (under the tongue) or inject a solution of caffeine or camphor oil subcutaneously. The tourist must be warmed as much as possible and carefully transported to medical institution in a sitting or lying position with your head raised.
First aid for fainting. In case of fainting (severe pallor, cold sweat on the forehead, shallow breathing, darkening of the eyes, tinnitus, loss of consciousness), the victim should be laid down so that his head is lower than his feet, unbutton his clothes, sprinkle his chest and face with cold water, and give him a sniff. cotton wool with ammonia. Those who regain consciousness are given strong tea, coffee, and cardiac medications. For prolonged fainting, a solution of caffeine and camphor oil is administered.
HAZARDS, INJURIES AND ILLNESSES ASSOCIATED WITH ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS
Frostbite, freezing, colds
Cold is a fairly common danger when traveling, which for an unprepared tourist can cause chills, colds or frostbite. This applies not only to winter or high mountain routes. In wet, unsuitable clothing for the weather, with inadequate or irregular hot meals, excessive fatigue from overwhelming loads and insufficient sleep, life-threatening hypothermia can occur even at above-zero temperatures. This is also facilitated by wind and high humidity. It is no coincidence that 40-degree Siberian “dry” frosts are often more easily tolerated than temperature drops to -10° in the conditions of Primorye with its humid air.
Prevention of cooling. It consists of preliminary hardening of the body, maintaining personal hygiene and traveling regime, and using appropriate clothing and equipment. When traveling you must: wash your face every day and wash your feet before going to bed; dress according to the weather, having wind and waterproof clothing on hand (and in winter - a mask, spare mittens); do not remain motionless in the wind or rain; when stopping in cold weather, immediately put on warm clothes; Whenever possible, thoroughly dry clothes, socks, insoles; do not quench your thirst with cold water, snow, ice; pay special attention to your feet and remember that tight shoes, lack of insoles, and damp, dirty socks often serve as the main precondition for the appearance of abrasions and frostbite; Do not smear your limbs with any fat (including goose fat) for fear of frostbite; Constantly monitor your well-being and the well-being of your groupmates.
First aid for chills and frostbite. At the first signs of chills or frostbite, you should try to increase blood circulation in the affected area of the body: if your feet are cold, it is useful to make wide swings forward and backward (30-50 times), if your arms, vigorous swings from the shoulder, quickly clenching your fingers into fists and unclenching. If your nose, cheeks, or ears are frozen, you can, in order to cause a rush of blood to the face, walk some distance, bending forward strongly (without removing the backpack from your back), or do 10-15 deep bends forward. If this does not help, it is recommended to rub the affected area with dry, clean wool (not snow!) or just the palm of your hand until the sensitivity of the skin is restored. It is very useful to drink sweet hot tea or coffee from a thermos, eat a few glucose tablets with vitamin C or lumps of sugar.
If the swelling of the skin does not go away, you need to apply an aseptic bandage and wrap the frostbitten area with cotton wool or warm soft linen. When blisters appear, apply a bandage with penicillin ointment or synthomycin emulsion to the affected surface. If health worsens, analgin, amidopyrine, caffeine should be given orally and the tourist should be taken to a medical center.
First aid for freezing. In case of general freezing, the victim is immediately taken to a warm room or a large fire is lit nearby. They take vigorous measures to warm up by rubbing the body. They give cardiac medications and, if necessary, perform artificial respiration. Then the victim is dressed warmly, given hot, sweet, strong tea, fed and transported to the first aid station. If possible, caffeine and camphor oil are administered subcutaneously.
First aid for colds. The result of hypothermia can be tracheitis, bronchitis, and tonsillitis. With these diseases, body temperature rises by 1-3 degrees, headache, general weakness, and sore throat are felt. Treatment involves providing rest (days off) or reducing physical activity. General warming of the body, hot drinks, gargling with soda, a pale pink solution of potassium permanganate, a solution of table salt with a few drops of iodine are necessary; Milk with tea or soda (half a teaspoon per glass) is useful.
Among the drugs, sulfadimethoxine and white streptocide are effective.
Tourists with chronic inflammation of the upper respiratory tract are advised to rinse their throats when cooling down and then drink half a teaspoon of calendula or eucalyptus tincture diluted in a quarter glass of water.
Heatstroke
No less trouble than cooling can be caused by excessively high air temperatures, which sometimes lead to overheating of the body and heat stroke. Overheating is not necessarily associated with hot sunny weather. Sometimes high pressure (before a thunderstorm) or stagnation of air (for example, when moving in the humid atmosphere of a shady forest thicket) already causes symptoms of overheating in some tourists - increased sweating, weakness, headache, nose bleed, rapid breathing, nausea. Then, if you do not stop, heatstroke may occur with loss of consciousness.
Preventing Heat Stroke. To prevent overheating and heat stroke, you should follow some simple rules.
Do not wear unreasonably warm and “stuffy” (not providing ventilation and not absorbing sweat) clothing; in summer, transitions along the route should be made in the early, cool time of the day, and rest in hot weather; When moving, use shade or wind-blown places whenever possible; do not go out on the route immediately after eating a large meal; slow down in extreme heat.
First aid for heatstroke. The victim is transferred to the shade, freed from constricting clothing, given plenty of fluids, and his head and chest are wetted with cold water (the head should be elevated). If necessary, perform artificial respiration. Caffeine is given internally, and for headaches, amidopyrine and analgin.
First aid for nosebleeds. The victim is seated and provided with rest. A cold compress is placed on the bridge of the nose and the back of the head. If the bleeding does not stop, squeeze the nostrils for 3-5 minutes with your fingers or pack the bleeding nostril with cotton wool, gauze moistened with hydrogen peroxide.
Sunstroke, burn, snow blindness
Solar radiation in the form of strong or prolonged exposure to ultraviolet rays can cause sunstroke in a person - a phenomenon similar to heatstroke, and on unprotected skin or mucous membranes - burns. Even such a harmless form of burn as “overtanning” spoils the impression of the entire route and causes painful sensations from the backpack straps on the tourist’s shoulders. You should be especially careful in snow and water. Light reflected from a snow or water surface easily causes burns on the lips, ears, nasal mucosa, and chin. A special type of burn is a burn of the mucous membrane of the eyes - the so-called snow blindness, accompanied by pain in the eyes, nausea, lacrimation, and temporary loss of vision.
Prevention sunstroke, burns, snow blindness. In many ways similar to the above prevention of heatstroke. It is also necessary to comply with additional requirements: in summer, wear a light-colored hat with a visor and sunglasses; apply protective sunscreen creams (such as “Shield”, “Beam”, “Nivea”); tourists who are not accustomed to intense solar radiation should wear shirts with long sleeves and a closed neck; It is prohibited to sunbathe on a full or empty stomach, or to sleep in the sun; Sun hardening while traveling should be done gradually and carefully.
First aid for sunstroke and burns. See Thermal Burns and Heat Stroke sections.
First aid for snow blindness. The eyes are washed with a weak solution of boric acid, soda, a pale pink solution of potassium permanganate or strong cold tea. The victim is prescribed temporary rest and wearing dark glasses.
Wind chill, clogged eyes
Strong winds lead to hypothermia and frostbite even at moderately low temperatures. Below is a table that shows the relationship between air temperature and wind speed at which frostbite can easily occur on exposed parts of the face.
| Wind speed, m/sec | 2 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 13 |
| Air temperature | -41 | -25 | -15 | -11 | -7 |
The wind, which causes drifting snow, blizzards, and dust storms, significantly impairs visibility and distorts the idea of distances. Strong wind not only makes movement difficult and leads to loss of orientation, but also causes nervous fatigue, depression, and a kind of demoralization, especially among inexperienced tourists.
Preventing wind chill. Similar to the one above when describing the dangers of cold. In case of very strong wind, blizzard, blizzard, dust storm, it is necessary to stop moving along the route and settle down in a forced bivouac under the protection of a dense forest, steep river bank, etc. In windy and dusty weather, you must wear safety glasses to prevent eye contamination.
First aid for clogged eyes. Removal of a foreign body (speck) that has entered the mucous membrane of the eyelid or eyelid; apple, begin with examination of the mucous membrane of the lower eyelid. To do this, the victim is forced to look straight up and pull the edge of the eyelid down with the thumb. To examine the mucous membrane of the upper eyelid, the patient is asked to look straight down, while the skin of the eyelid is pulled down and then everted. Having discovered a speck, it is carefully removed with a damp cotton swab, preferably soaked in a solution of boric acid. If the speck is why-. or is not removed or is on the cornea, the victim should be sent to a medical center. Do not rub your eyes or lick the speck. After removing the speck, add 1-2 drops of albucid solution 3-4 times.
Electrocution
The danger of a person being struck by lightning is well known, although it is quite rare. When struck by a discharge of atmospheric electricity, the victim experiences convulsive contractions of the muscles of the torso and limbs, breathing becomes difficult, and burns appear on the skin. Such injury can occur even when the person was only near the site of the direct lightning strike.
Prevention of injury from atmospheric electricity. If a thunderstorm catches travelers in the forest, they should not hide under tall trees. Free-standing oak, poplar, spruce, and pine are especially dangerous. Lightning rarely strikes birch and maple trees.
If you are in an open place during a thunderstorm, it is better to lie down or sit down in a dry hole or ditch. It is also necessary to take into account the nature of the soil: on clay soil and near aquifers it is more dangerous to be in a thunderstorm than on rocky or sandy areas. When traveling in the mountains, if there is a danger of electrical discharges, tourists should avoid ridges, rocky ledges and other elevated points of the terrain.
A wet body and damp clothing can contribute to the lesion. Therefore, during a thunderstorm, you should quickly set up tents, lie down in them, change into dry clothes, and not get up unless absolutely necessary. It is recommended to move metal objects (dishes, axes, etc.) several meters away from the camp.
First aid for injury from atmospheric electricity. The person struck by lightning is immediately given artificial respiration; if the heart stops, a closed massage is performed and the body is warmed up. Caffeine, analgin, amidopyrine are given internally. If possible, antishock agents are administered subcutaneously: promedol, caffeine, ephedrine. After breathing and consciousness are restored, the victim should be given hot tea, the burns treated and transported to the hospital. Such a means of “treatment” as burying the victim in the ground is not only useless, but clearly harmful.
HAZARDS, INJURIES AND ILLNESSES ASSOCIATED WITH WILD ANIMALS AND POISONOUS PLANTS
Injuries by wild animals
Large predators are quite rare for tourists: animals, as a rule, smell a person long before he can see them, and, with rare exceptions, they always try to get out of his way. However, if the animal is disturbed, chased or injured, it can become dangerous. Wild animals are also dangerous because they sometimes carry various diseases. Thus, in some areas, tourists should not eat accidentally shot gophers, because they can be plague-bearing; wolves, foxes, stray dogs and cats may suffer from rabies and hydrophobia; They are also carriers of helminthic, fungal and other diseases.
Preventing an animal attack. Upon a chance meeting with big beast you need to give him the opportunity to escape, and not use weapons. You should shoot at an animal only when it is clearly attacking, when screaming, whistling, or fire does not help, and when you are guaranteed that the shot will be lethal. The gun must be reloaded immediately after firing. You should approach a fallen animal with caution, especially if its ears are flattened: the animal is still alive and can cause serious injury with its claws, teeth or horns.
First aid for animal injuries. First of all, you should stop the bleeding, then disinfect the skin around the wound, apply a bandage and administer anti-shock agents. A wound inflicted by an animal is always dirty and infected. Therefore, if possible, the victim is injected with anti-tetanus serum and taken to the hospital for treatment.
Bite from poisonous snakes and insects
While traveling, the possibility of meeting a poisonous snake cannot be ruled out. Usually this is a viper, and in the southern republics there are also cobra, viper, copperhead, efa (in total there are 14 species of poisonous reptiles on the territory of the USSR).
A snake bite can have very serious consequences, since the poison quickly affects the vital systems of the human body - cardiovascular, hematopoietic, and nervous. Within half an hour, the person bitten begins to experience general signs of poisoning: weakness, headache, vomiting, shortness of breath, dizziness, tissue swelling appears, and the lymph glands become inflamed.
Preventing a poisonous snake bite. To prevent a snake bite, tourists should know the conditions of their habitat and lifestyle. Snakes are common in wetlands, swamps, near overgrown lakes and ponds, in mountains and deserts. Being nocturnal animals, during the day they hide in old stumps, in haystacks, under stones or tree trunks. Therefore, it is better not to touch these objects with your bare hand, but to use a stick.
You need to be especially careful in abandoned quarries, among stone ruins, in a collapsed taiga hut - snakes sometimes settle in places left by humans. The same caution and a stick pointed forward (alpenstock, ice ax) are useful when moving quickly along the path: on the path, as on stone slabs or stumps, snakes like to bask on a sunny day. For a dormant reptile with a very weak sense of smell and hearing, the sudden appearance of a person may prevent it from hiding in the grass in a timely manner, and the pain from a crushing boot will force it to defend itself with a bite.
Anyone traveling to areas where there are many venomous snakes should wear thick trousers and high shoes. For the Far East, rubber boots are good in this regard, for some places in Siberia and Central Asia - cow boots, on mountain routes - boots with high welts and cuffs. A thick woolen sock significantly protects against bites.
Before traveling, you need to study the colors of snakes, their distinctive features and be able to recognize poisonous and harmless ones. For example, it is distinguished by two bright yellow heels in temporal region heads and round pupils.
A basic acquaintance with the appearance of snakes will allow you not to be afraid of encounters with a godwit and a copperhead. The first is not a snake, but a large legless lizard, the second, although a snake, is from the snake family. Both are not poisonous.
First aid for a snake bite. In the first minutes after the bite, you should try to suck out some of the venom from the wound. The bloody fluid that is sucked out should be spat out immediately. Suctioning cannot be performed by people who have sores or abrasions in their mouth. Then, using available materials, a splint is applied to the affected limb and measures are taken to urgently transport the victim to a medical facility. During transportation, it is recommended to put cold on the site of the bite and give as much liquid as possible in order to reduce the concentration of poison in the body and promote its excretion in the urine.
Rice. 45. Dangerous insects and plants: a - scorpion; b - karakurt: c - poisonous plant - milestone
The previously held opinion about the need for cauterization, incisions, and application of a tourniquet is now recognized as incorrect. Cauterization only enlarges the wound, promoting its suppuration, but does not destroy the poison; incisions do not always succeed in causing heavy bleeding, since the poison contains substances that cause rapid blood clotting, and the bite site itself is severely injured. Tightening a limb with a tourniquet also cannot stop the penetration of poison into the body, since it spreads not through the blood vessels, but through the lymphatic vessels.
If a syringe and injection medications are available, then the most radical method of treatment will be the immediate administration of antivenom serum, as well as cardiovascular drugs.
First aid for a poisonous insect bite. The bite of a poisonous insect is in many ways similar to that of a snake. The bites of the karakurt and scorpion are especially dangerous (Fig. 45, a, b), and the bites of the tarantula, phalanx (solpug) and centipede scolopendra are also very painful. Prevention of bites in the southern regions where these animals are found includes a thorough inspection of sleeping bags and tents before going to bed, sealing all holes in the tent (canopy), inspecting and shaking clothes and shoes before putting them on, and using repellents. If a tourist is bitten by a karakurt or a scorpion, then urgent administration of an antidote serum is necessary. If it is absent, before the doctor intervenes, you should put a bandage soaked in a strong solution of potassium permanganate on the wound, give half a glass of this weak solution inside, provide rest, warmth, and plenty of fluids.
The bite of a dozen bees or wasps also sometimes leads to a very painful condition for the victim. First aid consists of removing the bee sting (the wasp does not leave a sting), disinfecting the wound and applying alcohol compress. Oral ephedrine helps eliminate toxic effects.
Forest tick bite
Prevention of tick bites. If your travel time falls in May - early July (the time of greatest tick activity), then you should make inquiries in advance about the encephalitis danger of the area. A list of such territories, as well as vaccination, can be obtained at sanitary and epidemiological stations.
Hiking clothing for tourists is important. This is a windbreaker tucked into trousers or a thick (not made of fleecy fabric!) shirt, the cuffs of which are recommended to be made with double elastic bands. It is good to wear a tight-fitting T-shirt or vest under the shirt. Sweatpants are tied with a belt and tucked into socks. The head and neck are protected with a hood.
When walking the route, it should be taken into account that ticks prefer moist, shaded places with dense undergrowth and grass. There are a lot of ticks in young aspen trees, in clearings, and in raspberry fields. There are even more of them along trails, roads and in places where livestock graze.
In light groves without undergrowth, in dry pine forests, where it is windy and sunny, ticks, as a rule, do not occur. During. days in good weather conditions, ticks are most active in the morning and evening. Heavy rain or heat significantly reduces the risk of their attack.
On the route, it is recommended to inspect exposed parts of the body every 2-3 hours, and when stopping for a long rest (day and evening) to conduct a full inspection of clothing and body. In clothing, you need to especially carefully check all the folds, keeping in mind that ticks cannot be removed by shaking them off.
First aid when detecting a tick. If you find a tick embedded in the body, you need to lubricate it with some kind of fat and remove it from the skin after a few minutes. At the same time, it is important not to crush it and not to leave the head in the wound. Hands and the bite site must be disinfected. If after a few days the victim feels unwell, then he should be provided with complete rest and measures should be taken to quickly transport him to the nearest medical center. It is useful to consult a doctor immediately after a tick bite: the victim may be given a special serum or gamma globulin as a preventive measure.
Nuisance insects
Mosquitoes, midges, biting midges, and horseflies, although they are not, strictly speaking, dangerous insects, are often the most annoying and unpleasant travel companions. Their bites, in addition to itching of the skin, can cause increased irritability, loss of appetite, insomnia, and general nervous fatigue.
Preventing attacks by pests. The best means of personal protection against disturbing insects are repellents - repellent substances such as creams “Taiga”, “Tabu”, liquids “Repudnn”, “At Privale”, “Deta”, etc. In places especially abundant with such insects, gauze is used capes or special Pavlovsky nets impregnated with repellent drugs. The same preparations can be used to impregnate tents and outerwear.
First aid if an insect gets into your ear. To remove an insect or other foreign body from the ear, the victim lies on his side and some warm water is poured into the ear canal. After a minute he turns over to the other side and lies there for several minutes until foreign body will not come out with the water. If the foreign body does not come out, no further steps should be taken to remove it independently, and the victim is sent to a medical center.
First aid if an insect gets into your eyes, see above.
Poisoning and burns from poisonous wild plants
The cause of poisoning on a tourist route may be poisonous plant fruits.
Acute poisoning can be caused not only by fruits, but also by stems, roots, and flowers of plants. Such dangerous plants are hemlock (hemlock), black henbane, datura vulgare, poisonous aconite, Caucasian clump, speckled hemlock, Lobel's hellebore.
Poisonous wild plants also include leafless anabasis (barnyard grass), herbaceous periwinkle, splendid crocus, swamp whitewing, spring adonis (Adonis), gray yellowwort, marsh marigold, hoofed grass, caustic buttercup, common toadflax, red foxglove, leguminum, and comfrey.
Some plants, just touching their leaves, can cause skin burns with the appearance of blisters and even difficult-to-heal ulcers. These are the wolf's bast shrub (forest lilac), blue wrestler (monkshood), tuberous buten, ash and others.
Prevention of poisoning and burns from wild plants. When preparing for a trip, it is necessary to familiarize yourself with the plant identification guides with the most dangerous representatives of the plant world found in the area of the intended route. It is useful to make sketches or descriptions of such plants for yourself.
Every tourist should know the signs of the most insidious plant - the deadly plant (hemlock), growing in damp places along rivers, streams and swamps. It has trifoliate, strongly cut leaves of a bright green color, similar to chicken paws, a knotty thick stem with a reddish bloom, small white flowers like dill, the smell of parsley, and a fleshy multi-chambered pink root (Fig. 45 c).
During the hike, you must beware of trying unknown berries and collecting obviously poisonous plants in the herbarium.
First aid for plant poisoning and burns. See sections “Thermal burns” and “Poisoning...”. The victim must be urgently taken to the first aid station. It is advisable to take with you a copy of the plant that caused the injury or disease.
Poisoning with poisonous mushrooms
Of the poisonous mushrooms, the most famous are toadstools (whose poison almost immediately causes suffocation, convulsions, and delirium tremens) and fly agarics. In addition, there are many “camouflaged” poisonous mushrooms: false chanterelles, false honey mushrooms, boletus doubles - gall and satanic mushrooms, false valui, etc.
Some mushrooms that are edible in principle - morels, laticifers, some russula - if prepared incorrectly, also cause dangerous poisoning of the body.
Prevention of mushroom poisoning. First of all, you should carefully study the external signs of edible and poisonous mushrooms, exclude unknown mushrooms from the camping diet, as well as old ones or those requiring special processing.
When preparing mushroom dishes, you must remember that undercooked, undercooked, poorly washed, and even reheated mushrooms can also cause poisoning.
First aid for mushroom poisoning. See the section “Poisonings...”.
DANGERS, INJURIES AND DISEASES ASSOCIATED WITH SPECIFIC CONDITIONS OF TRAVEL IN THE MOUNTAINS AND ON THE WATER
Altitude sickness
While traveling in the mountains due to lack of oxygen and low blood pressure Tourists may develop altitude sickness. It is not necessarily associated with high altitudes. Its signs are shortness of breath, palpitations, dizziness, headaches, tinnitus, nausea, drowsiness, muscle weakness, nosebleeds, changes in mental reactions - can appear already at an altitude of 2,000-2,500 m.
Prevention of mountain sickness. The best way to prevent mountain sickness is proper active acclimatization, sufficient training of the body in the pre-hiking period, balanced nutrition and a good night's rest while traveling. Mountain sickness usually affects those who are tired or cold, or who have suffered acute infections and illnesses shortly before traveling. Eating acidic foods (for example, citric acid) and vitamin C helps prevent mountain sickness.
First aid for mountain sickness. Give the victim a rest, ensure peace, and drink plenty of sweet, strong tea. A large dose is beneficial ascorbic acid(vitamin C), amidopyrine, caffeine. If the condition worsens, descent to a lower altitude is recommended. With mild signs of mountain sickness, it is usually enough to unload the victim and reduce the pace of movement.
Rockfall injuries
Rockfalls are one of the common dangers in the mountains. A stone falling from above carries with it other pieces and blocks of rock and can cause a whole hail of stones. And the impact of just one small but high-speed stone is enough to cause a life-threatening injury to a person.
Preventing rockfall injuries. Everyone going to the mountains should remember that strong gusts of wind, thunderstorms, careless movements of animals and people, and mainly sudden daily temperature changes contribute to the fall of stones.
To avoid the danger of rockfall, you must refrain from driving at the foot of steep rocky slopes, and do not move along rock chutes (couloirs) or cross them. They are especially dangerous (in warm, clear weather) around noon and late in the evening. If a tourist accidentally touches a stone, it is his and his friends’ duty to immediately stop the stone or, in any case, to warn everyone below the slope by shouting: “Stone!” Even when a rockfall begins, as a rule, you can dodge the blow by jumping out to a safe place.
First aid for injuries. See “wounds”, “bruises”, “fractures”.
Avalanche danger
If a person gets caught in a dry avalanche, there is a very real danger of suffocation from the penetration of tiny particles of snow dust into the respiratory tract under the pressure of an air wave. A wet avalanche easily knocks a person off his feet and, when stopped, quickly freezes, threatening to bury the victim. Any avalanche is traumatic and can lead to freezing of a person.
Avalanche danger prevention. It largely comes down to following the previously mentioned recommendations for mountain tourism. If, despite the measures taken, the tourist group finds itself in an emergency situation, the salvation of the travelers will depend on the speed of their reaction and the decisiveness of their actions.
Having noticed an avalanche overtaking them, tourists should throw off their backpacks, unravel the ends of the avalanche cords and try to quickly move away from the avalanche, and if this fails, do everything to stay on its surface. In case of a dry dust avalanche, it is important to cover your mouth and nose tightly with a handkerchief or scarf.
First aid for avalanche victims. The victims are removed from the snow, artificial respiration is given to them, and after anti-shock measures are taken and splints are applied to the damaged areas, they are transported to the hospital. When searching for those caught in an avalanche and digging up snow, they use all available means: ski poles, skis, buckets, bucket lids, pots, etc.
If the victims could not be found, you should immediately report the accident to the control and rescue point, the local population, other tourists and climbers. There are known cases where victims were buried in an avalanche for several days, and then unearthed and brought back to life.
Accidents on the water
The largest number of accidents occur on water. The causes of accidents can be not only unsuccessful landing or disembarking from a kayak, being overwhelmed by a wave, an underwater rock, a large hole in the casing or a break in the shell, but also a violation of basic swimming rules or an ineptly organized crossing of a water barrier.
Preventing accidents on the water. When organizing swimming, the group leader must first inspect the place chosen for this and instruct the group to take the necessary precautions. On the shore (preferably in a boat), a person on duty from among the good swimmers is appointed to monitor the swimmers.
It is prohibited to dive in unknown places, swim in cold mountain lakes and rivers, or swim immediately after walking or eating. Swimming while intoxicated (even mildly) is strictly prohibited. It is not recommended, especially on mountain rivers, to wash alone or sunbathe on rocks over rough water.
On water routes, tourists must have individual and group life-saving equipment.
First aid for a drowning person. If possible, you should quickly throw a lifebuoy, rope, or stretch out a paddle to the victim. You need to swim up to a drowning person from behind and grab him by the collar of his clothes, hand or under the armpits. If he drowns a rescuer, cover the drowning man’s mouth and nose with your palm, or, in extreme cases, stun him and swim with him on his side or on his back, working with his free hand and legs.
During a boat trip, tourists who find themselves in the water near an overturned boat should hold on to it and swim to the nearest shore or shallow water. If it is far from the shore, then wait for help from other boats, which, as a rule, should not be more than 50-100 m apart from each other along the route. You can only accept victims from the water from the stern or bow of the boat.
After removing a drowning person from the water, open his mouth, clear the airways of sand and silt, remove water from the lungs and stomach (for which the victim is placed with his stomach on a bent knee and pressed several times on his back) and free his chest from constricting clothing. Then they begin artificial respiration.
Artificial respiration. Of the many methods, the most effective and universal is the “mouth to mouth” (or “mouth to nose”) method. With this method, the victim is placed on his back with his head thrown back sharply. The lower jaw is pushed forward to prevent the tongue from retracting, and air is blown into the victim’s mouth or nose 15-20 times a minute at equal intervals. To avoid air leakage, the victim’s nose is pinched with a hand as it enters the mouth.
If the victim’s pulse cannot be felt, then artificial respiration is recommended simultaneously indirect massage of the heart, carried out with jerky strokes of the palm on the area of the 4-5th rib to the left of the sternum with a frequency of 60-70 times per minute. This also contributes to general warming of the body.
When spontaneous breathing is completely restored, which sometimes occurs only a few hours after the start of continuous artificial respiration, the victim is given hot tea and cardiac medications. During artificial respiration, it is useful to give an injection of globeline and caffeine.
DISTRESS SIGNALS AND TRANSPORTATION OF VICTIMS
Distress signals
All tourists should know the signals given by those in distress or accident while traveling. Signals are given in any way: shouting, whistling, a flashlight, a mirror, waving a light object against a dark background or, conversely, a dark object against a light background. In clear weather, the white smoke of a fire is clearly visible (produced by adding green branches and moss to the fire), in cloudy weather - black smoke (resinous branches).
The frequency of the signal should be 6 times per minute, then a minute break and again a distress signal 6 times per minute. The response is the signal “Call accepted, help is on the way.” It is served at intervals of 3 times per minute, and also in any available way. Having received a distress signal, tourists must immediately provide assistance to their comrades, and if necessary, urgently report the emergency to the local tourist or mountaineering control and rescue point, authorities, and local residents.
Transportation of victims
In field conditions, transportation of victims can be done using various available means - a backpack, pole, skis, rope, etc. The main methods of transportation are shown in Fig. 46-49.
When transporting (especially in winter), the victim must be warmly dressed and placed in a sleeping bag. On the way, carefully monitor his health, give him strong sweet tea and, if necessary, heart medications.
Rice. 46. Transporting the victim: a-on a backpack and sticks; b-in a backpack; on the rope
Rice. 47. Transporting the victim together: a - on poles or skis with storm boots: b - on cross poles
Rice. 48. Carrying the victim on a pole.
Rice. 49. A drag for transporting a victim through the snow.
Every day life brings us surprises. It’s not the most pleasant thing when such unexpected things happen to our health or the health of those around us. In urban conditions, where it is possible to call an ambulance for the victim or independently transport him to medical institution, a person thinks little about first aid skills. Tourists, going on a hike, must have basic knowledge and skills in providing assistance to the victim: be able to properly apply bandages, be able to organize transportation of the victim, know about contraindications for certain injuries, and also have a specially selected first aid kit.
When hiking, you most often need to provide assistance for the following diseases and injuries.
Calluses and abrasions
Calluses and abrasions occur as a result of tight or wet shoes, trapped debris, rough darning, patches and creases in socks.
First aid
If watery blisters form, redness or swelling of the skin, it is necessary to treat the area with a mild antiseptic, then with antimicrobial ointment and seal it with an adhesive plaster. It is not recommended to pierce watery blisters to avoid infection, but if they cause severe discomfort and interfere with movement, you can pierce them with a heated needle, then apply a sterile bandage with antimicrobial ointment.
If you notice abrasions and redness that have not yet turned into painful calluses, you can cover the damaged areas with a cotton ring to avoid further injury.
Bruises
A bruise is an injury to the soft tissues of the body (skin, fat, blood vessels) without serious damage to the skin during a fall or impact with a blunt object. Bruises quickly disappear without any intervention and are classified as closed tissue injuries.
The main symptoms of a bruise: pain in the damaged area, the formation of a hematoma or edema as a result of rupture or increased permeability of blood vessels (in other words, swelling, bruising). If the injury is severe, a state of shock may occur.
Swelling at the site of the bruise is not always clearly expressed. In order to detect it, you need to examine and feel both legs. Hemorrhage at the site of a bruise is visible only when it occurs under the skin. If the hemorrhage occurs in deep-lying tissues, the color of the skin at the site of the bruise does not change at first. After 1–3 days it appears in the form of dark brown spots. If there is significant hemorrhage in the tissue, an increase in body temperature may be observed for several days. Sometimes a bruise is accompanied by an infection. In this case, the pain in the area of the bruise intensifies, the patient’s general condition worsens, and the body temperature rises to 38 °C.
Head contusions often accompanied by a concussion. The victim loses consciousness, dizziness, headache, nausea or vomiting, and tinnitus appear. He needs to be given complete rest and, if he loses consciousness, to be transported.
At bruise chest First of all, soft tissues and ribs are damaged. The main signs of lung damage are rapid deterioration in general condition, hemoptysis, pallor, frequent shallow breathing, loss of consciousness.
First aid
For all bruises, the damaged area (especially if there are abrasions) should be lubricated with tincture of iodine, a solution of potassium permanganate, alcohol or other antiseptic, and a pressure bandage should be applied. It is necessary to apply local cold (a bag or plastic bottle with snow, pieces of ice or cold water) for no more than 15 minutes, then after 2-3 minutes it should be repeated, and so on several times until the pain subsides. After the damaged vessels have healed (1-2 days), you can begin to treat the bruise with warming ointment to improve blood circulation and metabolism.
At chest contusion The victim should be given painkillers and sedatives. The victim should be freed from clothing that interferes with breathing freely, given a semi-sitting position, legs half bent at the knee joints and a soft cushion placed under them. Transport the victim only on a stretcher and with his head and shoulders elevated.
At abdominal contusion Internal bleeding and shock pose a particular danger to the body. The main signs are abdominal pain, pallor of the skin and mucous membranes, nausea, vomiting, weakening of the pulse. The victim must not be turned or given food or drink.
Sprained ligaments and muscles
A sprain is a partial or complete tear of a muscle or ligament (the connective fibers that strengthen joints). This usually occurs during heavy physical activity, which is disproportionate to the person’s capabilities. In addition, the problem can arise with awkward or very active movements, stress on unwarmed muscles.
Sprains most often occur in the ankle, knee and hip joints, as well as in the arm joints. The limbs of the muscles of the back and abdomen are subject to stretching. Damage to the articular ligaments is characterized by severe pain, swelling, later bruising and stiffness in movement. Severe damage (tears and tears) almost completely delays movement.
First aid
As with a fracture and dislocation, with a sprain the main task is to immobilize the injured limb. Any movement can break even more fibers, which are currently simply very stretched. In addition, sprains and fractures have similar symptoms, so there is no need to rub or stretch the sprained arm or walk the sprained leg.
First of all, it is necessary to apply cold to the damaged area, create rest for the victim, and apply a tight fixing bandage. In the first two days, cold compresses for 10-15 minutes with breaks are indicated, in the subsequent days - a warm compress and massage. In case of severe injury, the victim must be transported to the nearest medical center, where qualified specialists will take an x-ray and accurately determine whether it is a sprain, dislocation, or fracture.
Dislocations
This injury is a displacement of the articular ends of the bones beyond their normal range of motion. In case of injuries and various diseases of the joints, dislocation is accompanied by rupture of the joint capsule and ligaments with the articular end of one of the bones coming out of the capsule.
A dislocation is recognized by the following signs: complete impossibility of movement in the damaged joint, strong painful sensations, unnatural position of the leg associated with muscle contraction (for example, with dislocations in the hip joint, the leg is turned toe inside), a change in the outline of the joint in comparison with the same joint on a healthy leg, a change in the length of the leg, more often its shortening. When feeling a joint during dislocation, it is impossible to determine the articular head. In this place, an empty glenoid cavity is usually palpated. There is swelling in the area of the dislocated joint due to hemorrhage.
First aid
When providing first aid for sprains, you must first apply a splint or bandage to fix the leg in the most comfortable position for the victim. Ice (cold compress) must be placed on the area of the damaged joint. The use of painkillers is recommended. It should be borne in mind that a dislocation that occurs once can recur. This condition is called habitual dislocation.
Only a doctor can correct a dislocation. You should not try to reduce a dislocation on your own, as it is often quite difficult to determine whether the injury is a dislocation or a fracture. In addition, dislocations are often accompanied by cracks and even bone fractures.
Fractures
Bone fractures are the result of a severe injury or fall. First aid for such injuries is to ensure immobility of the injured part of the body. This is necessary in order to reduce pain and eliminate the possibility of further damage by a broken bone to the tissues surrounding it - muscles, blood vessels, nerves.
There are two types of fractures: closed and open. With a closed fracture, the skin and mucous membrane are not damaged. At the site of the fracture, bone deformation, swelling, hemorrhage, and abnormal mobility appear.
An open fracture is an open bleeding wound, often with protruding bone fragments. The victim sometimes experiences a state of shock.
First aid
Before applying a splint, you need to make sure that the fracture is closed, that is, the skin is not damaged. If the skin is damaged, it is necessary to pre-treat the wound and carefully apply a bandage. Under no circumstances should you reset bones on your own in an open fracture.
A bandage of sterile material is applied to the injured area of the body, and cloth or clothing is placed on top (so that the splint does not put pressure on the fracture area). After this, a splint is applied.
The splint material is placed over the damaged area of the body in such a way as to ensure complete rest of the injured area. The splint is fixed with a bandage or any material replacing it. Instead of a special tire, you can use small boards or pieces of plywood. The prepared object should capture not only the fracture site, but also one joint above and below it.
When providing first aid to the victim, it is necessary to administer an anesthetic. However, the choice of such a drug should be left to the doctor.
At fracture of the wrist joint it is necessary to create immobility of the bone, apply splints from available materials along the dorsal and palmar surfaces of the forearm and hand, securing with bandages. If there are no available materials for a splint, the arm needs to be bandaged to the body. In case of an open fracture, it is necessary to stop the bleeding as soon as possible - apply a tourniquet above the wound. You cannot lower your arm down with this injury; swelling and pain may increase. You need to hang it on a bandage across your neck.
At ankle fracture The victim cannot stand on his leg due to severe pain. A swelling appears at the site of the injury, and after a while a bruise appears. This symptom also occurs with ankle sprains and fractures. However, with a fracture, swelling and bruising are much more pronounced. A splint should be applied to the ankle joint and foot, secured with a bandage. Under no circumstances should you adjust the foot so as not to cause additional injury. A victim with an ankle injury must be transported.
At hip fractures First aid should be provided by 3 people. In this case, one stands at the victim’s feet, takes him by the heel with one hand, the back of the foot with the other, and while applying the splint, slightly pulls the injured limb towards him. A second person should also support the victim by the shoulders, and a third person should apply a splint. It is recommended to apply 2 splints: a long one - from the armpit to the outside of the ankle, and a short one - from the groin area to the inside of the ankle. Both splints should be strengthened in 2-3 places on the thigh and in 2 places on the shin. In addition, the long splint must be secured to the body with a bandage. In this case, the foot must be positioned at an angle of 90°. If you don’t have any suitable material at hand to make a splint, you can simply tightly bandage the injured leg to the healthy one.
Knee injuries
The knee is one of the main joints that distributes the load in the leg. Its stability allows the body to maintain vertical position when a person stands, walks or jumps. IN mountain hikes The knee joints experience increased stress both when climbing up and during steep descents. If there are any problems with the knee joints, tourists use fixing bandages and trekking poles. In case of any knee injuries (even if they were in the past), you should consult a doctor before the hike (he will conduct an examination, teach you how to apply an elastic bandage correctly, tell you about contraindications and advise how to avoid further injuries during the hike).
Knee tumor
Swelling of this joint is the main symptom of its damage. Due to the complexity of the knee joint, swelling may suddenly form around the damaged area. Moreover, it often reaches 7 cm above the knee on the front side of the thigh. However, in some cases the tumor is less noticeable.
A tumor that appears as a result of any injury to the knee can occur immediately after damage to the joint or several hours later. The most common knee injuries are due to kinks or dislocations, which typically occur when the knee suddenly bends or twists. The full extent of the knee damage can be determined some time after the injury.
When a knee tumor occurs, the victim experiences pain in the injured area, which intensifies over time. A small swelling may form on the outside of the knee or the back of the knee as a result of inflammation of the joint capsule.
Hamstring (hamstring) strain
The hamstring tendon is located between the bottom of the kneecap and the top of the shin bone. It performs the main function in knee extension.
This tendon plays an important role in all knee movements and can be easily strained when overexerted. Sprains are usually the result of constant, long-term stress. Ill-fitting shoes also cause sprains by preventing the knee from bending at the correct angle. When the hamstring is pulled, some of its tissue is torn, causing severe pain. However, this does not always prevent the normal functioning of the joint. When a tendon is stretched or partially torn, it becomes more rigid and scarred, limiting performance and causing severe pain when moving.
The tendon can be completely torn, causing the entire thigh muscle to lose its attachment point. The hamstring tendon can be torn from either heavy or light stress if it has been previously injured repeatedly. In this case, the victim experiences sharp pain in the leg. In this case, you need to seek help from a doctor.
When providing first aid for a tendon rupture, it is necessary to fix the leg, keeping it as little mobile as possible.
Patella injuries
When the anterior part of the kneecap is bruised, a large amount of synovial fluid is formed in the joint capsule. As a result, the knee swells and a large ovoid formation forms on it. The tumor is usually noticeable, but does not always cause pain or make it difficult for the person to move. Pain occurs when straightening and bending the knee and moving the skin on the joint.
If you have a kneecap injury, you should seek help from a doctor. The specialist will remove excess fluid, but the tumor may reappear. In order to completely remove the tumor, surgery will be required, as a result of which the very cause of tumor formation will be eliminated.
After treatment, the knee is placed in a cast to prevent fluid from forming in the kneecap. 4 weeks after surgery, the cast is removed and the rehabilitation process begins. A knee tumor arises and increases from constant loads on its front part. Often a tumor appears as a result of a knee injury (sudden blow or fall).
Patella displacement
This injury can occur at any age, but is most common in children. If the injury occurred in childhood, it is possible that it will occur later.
When treating an injury, a specialist must eliminate the mechanical defects that lead to the displacement of the patella or become its cause. To prevent the injury from becoming habitual, the doctor prescribes the patient a special program of exercises aimed at strengthening the inner part of the quadriceps.
If the kneecap is severely displaced, the patient may be advised to undergo surgery aimed at strengthening the kneecap from the inside. In more serious cases, it may be possible to remove the cup completely to avoid further problems.
Pain in the inner part of the knee
Such pain often occurs as a result of damage to the ligament that protects the inside of the knee when the knee is sharply turned (especially if it was in a bent position). This kind of injury can easily be caused by slipping. The ligament can be damaged slightly, stretching the tissue or causing a small tear. More severe damage, including complete rupture of the ligament, is also possible. Moreover, if the ligament is stretched at the places of attachment to the bone (on the shin or femur), it can cause bone damage.
The torn ligament can be felt through touch - it becomes soft to the touch. The joint is excessively mobile, since the torn ligament allows it to move freely. When a knee injury is severe, the victim experiences sudden, sharp pain in the inside of the knee as the joint twists. The pain can be short-lived or quite prolonged when it is impossible to move the leg. Swelling forms at the site of the rupture. If the ligament is completely torn, the tear can be noticed when a doctor examines the injured area, assessing the damage and moving the victim's leg to the side.
When the ligament ruptures, pain occurs in the kneecap, which will progress if you do not perform special exercises aimed at restoring motor functions after the injury. Sometimes when performing special exercises, pain persists in the injured area of the tendon. This may be caused by bone fragments remaining at the site of injury. This most often occurs when the tendon located on the femur is injured. Remaining bones are removed by surgical intervention, however, most often this problem is solved by performing a number of special exercises recommended by the doctor and aimed at strengthening the knee muscles.
In some cases, persistent knee pain is the result of more serious injuries that were not noticed in a timely manner. Such injuries often lead to damage to the ligament and the cartilage to which it is attached. In this case, the tendon in the middle part of the knee can also be injured.
If the victim feels continued pain when bending the knee (especially if the knee is swollen), it is necessary to consult a doctor again.
Burns
There are four degrees of burns. With a first degree burn, redness of the affected skin, burning, and pain are noted. With a second degree burn, bubbles with light contents appear on the skin, sometimes they burst. Burn III degree- the formation of scabs on the skin as a result of the coagulation of tissue proteins. With a fourth degree burn, not only the skin is affected, but also tissues, bones, and even charring.
First aid
For minor burns, it is recommended to place the affected part of the body in clean cold water as soon as possible (preferably pour it with a small stream) or cover it with pieces of ice - this protects the deep layers of tissue from damage and reduces pain. If necessary, free the affected area of skin from clothing, remove burning or liquid-soaked clothing (if the person is scalded). Flour, butter or vegetable oil and other similar products are absolutely unsuitable for treating burns. When providing first aid for burns, it is recommended to use only cold water or pieces of ice, and then only if there are no open wounds and minor damage to the skin. If a large area of skin is affected, then in this case, not water is used for cooling, but wet scarves intended for dressing burn wounds. Cooling has a calming effect on tissue, relieves pain, and prevents the spread of damage.
After the pain has subsided, carefully treat the burn with diluted alcohol or other antiseptic; in extreme cases, you can use strong tea, then apply a sterile bandage that should not put pressure on the burn or rub the skin when moving. In the future, bandages should be made using a special ointment. For burns of the face, mouth and throat, bandages are not applied.
Opening blisters while traveling is unacceptable. Do not remove the victim’s clothing or other foreign objects stuck to the affected skin. If the area of a deep burn exceeds 10-15% of the body surface, the victim develops a general body reaction called burn disease. After providing first aid, a person who has received a serious burn must be hospitalized.
When state of shock The victim needs to be warmly dressed, given complete rest, given painkillers and heart medications, and given hot tea.
In case of burns from poisonous plants, it is recommended to lubricate the affected area with alcohol or cologne, or with a fortified cream. On the route in the mountainous region, tourists must wear dark glasses, a gauze mask, and lubricate their lips and nose with fortified cream.
Heat and sunstroke
Heat stroke is an acute painful condition that occurs when the body overheats. As a result, the processes of heat generation are enhanced while heat transfer in the body is reduced or hampered, which disrupts its vital functions. Heatstroke is much easier to get than sunstroke: for him the sun is not prerequisite, it is enough to simply work hard in excessively warm clothes that do not allow air to pass through, or spend several hours in a stuffy room with poor ventilation.
Sunstroke is an acute painful condition that occurs due to overheating of the head by direct rays of the sun. As a result, the blood vessels of the brain dilate, and there is a strong flow of blood to the head, which can “stagnate” there. In some cases, even ruptures of small blood vessels occur in the brain, which threatens to disrupt the peripheral and central nervous systems of the human body. Sunstroke is special shape thermal shock. Sunstroke indicates that the body has acquired more heat than the body could manage to properly cool the organs and body. As a result, sweating and blood circulation are disrupted, and free radicals accumulate in the tissues. The consequences of such a blow can be very serious, and even threaten cardiac arrest and death of the victim.
Their signs are rapid breathing, increased sweating, redness of the skin, a feeling of dry mucous membranes, thirst, headache, shortness of breath, nausea, vomiting, weakness, tinnitus, drowsiness, and increased body temperature. 
First aid
It is necessary to exclude the influence of overheating factors: place the victim in the shade, unbutton clothes, put a wet towel on his head, and raise his legs slightly. If the victim is conscious, give cold water or cold tea to drink, and spray the body with cold water. The usual tincture of valerian will help well: 20 drops per third of a glass of water. If breathing is impaired or the pulse cannot be heard, immediately perform artificial respiration “mouth to mouth” or “mouth to nose” and closed cardiac massage.
Sunstroke may cause burns that need to be lubricated with Vaseline or a special cream.
Doctors, as a rule, after a person has suffered sunstroke, recommend bed rest for several days. This time is necessary for the body to restore the activity of the nervous system, blood circulation, and a number of biochemical reactions. This recommendation should not be neglected, otherwise the risk of a repeat shock will increase.
To prevent heat and sunstroke while hiking in mountainous areas, it is recommended to wear a hat (covering the face) and dark glasses, light, light-colored clothing, if possible moistened with water. It is recommended to wash your face and wet your hair with cool water - the mountain wind will cool the body and prevent overheating.
Hypothermia
Recognizing it is not so difficult. At first, a person experiences a surge of energy, he is overly excited, but at the same time there is a cyanosis of the nasolabial triangle and paleness of the skin. The patient is worried severe chills, shortness of breath, rapid pulse. If no therapeutic measures are taken during this period, excitement is replaced by apathy, lethargy, and lethargy. A person loses the ability to move, becomes weak and drowsy, and often loses consciousness. Failure to provide assistance in case of hypothermia leads to the cessation of cardiac and respiratory activity, resulting in the death of a person.
Depending on the patient’s condition, there are three degrees of hypothermia:
1. Lightweight. Body temperature is reduced to 32-34 degrees. The patient has chills, pale skin, a bluish tint to the lips and nasolabial triangle, “goose bumps”, the person can hardly speak due to trembling of the lower jaw and lips. Arterial pressure with mild hypothermia it remains within the normal range, sometimes slightly increases. The patient is able to move independently. At this stage, foci of frostbite of 1-2 degrees may appear.
2. Average. There is a further decrease in body temperature, it can reach 29-32 degrees. The skin acquires a bluish tint and becomes cold to the touch. The patient becomes indifferent to what is happening, apathy and drowsiness. With general hypothermia, a state of “numbness” is observed, in which the patient does not respond to spoken speech and other external stimuli. Blood pressure decreases slightly, the pulse slows down, and breathing becomes less frequent. The ability to move independently is lost. Frostbite can be up to the fourth degree. Lack of help for hypothermia middle stage leads to the development of various complications, in some cases to the death of the patient.
3. Heavy. A person’s body temperature drops below 31 degrees, with loss of consciousness and a slowing of the pulse to 30-35 beats per minute. With general hypothermia, the skin and mucous membranes become distinctly bluish, and swelling of the face, lips, hands and feet appears. The patient loses consciousness, convulsions appear, and the condition is aggravated by the transition to a coma. Blood pressure drops sharply, breathing becomes very rare. Frostbite at this stage of general hypothermia is quite severe. A person needs emergency medical care, otherwise he will die.
First aid
The main rule is to warm up gradually. In order not to cause even greater harm, you should not give the patient coffee and alcoholic beverages. It is not recommended to place a person in hot water without first warming it up. In case of hypothermia, it is forbidden to intensively rub the skin with snow, oil, alcohol-containing liquids, or simply with dry hands, as well as to pierce blisters that have formed at the site of frostbite. Do not use open fire to warm the victim. The use of these methods leads to a sharp temperature change, which is fraught with damage to small capillaries, the appearance of internal hemorrhages and other equally serious complications.
With mild hypothermia. Change into dry clothes and, if possible, wear warm clothes. If your hands are very cold, put on mittens and, bending down, swing your hands back and forth with a period of about one second. Warm your frozen feet in the same way. In this case, it is necessary to make the widest and most energetic swings possible. Vigorous movements will also help with general hypothermia. After this, you need to drink warm tea/coffee or heated water. After you feel that blood circulation in the frozen parts of the body has been restored, you can warm yourself by the fire. To prevent colds, take vitamin-containing, immunostimulating and anti-inflammatory drugs.
For more serious forms of hypothermia. The victim must be brought into a warm room or, if this is not possible, placed in a place protected from wind and precipitation. Wet clothing should be removed immediately, after which the patient should be wrapped in dry linen or a blanket/sleeping bag. If you notice hypothermia of your feet or head, it is enough to take off your wet shoes and put something warm on your head. If the person is conscious, it is necessary to give him a hot drink. In case of general hypothermia, it is advisable to take a bath first with warm water (in camping conditions, warm your feet in a pot of warm water), and then hotter, but not higher than 40 degrees. After water procedures the victim is wiped dry, placed in a warm bed and covered with heating pads or bottles of hot water. Frostbitten areas should be covered with clean, preferably sterile, bandages. The one who is in unconscious The patient must be monitored for breathing and pulse. In the absence of these, you should immediately begin chest compressions and artificial respiration. Upon returning consciousness, give the victim sugar, glucose, and bring ammonia to the nose.
After providing first aid, a person injured as a result of hypothermia must be taken to the hospital, even if at first glance his condition is satisfactory. Some complications can only be identified by a doctor.
Cuts and abrasions
Cuts and abrasions are frequent companions of tourists. In everyday life, we hardly pay attention to such trifles, but in hiking conditions it is worth paying a little attention to injuries of this kind.
A cut is a through-and-through damage to all layers of the skin, which in some cases may be accompanied by damage to the underlying tissues.
A scratch is a damage to the epidermis (the surface layer of the skin), limited in area and usually having a linear shape.
An abrasion is a larger defect in the surface layers of the skin.
Typically, cuts and abrasions cause slight bleeding that stops after 10 minutes.
First aid
If possible, you need to expose the wound to the stream cold water. This way you will wash the wound, in addition, the cold will constrict the blood vessels and help stop the bleeding faster.
If you get a cut, squeeze the edges of the wound with clean fingers to stop the bleeding.
Treat the wound with hydrogen peroxide (3%), and the edges of the wound with iodine or brilliant green. You should not allow iodine and brilliant green to get into the wound itself, especially if the cut is deep. Among natural preparations, you can use a decoction of cinquefoil or chamomile.
Fold a piece of sterile bandage in several layers, place it on the cut site and wrap it tightly with a bandage. When applying a bandage, keep in mind that if the bleeding is arterial (scarlet blood), it is better to tie a knot above the cut site, and if it is venous (dark blood), then below the cut site. Naturally, it must be tight enough to compress the blood vessels and limit the flow of blood to the cut site.
If necessary, you can apply an ice pack over the bandage for 10-15 minutes. The cold will reduce pain, help stop bleeding, and prevent swelling.
If first aid for a cut does not give results, and within 10-12 minutes you were unable to stop the bleeding, be sure to call an ambulance. Heavy bleeding can be stopped, or at least reduced, by applying pressure to the wound and holding it there. But in most everyday cases, this is not required, and the actions described above are quite sufficient.
When providing first aid for cuts and abrasions, do not put cotton wool on the wound, because when the bandage is removed, the damaged area may be injured again. Wet wounds heal faster and leave smaller scars than dry wounds. The crust that forms on dry wounds prevents the renewal of epidermal cells (the surface layer of the skin).
If the wound is quite serious and an infection has occurred, then the wound will heal by secondary intention, due to suppuration and the growth of granulation tissue. Inflammation infected wound may appear within a few hours in the form of redness, swelling of the edges of the wound, and even an increase in temperature. When inflammation begins, the wound becomes suppurated. This process occurs in two stages. In the first phase, pus is released, which melts the surrounding tissue. Due to this protective reaction of the body to infection, dead cells are rejected, bacteria are removed, etc. The second phase involves cleaning the wound and filling it with granulation tissue, which is subsequently replaced by connective tissue.
In the first phase, it is necessary to ensure a good outflow of purulent fluid, as well as protect the wound from infection. For the first 2-3 days, it is necessary to treat the wound with tampons soaked in a 10% solution of table salt, chlorhexidine, and hydrogen peroxide. You can apply dressings with a 10% solution of table salt, which effectively prevent the growth of bacteria in the wound and create conditions for the outflow of pus, blood clots, and dead cells. Washing the wound with hydrogen peroxide, due to the release of foam, very effectively disinfects and removes dead cells and pus from the wound along with the foam. After a few days, it is appropriate to use various ointments that improve the outflow of pus and have an antiseptic effect, for example, the well-proven Vishnevsky ointment. Streptocide-containing products can also be used. Additionally, it is necessary to use antiseptic agents to wash the wound, to destroy bacteria, as well as slow down the growth in the wound.
In the second phase, wound care is reduced to protecting the formed granulation tissue and preventing secondary infection. But it is impossible to use antiseptic agents, as well as ointments that increase the outflow of pus, at the second stage, since granulation tissue will be destroyed.
First aid for poisonous snake bites
Snake venom has no smell or taste. The local effect of the poison is expressed in sharp inflammatory irritation, and the resorptive (general) effect is expressed in damage to the central nervous system and hemolysis. The most dangerous bite is the face or head, since there is a large network of blood vessels through which the poison is quickly absorbed and reaches vital centers.
The best means of self-defense against snake bites are rubber or leather boots, since snakes' teeth are very fragile and easily break when penetrating thick leather or rubber. Thick wool socks, worn in summer in some areas, may also provide some protection against bites.
Signs of a snake bite:
- One or two pinpoint wounds or scratches that are clearly visible.
- Pain at the site of the bite and increasing swelling around the bite.
- Fever, severe nausea, vomiting, muscle weakness, drowsiness, cold sweat.
- Visual impairment (“double vision”).
- Labored breathing.
A person feels a prick, and a double mark of poisonous teeth is visible on the skin. No later than 20 minutes later, swelling appears, which increases over three days. Redness from the bite site stretches in stripes to the body (lymphangitis), the nearest lymph glands swell and become painful (lymphadenitis). A bubble with blood content appears at the site of the bite, later - necrosis, and hemorrhages around it. There may be loss of sensation in this area lasting up to two weeks. Often a secondary infection occurs. An hour after the bite, shortness of breath, palpitations, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, bitter taste and dry mouth appear. The pupils are dilated, but the reaction to light remains. Tremor is observed. Body temperature is increased. The pulse is increased. A discrepancy between the pulse and temperature is typical - with low fever (37.2–37.7), the pulse increases to 120 or more beats per minute.
First help
When bitten by non-venomous snakes (in this case, there are no punctures at the site of the bite, but abrasions remain), it is necessary to treat the bite site with an antiseptic and apply a sterile bandage.
First aid for a poisonous snake bite consists of the following immediate actions:
- ensuring complete immobility of the bitten limb;
- applying a sterile bandage to the bite site and treating it with an antiseptic, applying a splint to the injured limb;
- lying position of the victim and his complete immobility to prevent the spread of poison;
- plenty of warm drinks (tea, coffee, water);
- if necessary, artificial respiration and cardiac massage;
- to alleviate the general condition, give antihistamines to the victim;
- transporting the victim to the nearest hospital, where he will be injected with polyvalent anti-snake serum.
Still in some manuals for providing emergency care It is proposed that in the first 10-15 minutes after a snake bite, actively remove the venom from the wound by suctioning it out. Sucking out the poison does not pose a threat to the person providing assistance, provided that the oral mucosa is intact (no erosions).
This procedure will indeed remove some poison, but it will be too small to have a significant effect on the outcome. In addition to having no clinical advantage over other first aid methods, venom sucking is time-consuming and can deepen the damage. If you nevertheless choose this method of first aid, then remember that the poison should be quickly spat out, and there should be no damage to the mouth.
The limb must be immobilized with a splint or improvised means, the patient must be kept at rest, and transported only while lying down. Hot, strong tea or coffee should be given in large quantities.
If you are bitten by a snake, DO NOT:
Cut the bite site crosswise or cut out the affected area. Cuts from random objects (knives, glass shards) lead to infections. As a last resort, you can resort to pricking with a needle 2-3 times at the site of the bite if the fluid from the wound is poorly sucked out.
Cauterize the wound with hot objects, coals from a fire, or gunpowder. Cauterization of the bite site is ineffective because the length of the snake’s poisonous teeth reaches a centimeter, which is why the poison penetrates deep into the tissue, and superficial cauterization is not able to destroy it. And at the site of cauterization, a scab forms, under which suppuration begins.
Apply a tourniquet above the bite site. Applying a tourniquet to the affected limb worsens the condition of the victim and intensifies the phenomena of necrosis.
Drink alcohol. Remember that alcohol is not an antidote, but, on the contrary, weakens the effect of the serum and makes it difficult to remove the poison from the body, enhancing its effect.
First aid for insect bites
An entire article is devoted to this issue, so let’s focus on the main points.
First aid
1. Remove the sting from the wound. It is best to squeeze it out with tweezers or your nails so that it does not break and the bag of poison attached to it does not get crushed (in case of a bee sting).
2. Wash the bite area well with soap. It is preferable to use soap without fragrances or fillers, so as not to increase the allergic reaction.
3. If very little time has passed since the bite, then the poison most likely has not yet dissipated. To reduce the likelihood of an allergic reaction, the venom from the wound must be sucked out. This can be done using a glass or shot glass or by applying a piece of refined sugar to the bite site.
4. Make a compress. There are many recipes for compresses, use the method that is most convenient for you.
5. If the swelling increases, then it is necessary to take some antihistamine (anti-allergic) agent internally or externally. Such drugs should always be in your first aid kit. They can be either in the form of tablets or ointments, which help not only with insect bites, but also with hives or food allergies. These include the following medications: “Tavegil”, “Diphenhydramine”, “Diazolin”, “Cetrin”, “Gistalong”, “Suprastin”. Be sure to read the instructions before use. Creams that have an antiallergic effect are “Fenistil” gel and “Rescuer” balm.
6. After insect bites, your temperature may begin to rise. In this case, take a fever-reducing medicine. Drinking plenty of fluids is recommended.
If the measures taken do not help the victim, the swelling continues to increase and spreads to the respiratory tract, or signs of anaphylactic shock appear, it is necessary to proceed to emergency measures.
First aid for a drowning person
Place the victim on his back, tilt his head back, clear his mouth (if necessary) and perform mouth-to-mouth artificial respiration through a tightly pressed handkerchief or gauze pad. If the jaws are tightly clenched and it is impossible to open the mouth, the “mouth to nose” method should be used. If you lose your pulse, perform a closed cardiac massage at the same time. Kneeling on the right side of the victim, place the lower part of the palm on the sternum, and the palm of the other hand on top and rhythmically squeeze the chest, about 80 times per minute. Perform artificial respiration continuously until full recovery breathing.
Food poisoning
In a mild form, it is detected by discomfort in the abdomen, nausea, and malaise. First aid in this form is activated carbon or Sorbex capsules. Severe food poisoning requires serious support, for example, taking Entros-gel or its analogues - this way toxins are absorbed and the level of general poisoning is reduced. Alternatively, to cleanse the stomach, you can induce vomiting using a solution of potassium permanganate or baking soda. Repeat the procedure 2-3 times until bile flows. In this case, it is necessary to ensure that the victim’s body does not become dehydrated (drink plenty of fluids, medications to restore water-salt balance).
Strike by lightning
Cases are extremely rare, but you need to be prepared for anything. Signs of lightning damage: the victim experiences loss of balance, piercing headache, pain in the eyes and decreased vision, as well as hearing impairment. In especially severe cases, loss of consciousness, convulsions, loss of sensation in the upper and lower extremities, and dysfunction are observed. internal organs, eye and skin burns.
The victim is placed in a safe place on his back, his head is thrown back and the lower jaw is pulled back so that the lower teeth are above the upper teeth and the tongue does not block the airway. In case of loss of consciousness, artificial respiration and chest compressions are necessary. If possible, give the victim a sniff of ammonia. Burns from electric shock must be poured with plenty of water, after removing the burnt clothing, treat them with an antiseptic, and apply a bandage. After this, the victim should be changed into dry, clean clothes, covered with a blanket and given warm tea.
After first aid, hospitalization is necessary, since the consequences of a lightning strike may appear later.
Transportation of the victim
The method of transporting the victim depends on the state of the illness or injury, as well as on the nature of the terrain. For some injuries (dislocations, sprains, fractures of the bones of the arms and legs), the victim should be carried a short distance in the arms of one or two participants. Other methods of carrying are also recommended: on a backpack with a stick, in a backpack, on a rope. For more severe injuries, the victim should be carried on cross sticks, poles with windbreakers, stretchers, etc.
Tips for first aid while hiking and outdoors.
What every tourist should know, just in case.
First aid for heat and sunstroke
Sun and heat stroke are accompanied by weakening of the pulse and breathing, and redness of the skin. Severe - delirium, convulsions, hearing and vision disorders, loss of consciousness.
With heatstroke, breathing is shallow, rapid, the face is pale, with a bluish tint. The skin is dry and hot or covered in sticky sweat. With sunstroke, there may not be general overheating of the body. The pulse is increased. Muscle tone reduced.
It is necessary to lower body temperature to 38°C as quickly as possible.
Place the victim in the shade, undress, pour water on his head or wrap him in a wet T-shirt, fan him. In case of loss of consciousness, it is necessary to apply cold lotions to the neck and groin areas. You can wrap the victim in a wet sheet for 3-5 minutes or pour cold water over him.
To prevent heat and sunstroke while hiking, use a hat (cap, scarf, scarf), a T-shirt, or better yet, a thin shirt in light colors. If possible, dampen clothing with water. It is best to use cold water from a spring or river.
What to do if you have skin burns (sunburn or fire) while hiking?
The best treatments for burns at the moment are special medical supplies. When hiking in case of sunburn or burns near a fire, use Panthenol gel in soft packaging. It is much lighter than foam in a metal jar and very effective. You can use balms. For example, “Rescuer” or something else at your discretion. Don’t forget that the guide always has a burn remedy in his first aid kit, and it is important not to delay its application. For severe burns, apply a sterile bandage.
Help while camping with food poisoning
Mild food poisoning causes discomfort in the abdomen, nausea, and general malaise. The first aid for mild poisoning is activated carbon. During summer hikes, when food spoils faster in the heat, the risk of poisoning increases. Sorbex and its analogues are more effective than coal. Since the drug is encased in a gelatin capsule, it begins to act only after it is dissolved - immediately in the stomach. Typically, one Sorbex capsule is equivalent to four tablets activated carbon. It happens that because of unusual rough food, the stomach simply stops. In this case, prepare more liquid food. By diluting the porridge and adding nettle, primrose or other herbs to it, you will get a good soup.
If you have symptoms of severe food poisoning, it is advisable to immediately take Enteros-gel. It absorbs all toxins and reduces the level of poisoning in the body. Recently, the medicine can be bought in tubes that are convenient for transportation on the go.
In severe food poisoning, severe abdominal pain, vomiting, and diarrhea occur. In this case, you should immediately rinse your stomach, for which you need to drink a weak solution of potassium permanganate (potassium permanganate) or baking soda. The solution temperature should be within 36-37C. You need to drink it until vomiting is induced; in total, you can drink 3–6 liters of solution. If potassium permanganate is not available, you can add a little soap to warm water. It is advisable to repeat this procedure 2-3 times until bile appears, which indicates complete emptying of the stomach. After this, it is necessary to ensure peace and warm the victim. Then make a generous tonic drink (strong tea). It is necessary to give the victim plenty of water to “start” the stopped stomach.
You can also use Regidron to restore the acid-base balance disturbed due to the loss of electrolytes during vomiting and diarrhea. Glucose, which is part of the drug, helps maintain acid-base balance by absorbing salts and citrates.
Help for lightning strikes
Nature is unpredictable. Although lightning strikes are very rare, you should know what to do in such a situation.
Lay the victim on his back, tilt his head back and pull the lower jaw up so that the lower teeth are in front of the upper teeth. Take a deep breath, place mouth over mouth (or mouth over nose) and blow air into his lungs. Watch the chest: when it rises, let the victim exhale. Insufflation must be repeated every 3–5 seconds.
If the heartbeat cannot be heard, an indirect cardiac massage is performed simultaneously with artificial respiration: the palm of the hand is placed on the heart area and energetic shocks are made - 60–70 times per minute.
First aid for poisonous snake bites
A person feels a prick, and a double mark of poisonous teeth is visible on the skin. No later than 20 minutes later, swelling appears, which increases over three days. Redness from the bite site stretches in stripes to the body (lymphangitis), the nearest lymph glands swell and become painful (lymphadenitis). A bubble with blood content appears at the site of the bite, later - necrosis, and hemorrhages around it. There may be loss of sensation in this area lasting up to two weeks. Often a secondary infection occurs. An hour after the bite, shortness of breath, palpitations, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, bitter taste and dry mouth appear. The pupils are dilated, but the reaction to light remains. Tremor is observed. Body temperature is increased. The pulse is increased. A discrepancy between the pulse and temperature is typical - with low fever (37.2–37.7 C), the pulse increases to 120 or more beats per minute.
If you are bitten by a poisonous snake, you must immediately remove the poison from the wound with your mouth. In this case, the poison should be spat out, and there should be no damage to the mouth. Tourniquets, cuts, cauterization are categorically harmful, since they do not have time to prevent the absorption of the neurotoxic part of the poison, and the phenomena of necrosis after these measures only intensify. As a last resort, you can resort to pricking with a needle 2-3 times at the site of the bite if the fluid from the wound is poorly sucked out. Alcohol weakens the effect of the serum.
The limb must be immobilized with a splint or improvised means, the patient must be kept at rest, and transported only while lying down. Hot, strong tea or coffee should be given in large quantities.
Let me remind tourists traveling in Crimea that there are no snakes with deadly poison in the region.
Assistance during a hike with fractures (open and closed)
In these cases, it is necessary to exclude the possibility of movement of the broken limb by applying a splint and immediately call rescuers or take the victim to a medical facility in the nearest locality.
Trekking poles make excellent stretchers for carrying the victim (if he cannot walk on his own). If the pain is acute, give painkillers.
Strong painkillers are Solpadeine (active ingredients: paracetamol, caffeine, codeine) or Nimesil (active ingredient: nimesulide).
First aid for sprains and severe bruises
In both cases, it is necessary to apply a tight bandage and, if possible, cool the damaged part (then after a day - heat). In case of severe injuries, it is necessary to stop the hike and take the victim to the hospital.
A dislocated limb is characterized by a change in the configuration of the joint and severe pain with the slightest movement. The limb must be fixed in a state of minimal pain, or set back in place. If it is not possible to straighten it in place, the victim must be taken to the hospital. To carry the victim, it is necessary to build a hammock (from improvised fabric, a tent) tied to a pole or a stretcher (improvised branches or trekking poles tied together). The simplest stretchers can be made by threading poles through the sleeves of clothing.
Help when injured by a knife or other sharp objects
The edges of the open wound (along its circumference) must be treated with a solution of potassium permanganate or iodine; in extreme cases, vodka will do; the open wound itself should only be treated with peroxide, and bandaged with a sterile bandage. If sterile material is not available, make it yourself. To do this, take a clean piece of cloth (such as a T-shirt) and pass it over an open flame several times, and then apply iodine or another disinfectant to it.
In case of severe bleeding, it is necessary to apply a tourniquet from available materials and tighten it until the bleeding stops. Every 20 - 30 minutes, loosen the tourniquet for half a minute to drain the blood, and tighten it again. The injured limb should be kept elevated.
Help with frostbite and hypothermia while hiking
If your hands are very cold, put on mittens and, bending down, swing your hands back and forth with a period of about one second. Warm your frozen feet in the same way. In this case, it is necessary to make the widest and most energetic swings possible.
You cannot warm up frozen hands by holding them with outstretched fingers to the fire! The capillaries will quickly heat up and expand, and almost no blood will flow from the frozen, narrowed vessels. As a result, irreversible damage may occur.
With prolonged general hypothermia, shock may unexpectedly occur - temporary loss of consciousness. You need to act quickly - sit the victim down and throw warm clothes on him that you have at hand. Upon return of consciousness, give the victim sugar, glucose, and sniff ammonia.
An alternative way is to actively rub with alcohol, vodka and quickly in a warm place, preferably massage until it goes away. Carry out the procedure in a warm place.
In all cases of frostbite and hypothermia, the body and limbs should be warmed up gradually.
The article is very old, somewhere in the 70s of the last century,
but is still relevant.
One of the features tourist trip is that the group moves significantly away from populated areas for some time. At this time there may be urgency providing a tourist with one or another medical assistance, but there is no one to turn to for it. Therefore, those setting off on a multi-day hike must have a minimum of necessary medical knowledge.
The first thing a tourist may encounter during a hike is overheating. It usually occurs as a result of prolonged exposure to the sun. Therefore, it is recommended to go hiking early in the morning, and in hot weather, take a break and rest. All participants in the hike must wear a light-colored hat that reflects light rays well.
Signs of overheating include headache, dizziness, nosebleeds, general weakness, loss of appetite, and in severe cases, nausea, vomiting, fever, and sometimes loss of consciousness (fainting). If these signs appear in anyone in the group, you need to stop and take a break. It is imperative to remove the victim’s backpack, unbutton his shirt, and place the victim in the shade on a bedding (blanket, tent, etc.). At the same time, his head should be raised. A cold (but not icy!) bandage is placed on the head. To do this, moisten the towel with water and wring it lightly so that the water does not drain. It is better to take off your shoes, rinse your feet with cool water and dry them. This is quite enough for the tourist to restore his normal state. After lunch, when the heat subsides, he can continue his journey. However, he should not carry any heavy loads. In more severe cases of overheating, when the measures taken do not help, the patient should be given 1-2 glasses of strong tea or coffee to drink. In these cases, the group must set up a camp in a convenient place, move the victim there and arrange a day's rest until the tourist fully recovers. As a rule, after a night's rest, recovery occurs and the tourist can continue the journey lightly.
Sunburn can be a big nuisance for inexperienced tourists. They occur especially easily among those traveling by water and in mountainous areas, where the air is especially clean and transparent. It's very easy to protect yourself from them. To do this, you just need to know a sense of proportion. The skin should gradually get used to the sun's rays.
When burned, the skin becomes red, swollen, painful, and sometimes blisters appear filled with light yellow liquid.
In this case, the skin must be thoroughly cleaned of dirt (washed with a weak solution of potassium permanganate) and, after drying, generously lubricated with 5% syntomycin emulsion or streptocidal ointment, or boric vaseline. The lubricated surface of the skin is covered with a sterile napkin. If the skin of your shoulders is damaged, you should not wear a backpack. Such a tourist can continue moving with a small load in his hands (for example, a tent).
While hiking, you may suddenly get a stomach ache. The reasons for this are very different. Most often, abdominal pain appears after eating poor quality foods. They are especially often observed among those tourists who eat unripe fruits and berries (strawberries, apples, pears, cherry plums, etc.). Abdominal pain is often accompanied by nausea, vomiting and stool upset. In this case, the tongue is usually covered with a white coating.
The most effective measure in this case is gastric lavage. Every tourist should know how to do this: the sick person is given 2 liters of lukewarm (37°C) boiled water to drink, after which the stomach is emptied, inducing vomiting. After gastric lavage, the patient is given a tablet of norsulfazole or sulfodimezine and a cup of strong tea. Such a tourist should be removed from cooking in the future. A particularly dangerous sign of the disease is the appearance of blood in the stool. This may be associated with serious diseases such as dysentery and typhoid fever. In this case, the tourist is taken off the route and taken the shortest route to the hospital. The group equipment he carried must be disinfected (metal objects should be burned over a fire).
Injuries (bruises, fractures, dislocations) can cause great trouble along the way. An unexpected stone falling from above, a twisted leg, an unsuccessful jump - and the tourist urgently needs medical assistance.
What should you do if you have bruises? First of all, you need to examine and feel the site of the injury. There are different types of bruises. If there is no damage to the skin or bones and there is only significant pain when touched, it is recommended to clean the area of the bruise from dirt, lubricate it with iodine and apply cold (a heating pad or rubber bag with cold water).
Sometimes, with a head injury, headache, dizziness, nausea, vomiting and even short-term loss of consciousness may occur. These signs indicate a concussion. If you do not provide medical assistance to the victim, such cases can end in disaster. Therefore, such a patient must be laid down, freed from the weight of the backpack, cold on the head and warmth on the feet. He cannot continue the hike; the victim must be urgently sent to the hospital on a stretcher.
It is much more dangerous when the injury is accompanied by a fracture. In this case, in the conditions of a hike, provide some effective assistance it is difficult for the victim, although he urgently needs it.
Signs of a fracture of the bones of the arms and legs are an unusual position of the limb, severe pain when touched, crunching sounds when palpated. The situation may be complicated by internal or external bleeding at the fracture site. The victim is laid down and the bleeding is stopped by applying a tight bandage. If there is severe bleeding from the arteries, as can be judged by the scarlet color of the blood, immediately apply a tourniquet. After this, it is necessary to immobilize the injured limb, i.e., give it a stationary position. This can be done using long sticks or boards that are bandaged to the injured limb. The boards (or sticks) should be long enough to span two joints.
The patient must be urgently taken to the nearest medical station. At severe pain the victim should be given an analgin or pyramidon (amidopyrine) tablet.
Dislocations are no less unpleasant on the road; most often they occur when moving on slippery stones, boulders, or when crossing mountain streams and streams. The most common sprains are in the ankle, and when falling in shoulder joints. Signs of a dislocation are sharp pain in the joint area, limited mobility and unnatural position of the limb. If the ankle joint is dislocated, you must try to straighten the injured limb. To do this, when the muscles of the victim’s limbs are completely relaxed, a sharp pulling movement (jerk) of the foot is made, followed by bringing it into normal position. After this, the joint is tightly bandaged and cold is applied. But it is best not to correct the dislocation yourself, but to transport the victim to the nearest hospital, since even with a successful reduction such a tourist cannot continue to move.
Sometimes during a hike one of the tourists may catch a cold and get a sore throat, runny nose, or catarrh of the upper respiratory tract. The amount of assistance provided to the tourist depends on the severity of his condition. In case of significant soreness in the throat during swallowing, runny nose, headache with a rise in temperature to 38° or more, general weakness, etc., the tourist should be taken off the route and taken the shortest route to the nearest medical center. Temporary measures at this time include drinking plenty of fluids, gargling with a solution of manganese, and tablets for headaches (amidopyrine, etc.). If there is no increase in temperature, you can prescribe norsulfazole or sulfodimezin orally, 1 tablet 6 times a day (for 3-4 days) while gargling with a manganese solution;
Such a tourist can continue moving with the group, but without a backpack. He should also not be allowed to ford rivers, sunbathe, or generally become very overtired.
A good remedy for treating a runny nose while hiking is a folk remedy - onions or garlic, which the tourist should not only consume internally, but also put into the nose in the form of crushed gruel.
During a hike, there may also be a need to provide emergency assistance to someone struck by lightning or drowning. Every tourist should know that if you are caught in a thunderstorm on the way, you should not hide under the trees in a large group. This creates the possibility of convection, i.e. upward movement along the trunk of air heated by the bodies of tourists, and creates conditions of increased electrical conductivity, which facilitates the electrical discharge of lightning. During a thunderstorm, the group must disperse, hiding no I-2 people under any natural cover. If you have to provide assistance to a lightning victim, you must immediately put him in a dry place and give him artificial respiration. The most reliable way to do this is the following: you need to take as deep a breath as possible, then press your lips tightly to the victim’s lips and exhale. Then, with the palms of the hands, they compress the victim’s chest, while the air is partially released from his lungs (exhale), then they exhale the collected air into the victim’s lungs again (mouth to mouth) - inhale, and again compress his chest with the palms - exhale, etc.
The second method is to rhythmically spread the victim’s arms to the sides (inhale) and then press them to the side surfaces of the chest (exhale). With each of the described methods, 16-18 respiratory movements are made per minute, which corresponds to the breathing frequency of a person.
Remember that the sooner you start performing artificial respiration on someone struck by lightning, the greater the chance of saving him.
The life of a drowned person also depends on how quickly and correctly you began to perform artificial respiration. However, before performing artificial respiration, you must try to drain the water from the victim’s upper respiratory tract. To do this, he must be placed with his chest on some elevation (for example, the exposed thigh of a leg) and rhythmically press on the lateral surfaces of the chest. As a rule, this is enough for the water to pour out easily, freeing up space for air movement. Then artificial respiration is performed using one of the methods described above.
Remember that it is quite possible to avoid these troubles, you just need to know well the rules of movement for tourists on the march, follow them and be disciplined.
In addition, during a hike, there is sometimes a need to provide assistance when bitten by poisonous animals (snakes, scorpions, etc.). To avoid this, the person walking in front must skillfully choose the road and carefully look at his feet. The whole group, as a rule, walks in a chain one after another. Try to avoid cracks, bushes, piles of stones, especially their sunny side, where snakes like to bask in the sun. If you unexpectedly encounter a snake, do not make sudden movements, do not run, and best of all, do not move if the snake is close and is preparing to attack.
If the snake is not very close to you, slowly move back. If you are bitten, the wound must be thoroughly washed with a solution of manganese or hydrogen peroxide, the edges should be greased with Vaseline and a blood-sucking jar should be placed on the wound. You can use a glass or even a milk bottle for this.
The principle of operation of a blood-sucking cup is simple and consists in sucking blood from the wound as a result of creating reduced air pressure in the jar. To apply a blood suction cup, you need to take a thin wire, wrap a little cotton wool around it, moisten it with alcohol and light it. The burning cotton wool with alcohol is placed into an empty jar (bottle) and then quickly removed. After this, the jar is quickly pressed tightly with the hole to the bite site. As a result of a drop in air pressure inside the jar, the skin is drawn inside it and blood is sucked out of the wound. After this, the victim is given plenty of fluids and some wine.
A very effective way to suck blood from a bite site is also to suck out the venom from the wound with your mouth. The person who is sucking must intensively suck out the discharge from the wound, spitting it out and rinsing the mouth with a solution of manganese. Of course, such a tourist should not have any damage in his mouth; scratches, bites, diseased teeth. However, the most effective medical treatment in this case is the administration of anti-snake serum. Therefore, take the victim to the nearest medical station as quickly as possible. Remember that the patient should not move to reduce the absorption of the poison.
After a bite, applying a tourniquet above the bite site is sometimes helpful. Such a tourist should not go after this (if he is bitten in the leg). After taking the necessary measures, the victim needs complete rest for 2-3 days.
The need to apply a tourniquet also occurs during bleeding, especially arterial bleeding, when the blood is scarlet. The tourniquet should be applied 10-20 cm above the site of vessel damage and for no more than 2 hours!
When transporting the victim to the hospital, the tourniquet must be loosened every 2 hours until bleeding resumes and then applied again.
Remember that most of the described troubles can be avoided, you just need to be attentive to your surroundings, collected, be able to observe nature, and skillfully apply traffic rules, especially in dangerous sections of the road. The tourist should receive all this knowledge during the preparatory period for the trip.
