Table Of Content

HOME EMERGENCY GUIDE HOME EMERGENCY GUIDE DK Publishing LONDON, NEW YORK, MUNICH, MELBOURNE, AND DELHI CONTRIBUTORS Dr. Vivien Armstrong • Dr. Sue Davidson • Professor Ian Davis David Holloway • John McGowan • Tony Wilkins David R.Goldmannn MD FACP • Allen R.Walker MD • John Cunningham Produced for Dorling Kindersley by COOLING BROWN 9–11 High Street, Hampton, Middlesex TW12 2SA Project Editor • Alison Bolus Senior Designer • Tish Mills Creative Director • Arthur Brown Managing Editor • Amanda Lebentz DORLING KINDERSLEY Senior Managing Editor • Jemima Dunne Managing Art Editor • Louise Dick Senior Art Editor • Marianne Markham DTP Designer • Julian Dams DK PUBLISHING Senior Editor • Jill Hamilton Senior Art Editor • Susan St. Louis Editorial Assistant • Kate Hamill Every effort has been made to ensure that the information contained in this book is complete and accurate. However, the publisher is not engaged in rendering professional advice or services to the individual reader. The ideas, procedures and suggestions contained in this book are general and not intended as a substitute for consulting a relevant specialist in individual cases. The publisher would in any event always advise the reader to consult his or her doctor or other health professional for specific information on personal health matters. The publisher cannot accept any legal responsibility for any loss or damage allegedly arising from any information or suggestion contained in this book. First published in the United States in 2003 by DK Publishing, Inc. 375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014 00 01 02 03 04 05 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Copyright © 2002 Dorling Kindersley All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the copyright owner. A catalog record for this book is available from the Library of Congress. ISBN 0-7894-9346-2 Color reproduction by GRB Editrice, Verona, Italy Printed and bound in Singapore by Star Standard Industries (Pte.) Ltd. See our complete product line at www.dk.com CONTENTS 1 FIRST AID Action in an emergency .................10 Resuscitation techniques ................12 Choking (adults and children)...........................22 Choking (babies under 1) .................................24 Heart attack.....................................25 Asthma attack .................................26 Shock................................................27 Anaphylactic shock .........................28 Head injury ......................................29 Stroke...............................................30 Severe bleeding...............................31 Penetrating chest wounds ............................................32 Cuts and scrapes..............................33 Nosebleed........................................39 Splinters ...........................................34 Emergency childbirth......................40 Eye wound.......................................35 Major seizures .................................42 Foreign object in the eye ...............36 Febrile seizures................................43 Chemicals in the eye .......................37 Broken arm......................................44 Bleeding from the mouth ..............38 Broken leg .......................................45 Spinal injuries ..................................46 Sprains and strains ..........................47 Severe burns ....................................48 Minor burns and scalds...................49 Sunburn ...........................................50 Heat exhaustion ..............................51 Heatstroke .......................................52 Fainting............................................53 Hypothermia ...................................54 Frostbite...........................................55 Swallowed poisons..........................56 Snake and spider bites....................57 Animal and tick bites.....................58 Insect and scorpion stings ...................59 First-aid equipment........60 2 FAMILY ILLNESS How to use this section .................66 Diarrhea (adults)............................128 Assessing symptoms (adults) ...........68 Diarrhea (children).........................130 Assessing symptoms Constipation .................................132 (children) ..........................................70 Chest pain.....................................134 Not feeling well .............................72 Palpitations...................................136 Fever (adults) ...................................74 Poor bladder control....................137 Fever (children) ................................76 Painful urination ..........................138 Excessive sweating .........................78 Back pain ......................................140 Lumps and swellings ......................80 Neck pain or stiffness....................142 Feeling faint /passing out ..............82 Arm or hand pain ........................144 Headache........................................84 Leg pain ........................................145 Vertigo ............................................86 Joint pain......................................146 Numbness and /or tingling ............88 Swollen ankles..............................148 Facial pain.......................................90 Erectile dysfunction .....................150 Difficulty speaking .........................91 Testes and scrotum Forgetfulness or confusion............92 problems.......................................151 General skin problems....................94 Penis problems .............................152 Rash with fever ..............................96 Breast problems ...........................154 Eye pain or irritation ......................98 Painful menstrual periods ...........156 Disturbed/impaired vision ...........100 Heavy menstrual periods .............157 Earache .........................................102 Abnormal vaginal bleeding........................................158 Sore throat ...................................103 Vaginal discharge.........................160 Hoarseness or loss of voice ..................................104 Genital irritation (women) .........................................161 Coughing (adults) ..........................106 Home medicine chest....................162 Coughing (children) .......................108 Caring for a sick person...............164 Shortness of breath (adults) ...........................................110 Breathing problems (children) ........................................112 Wheezing......................................114 Difficulty swallowing....................115 Vomiting (adults) ...........................116 Vomiting (children) ........................118 Abdominal pain (adults) ...........................................120 Abdominal pain (women) .........................................122 Abdominal pain (children) ........................................124 Abdominal swelling .....................126 Anal and rectal problems ............127 3 HOUSEHOLD EMERGENCIES Home safety..................................172 Yard safety....................................178 Fires in the home .........................180 Gas leaks .......................................184 Plumbing problems .......................................186 Central-heating problems .......................................192 Air-conditioning problems .......................................194 Electrical problems .......................196 Structural problems......................200 Insects and pests...........................208 Furniture and furnishings ....................................210 Home security...............................212 4 NATURAL DISASTERS Planning for disaster....................220 Tsunami.........................................242 Severe storm.................................226 Post-disaster survival....................244 Flood .............................................228 Extreme cold.................................230 Wildfire .........................................232 Hurricane ......................................234 Tornado.........................................236 Earthquake ...................................238 Volcanic eruption .........................240 Useful addresses and online listings........................250 Index .............................................253 Acknowledgments .......................256 1 FIRST AID Knowing what to do in a medical emergency, such as when someone suffers a heart attack, a deep chest wound, or a snake bite, could save the victim’s life. This section tells you how to recognize important symptoms and give appropriate first-aid treatment in a wide range of situations, with full details on resuscitating an unconscious person. Action in an Chemicals Swallowed poisons........56 emergency .....................10 in the eye.......................37 Snake and Resuscitation Bleeding from spider bites ....................57 techniques .....................12 the mouth .....................38 Animal and Choking Nosebleed......................39 tick bites ........................58 (adults and children).........22 Emergency Insect and Choking childbirth .......................40 scorpion stings...............59 (babies under 1) ...............24 Major seizures ...............42 First-aid equipment ......60 Heart attack...................25 Febrile seizures..............43 Asthma attack ...............26 Broken arm....................44 Shock..............................27 Broken leg .....................45 Anaphylactic shock .......28 Spinal injuries................46 Head injury....................29 Sprains and strains ........47 Stroke.............................30 Severe burns..................48 Severe bleeding ............31 Minor burns Penetrating chest and scalds ......................49 wounds ..........................32 Sunburn .........................50 Cuts and scrapes............33 Heat exhaustion............51 Splinters .........................34 Heatstroke .....................52 Eye wound.....................35 Fainting..........................53 Foreign object Hypothermia .................54 in the eye.......................36 Frostbite.........................55