Drug Test Blog » Red Cross

How To Use First Aid Equipment

Detox Advisor — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 12:23:31 +0000

In addition to a well built first aid kit, one should consider procuring and learning how to properly use first aid equipment. Often times one can find a free first aid class sponsored in their community by either a local school, hospital, or by the Red Cross. Learning techniques such as proper bandaging, how to recognize and treat various types of trauma, and how to properly administer CPR can all matter greatly in an emergency.

One can do makeshift bandages, but other types of first aid require training. Learning how to properly perform CPR and use a respiratory mask can save someone’s life in an emergency. Alternate forms of resuscitation include rescue breathing techniques and the Heimlich maneuver for those who are choking or are unconscious but still have a pulse. In extreme cases, use of a portable defibrillator can help an unconscious victim who needs CPR administered. Not properly administering CPR can cause broken bones and damage to internal organs, so training is essential. Learning how to use a defibrillator is not difficult but can help regain a heartbeat in those who have no pulse. Proper training should be taught by a licensed professional, as it is possible to severely hurt someone if one is not careful.

For those who are severely injured and bleeding, knowing how to stop bleeding is crucial. Proper training in bandaging and trauma treatment techniques can stop severe bleeding and save a limb in cases where one might be subject to loss. Proper training in this area goes beyond reading a book; what one needs to know cannot be read out of a manual during an emergency. Training can also help one learn what to do in situations where they do not have the proper equipment and must improvise. Tourniquets, splints, slings, and bandages can be made out of many makeshift materials if one is properly taught how to improvise.

Including a guide with a first aid kit and any equipment may help in an emergency. Realistically, not everyone is going to remember what to do in an emergency, and the people available to help in an emergency may not have proper training. Consider making a custom first aid kit and storing it with any first aid equipment in an easy to get to location that is well marked. Having a first aid guide is also a necessity. One can often get free first aid guides and tools from the Red Cross, as well as training in various first aid programs and techniques. It may seem like a lot of bother to learn how to properly use first aid equipment and to be trained in techniques, but they are a small investment and may help save a life.

The Contents of a First Aid Kit – What Should Be In One

Detox Advisor — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 12:20:02 +0000

First aid kits can vary from person to person and group to group, depending on personal needs and the activities that one may get involved in. There are some basic items such as band aids that should be in every person’s kit, regardless. After including these essential items, a first aid kit should be tailored to personal needs and include item such as a bee sting kit, ace bandages, and a first aid guide to assist in the event of an emergency.

First aid kits can vary in their structure and contents. Depending on how many people they are supposed to serve may determine the quantity of some objects, such as how many bandages are contained in the kit. The level of activity or types of activities those individuals engage in can help determine the needs of the kit and what should be in it.

In general, a first aid kit for any group should always contain bandages in several types and sizes. Band aids are very inexpensive and a quick way to treat most cuts or wounds depending on their nature and size. To go with the assortment of band aids that should be in the first aid kit, triple antibiotic ointment or cream, an antiseptic spray, or alcohol wipes if not all three are a wise idea to clean and sterilize wounds prior to covering them with the proper bandage. Gauze and tape can be necessary for covering larger wounds, and having gauze square pads to lie underneath the gauze wrapping is a wise choice rather than having the wrap stick to wounds. These materials can come in handy for treating such wounds as burns or very large cuts. Gauze and tape can also help in the splinting process in the event of a broken bone or a severe sprain. Latex gloves should always be in the kit to protect those who are treating the wounds of others. Other nonmedical items such as a flashlight, tweezers, and a pocketknife can help in an emergency.

For those who have a first aid kit that will be serving children, special care and consideration should be given to their needs. Sometimes it is appropriate to buy things in smaller sizes that will better fit a child, or that will not be so uncomfortable when applied.

Other considerations should go to personal needs. Including medications is always a wise idea as essentials like aspirin can come in handy in the event of a suspected heart attack or just a painful injury. A bee sting kit can be useful for more than just bee stings. Ace bandages in one or two sizes can be useful in securing sprains, strains, broken bones, or old injuries that have been reinjured until medical treatment is obtained. For those who have proper training in first aid and CPR, having a CPR mask in the kit might help if there is ever a need for one. A first aid quick reference guide can come in handy when treating wounds, even if those who may be using it have not had official training. When in doubt, including an item is better than leaving it out.

Hair Drug Test and Its Validity

Detox Advisor — Thu, 08 Mar 2007 00:26:22 +0000

A hair drug test is a specialized kind of drug test that attempts to determine the presence of certain classes of drugs in the hair samples of a subject. The hair sample used for conducting the test may be taken from the head or other body part, in some cases extracting the hair from beneath the skin. A hair drug test can trace the history of substance (drug) abuse in a subject to as far back as six months. A number of points of criticism have been raised against hair drug tests, questioning their validity and social implications for certain ethnic groups. However, the procedure is increasingly being used in the US for various purposes.

Drug tests are performed to determine whether a certain drug, or any of its metabolized traces, exists in a body part or product of a person. A hair drug test is conducted to determine the presence (or absence) of a particular drug in the hair samples of a subject. The primary significance of a hair drug test lies in its high degree of accuracy; usually a typical hair drug test would trace the subject’s possible abuse of a particular drug to as far back as six months, especially for subjects who keep long hair. This is because the suspected substance of abuse gets encased in the hair shaft and is preserved there, making it easier for the tester to detect it even months after its use.

The process of performing a hair drug test is fairly simple. Hair samples are taken from any part of the subject’s body, preferably from the head, and tested at a chemical laboratory for detecting the presence of different kinds of drugs including marijuana, cocaine, opiates (morphine, codeine etc.), and amphetamines (e.g. Ecstasy). It is not very useful for subjects to try to get a negative result by shaving their head because hair samples from other body parts also provide evidence of drug abuse. Further, in case hair is not available, hair follicles can be tested for a particular class of drug without affecting the accuracy of the test. This can be much more painful for the subject on account of the extraction of hair follicles out of the skin.

A hair drug test should always be performed at an accredited chemical laboratory, showing whether the drug exists (positive) in the hair or not (negative). The result also shows, in case of a positive result, whether the subject is an occasional or high-level user. Efficient laboratories usually provide the test’s result in two days after receiving the sample. It is important not to mix hair from different body parts in a single sample i.e. hair collected from head are not to be mixed with that from the body. Also, samples collected from hairbrush, or some other object of use, are not recommended for testing.

Conducting a hair drug test of prospective employees is a growing trend in the US despite the cons of hair drug testing. While advocates of hair drug test stress that the results are not affected significantly by usual treatments like shampooing or dying etc., some studies claim that hair washed with certain brands of shampoos show a significantly lower concentration of drugs. Hair testing procedures have also been criticized for being racially biased, particularly against Africans. Further, hair tests may not prove sensitive for certain kinds of drugs, e.g. pot. Despite these points of criticism, the trend of using a hair drug test for determining a history of drug abuse is on a rise in the US.

First Aid Cabinets In Your House

Detox Advisor — Fri, 24 Feb 2006 23:10:23 +0000

Most houses now-a-days come with first aid cabinets in them (sometimes called a medical chest). Of course, most people have everything but first aid items up there. I understand why, it is a great out of the way place to store a whole bunch of things you use in the bathroom. I also feel, however, that you have to have some first aid items in your first aid kits, it is only fair. Not having that kind of stuff in your house is a big risk, and I do not know why you would want to take that kind of risk. The best cabinets have everything you need up there to take care of burns, bites, cuts, and sores. This could mean keeping a lot of stuff up there, but most first aid cabinets are pretty big so you should have no problem getting it all up there.

Now most are found in the bathroom but they can be in other areas of the house. If you do not have any there is nothing to worry about. You can go out to the store and get one at a good price. If you cannot find one you like (or find one at all) you should try a place like Lowe’s. If you can still not find any first aid kits you may want to turn your search to the internet. There are millions of places online that can sell you what you are looking for, and most of the time at a really good price. I mean, if worse comes to worse you could always try online auctions.

You may be asking why you have to have first aid kits to store your stuff in, and the answer has many different versions. First of all, most first aid stuff should be stored in a cool dry place, and that is what first aid cabinets give to you.

This keeps them cool and dry at the same time. Also, it is good to have all your first aid stuff in one spot, that way you do not have to go hunting for it when you really need it. After all, when you need first aid things, usually time is a big factor. I am not saying that you have to have a first aid cabinet to put your stuff in, but you should store all your first aid things in a cabinet. Of course, then that cabinet would become first aid cabinets. So yes, I really am telling you that you need first aid cabinets in your home. If you have a cabinet that is open now, without anything in it, you can use that place, however, if you do not have a cabinet then you should go out and get one.