1. Safety first! Get away from the snake. That's probably why it bit in the first place. Follow universal precautions and wear personal protective equipment if you have it.
Call 911 immediately! Waiting until the pain may lead to permanent tissue damage. Remember that calling 911 on a cell phone is different than a regular phone.
Do not elevate. Keep the bite below the level of the heart.
Wash the area with warm water and soap.
Remove constricting clothing and jewelry from the extremity. The area may swell and constricting items will cause tissue death.
2. The first step in controlling a bleeding wound is to plug the hole. Blood needs to clot in order to start the healing process and stop the bleeding. Just like ice won't form on the rapids of a river, blood will not coagulate when it's flowing.
The best way to stop it is to...stop it. Put pressure directly on the wound. If you have some type of gauze, use it. Gauze pads hold the blood on the wound and help the components of the blood to stick together, promoting clotting. If you don't have gauze, terrycloth towels work almost as well.
If the gauze or towel soaks through with blood, add another layer. Never take off the gauze. Peeling blood soaked gauze off a wound removes vital clotting agents and encourages bleeding to resume.
3. To splint a broken ankle, splint the ankle with a pillow. You can also fashion a foot splint out of cardboard. Be sure to immobilize the foot and shin area as well. Any movement will result in pressure on the ankle. Do not wrap the ankle too tight.
6. Stay Safe! Follow universal precautions and wear personal protective equipment if you have it. The victim's bloody nose may be from trauma. Make sure you are not going to be hurt while helping the victim.
Lean forward, not back. Don't try to protect a favorite shirt by leaning back. The blood needs to go somewhere and will most likely go down the throat. If the victim leans back, blood could get in the windpipe causing a blocked airway, or go into the stomach. Blood may irritate the stomach lining and cause the victim to vomit.
Pinch the victim's nose just below the bony bridge. Your fingers should be on the soft tissue as well as the bone. If there is still blood flowing, adjust your grip. There should not be visible bleeding while you are holding the nose. Blood vessels that supply the nasal membrane can be pinched against the bony bridge (the hard part) to slow blood flow and create a clot. Hold the nose for at least 5 minutes. Do not let go to check bleeding until the 5 minutes is up.
After 5 minutes, release the pressure to see if the bleeding has stopped. If not, repeat Step 3 for 10 minutes this time. Remember: don't let go to check bleeding until the 10 minutes is up. Repeat for another 10 minutes if necessary.
If a nosebleed doesn't stop after the second or third try, it's time to see a doctor. If at any time, the victim feels lightheaded, dizzy, or weak, call 911. If left uncontrolled, bloody noses can lead to shock.
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