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Many household medical emergencies are not life-threatening; equipped with basic first-aid techniques, the homeowner can be prepared to handle most of them. However, in the event of a major medical emergency, the correct action taken quickly can maintain a life until medical help arrives. Familiarize yourself with the signs and symptoms of major medical emergencies (16); before a major medical emergency occurs, practice monitoring vital life signs-checking for breathing, taking a pulse and taking body temperature. Keep a well-stocked first-aid kit in your home (13) and know how to use the supplies it contains; refer to the First Aid table for the use and application of dressings and bandages. The Troubleshooting Guide (below) puts procedures for family medical emergencies at your fingertips; it provides you with quick-action steps to take. Familiarize yourself with the procedures for administering artificial respiration to an adult or child (17) and an infant up to 1 year old (19). Know how to treat a choking adult or child (23) and a choking infant (26). Practice placing a person in the recovery position (20). To be fully prepared for a major medical emergency, you should take a course in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), offered by the American or Canadian Red Cross and the American or Canadian Heart Association. CPR requires hands-on training and the guidance of professional instructors; administer it only if you are qualified. The list of Safety Tips at right covers basic guidelines to help prevent household medical emergencies. Refer to this article for details on preventing falls; information on preventing accidental poisoning. Keep at least one fire extinguisher rated ABC in your home and know how to use it (59). When confronted with a medical emergency, stay calm; the first step in providing assistance to a victim is clear thinking and an unpanicked response. For example, if you must rescue a victim from contact with a live current, don’t touch him or the electrical source; use a wooden broom handle or other wooden implement to knock him free, then monitor his vital life signs. Or, for instance, don’t attempt to remove an embedded object from the skin; immobilize the short or long embedded object, then seek medical help immediately. Post the telephone numbers for your local hospital emergency room, poison control center, physician, ambulance service, police and fire departments, and pharmacy near the telephone; in most regions, dial 911 in the event of a life-threatening emergency. If you must cope with a major medical emergency, first treat the victim, then call for medical help; if possible, instruct someone else to call. In the event of any medical emergency, don’t hesitate to call for help; even in situations that may not be life-threatening, medical professionals can answer questions concerning proper first-aid techniques and follow-up treatment. SAFETY TIPS: 1. Keep a well-stocked first-aid kit on hand and store it in a convenient, accessible place in your home. In the event of a family medical emergency, you will want anyone to be able to find and use it. 2. Don’t attempt to move a victim if a spinal injury or broken limb is suspected or if he complains of extreme pain. Cover the victim with a blanket to keep him warm and call for medical help immediately. 3. If a victim has no pulse or his pulse is weak or irregular, administer cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) only if you are qualified. An unqualified person who attempts to administer CPR risks harming the victim more than helping him; place him in the recovery position and call for medical help immediately. 4. Store medication and potentially harmful household products well out of the reach of children-behind a locked door or in a locked drawer. Don’t give a victim of ingested poison any thing to eat or drink and don’t induce vomiting unless instructed by a medical professional. 5. Carefully read the label on the container of a medication or household product. Follow the manufacturer's instructions and heed specific health or safety warnings. 6. Store knives and other sharp implements out of the reach of children. Never leave tools or other sharp objects on the ground where they can be tripped over or stepped on. 7. Uproot poisonous plants around your home; to avoid skin contact, wear heavy work gloves, a long-sleeved shirt and long pants. Have a lawn care professional remove poison ivy, poison oak or poison sumac if you are allergic. Don’t destroy poisonous plants by burning them; inhalation of the smoke may result in poisoning. 8. In snake-infested areas, wear protective boots; carefully watch where you step and reach with your hands. 9. During a heat wave or unusually high temperatures, avoid strenuous physical activity. If you must venture outdoors, stay in the shade and wear a hat to protect your head against the sun. Dress properly for hot weather-do not wear heavy clothing. To reflect heat and sunlight, wear light-colored clothing. 10. During extreme low temperatures, try to stay indoors. If you must venture outdoors, dress for the weather, guarding against frostbite of exposed skin or extremities-your nose, ears, face, hands and feet. 11. Childproof your home. Take the door off a refrigerator or freezer when storing or discarding it, preventing a child from trapping himself and possibly suffocating. 12. Don’t use any electrical unit near a toilet, bathtub, shower or sink, or around any other source of water. 13. Ensure that any swimming pool is fenced in and that the gate is kept locked when the area is unsupervised. 13 --- CREATE YOUR OWN FIRST AID KIT:
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