6 Minutes to Save a Life (page 2 of 3)

Stay Calm

Heart Attack
Last winter, Ruth Carroll was watching her husband, Tom, shooting pool with some buddies at the local bowling alley where he worked part time. The 84-year-old had just finished a shot when he turned toward Ruth.

"He looked at me funny," Ruth says, "and that was that." She and a friend caught Tom before he hit the floor.

Tom's friend and boss, Don Lebold, came out of the kitchen as a staff member called 911. Knowing that Tom had had two previous heart attacks, Lebold -- who had taken four CPR courses over the years -- checked for a pulse. There was none. Lebold directed a friend to give breaths to Tom. Then Lebold began performing chest compressions. Twice, Tom began breathing again, and twice more he stopped.

Undaunted, the two continued CPR until paramedics arrived and used a defibrillator to restore Tom's heartbeat. "What Don did is the most important part," says Tom Carroll, who has made a full recovery and is grateful to be alive. "Without that, there wasn't much chance for me."

The following are possible signs of a heart attack: pain or pressure in the center of the chest, sometimes radiating down through the left or both arms; tingling in the jaw; cool, clammy skin; shortness of breath; nausea or lightheadedness. The symptoms vary widely: A good rule is to treat any of these unexpected symptoms as a heart attack. If the victim is conscious:

1. Call EMS. Check for an AED.

2. Encourage the victim to sit and stay calm.

3. If the victim has medication to take in the event of a heart attack, she should take it immediately.

4. Stay with the victim, monitoring her until help arrives. Proceed with steps for CPR if needed.

For someone who is unconscious:

1. Call EMS. Check for an AED.

2. Check for breathing and other signs of circulation to see if CPR is needed; if signs are present, lay victim on side and monitor until help arrives.



Burns
Derrick Harris was driving his 18-wheeler down a highway in southern Virginia last fall when he spotted a fireball in a drainage ditch. Curiously, the fire seemed to be moving. To Harris's horror, he realized he was looking at a person on fire. The 36-year-old pulled his truck over, grabbed a blanket, ran to the man and smothered the flames. The victim, a homeless man who had been set on fire, was severely burned over 60 percent of his body.

Harris called 911, keeping the man covered with a blanket and calm until help arrived. "I credit what I did with being in the military," says Harris. The man survived.

Burns are classified as first-, second- and third-degree (most severe). These rules apply to mild to moderate burns:

1. Running cool water over a burn may alleviate some of the pain.

2. Mild burns may be treated with burn creams. Don't use butter.

3. Any burn that encircles a body part (such as a wrist or finger), or any significant burn to the face, should be evaluated by a physician.

4. Cover burns with sterile bandages to keep them clean and dry.

5. If blisters form, don't open them.

For extensive or deep (third-degree) burns, take the following steps:

1. Call EMS.

2. Do not move the victim unless he's still in danger. Don't try to remove victim's clothing.

3. Cover the burns by laying a clean sheet or blanket over the burned area.

4. Raise burned areas above the level of the heart if possible. Monitor victim and proceed with steps for CPR if needed.

5. Protect the victim from drafts and keep the victim dry.

Injured Limb
For first aid, it is not very important to know whether an injury is a break or a sprain. If the body part is swollen and painful, assume the worst.

1. Call EMS. Have the victim lie down or get in a comfortable position.

2. Don't try to straighten or set the bone, or put weight on the limb.

3. Place an ice pack on the injury, with a clean cloth between the skin and the ice pack.

4. Remove the ice pack every 20 minutes for 5 minutes.

Comfort the victim. If you're away from civilization with no help on the way, you can transport the victim by improvising a splint:

1. Use a pillow, foam pad, thick newspaper, wooden slats or other materials to surround the limb, providing support to keep the bones from moving (. If the limb is crooked from the break, splint it that way rather than straightening it.

2. Use rope, twine, duct tape, a belt, T-shirt or other materials to secure the splint. Be sure the splint is held snugly but not too tight: You should be able to slip a finger comfortably between the binding and the splint.

3. Do not allow the victim to put weight on the limb during transport.

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• Do You Know CPR?
• Learn a lifesaving procedure, on your own schedule.
• 
• 7 First-Aid Standbys You Should Never Use
• Update your first-aid kit and learn which common treatments can be dangerous to use in an emergency.
• 
• Safety Resources
• Discover what you can do to protect those you love by checking out the best safety and first-aid information available online.
• 
• Swimming Pool Safety
• Keep your kids safe at the pool this summer.
• 

• Be Inspired
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• Virginia Cervasio: Making It Matter
• PLUS:
• Quiz: What's Your Celebrity Cause IQ?