Each year, 1 million people are victims of domestic accidents in France, and 20,000 die. 80% of accidents occur in the home and unfortunately, still "61% of French do not have the immediate reflex to practice a cardiac massage in front of an unconscious person who no longer breathes *", warns the French Red Cross.
Figures that the institution wishes to highlight on the occasion of the World First Aid Day organized on 9 September 2017. A way to raise awareness and mobilize the population on the actions that save waiting for help (firefighters usually arrive in 7 minutes, 15 minutes to Samu).
Pascal Cassan, national medical adviser of the French Red Cross explains how, by simple techniques and maneuvers, we can all one day be able to save a life.
What to do in case of cardiac arrest?
"It's a dramatic situation, but it's easy to take care of when you know what to do and how to do it well," says Pascal Cassan. Generally, the chances of survival are proportional to the number of people trained in first aid.
"First of all, it is essential to recognize cardiac arrest: the person collapses brutally, is unconscious and does not breathe, and must act immediately because every minute the victim loses a 10% chance of survival. purpose is to help him until help arrives. "
In this situation, three actions are to be put in the head:
- Call the emergency)
- Massage
- defibrillate
"Calling the helpers only helps us to help the victim, but also to help the person who is helping out, which is a very important support because it will explain to me how to do the cardiac massage, that I have already practiced or not. "
The right gestures? Locate the middle of the victim's chest (where the sternum is). Position the heel with one hand at this point, then place the other on the first. Stand over the victim and press 120 times per minute. We will help the victim until help arrives. If a defibrillator is nearby, you can use it. Very well designed and easy to use, just follow the instructions on the device: paste the electrodes, move away and the device then decides whether or not it must send an electric shock.
A person dies of a heart attack every ten minutes in France.
Actions to take in the face of a loss of consciousness
Unlike cardiac arrest, a person suffering from discomfort still breathes.
"The first thing to do is to place it on the side, in a safe lateral position (unless it has suffered a traumatic collision such as a car accident or a multi-storey fall.) Do not leave the victim on the back. because it can vomit or 'drop' his tongue back, which may obstruct his airway, "advises the doctor.
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A person cuts a finger, what to do?
Again, there are three things to do: press / extend / alert
"In case of total section of a limb such as a finger, a hand, an arm or a leg, the first thing to do is to stop the bleeding. bleeding, then the victim must be lengthened because the bleeding causes a loss of pressure in the body and the blood does not irrigate the brain enough, and finally, the help is alerted. "
And the member, what is it? "Put it in a clean plastic bag or bag (freezer bag) to protect it before putting it on a bed of ice.If it is not protected from the cold, the risk is to damage the tissues. So do not put it in the fridge - once in the hospital, a surgeon will be able to relocate it, "says Dr. Cassan.
And in case of suffocation?
"At the crossroads between the respiratory and digestive tracts, between the esophagus and the trachea, there is a valve that when we breathe sends air to the lungs and when we swallow sends food to the stomach If you swallow it, a foreign body can act as a plug blocking this valve and preventing breathing.
The more a sound comes out of the mouth of the victim, it is voiceless and no longer breathing, it then risk death by suffocation.
"We must act quickly to avoid cardiac arrest," warns our expert.
There are two things that can be done to effectively clear the airways: tap about 5 times between the shoulder blades or do the Heimlich maneuver.
How to do ? Place yourself behind the victim, put one point on the stomach, and the other on the first, press back and up to send air to expel the foreign body. For a child, press in the middle of the chest 5 times in a row.
Burns, wounds ... Good reflexes
Burns are very common accidents and unfortunately, people often use anything to treat them: fatty substances such as butter, ointment, cucumber! These are stupid ideas. The fat for example, maintains the heat, "protested Pascal Cassan.
The reflex to have is simply to water to prevent the formation of a blister, he advises. "In running water, not too cold.If the burn is larger than the hand of the victim, call for help for advice or transport to hospital if it is serious. a suitable product, advised by a doctor or pharmacist. "
In the event of a wound, two reflexes are to be adopted: to wash the hands, that one deals with oneself or the victim, to eliminate the microbes. Then the wound is washed with water (to which may be added Marseille soap) to remove 80% of the microbes. On the other hand, alcohol is avoided (because of the tingling sensations or burns it causes). Subsequently, we can possibly use a disinfectant that a health professional advises us.
We protect with a bandage. In the next 2-3 days, it is checked that the wound does not blush, that it does not become hot and that it is not painful because it can be a sign of a superinfected wound. You must consult a doctor.
How to train oneself to saving actions?
Initiations to saving gestures (for young and old), cardiac emergencies and a specific module on the prevention of accidents of everyday life (PREVIC) are on the agenda of the World First Aid Day.
But learning how to save can be done all year round. The Civil Prevention and Rescue Level 1 (PSC 1) training is offered throughout France (from the age of 10). During 8 hours, you can learn how to handle different accident situations and learn about risk reduction. In the end, we obtain by equivalence the European Patent of First Aid (BEPS).
Various initiations are also proposed: first aid, first aid child and infant, well-being and autonomy, self-protection, basic gestures (More information on www.croix-rouge.fr/)
* Ifop exclusive survey conducted in May 2017.
Thanks to Dr. Pascal Cassan, national medical adviser of the French Red Cross.
