HOME HEALTH GUIDE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 24 December 1941, Page 5

HOME HEALTH GUIDE

WHAT TO DO IN CASE OF ACCIDENT. ELECTROCUTION. (Prepared and issued by the Health

Department.) The cause of death in many cases of electrocution is paralysis of the nerve centre which controls breathing. If the heart has not been directly affected by the current, artificial respiration applied by the prone pressure method (commonly known as Schafer’s meth od) often restores natural breathing. This allows ‘the still circulating blood to be aerated in the lungs. Paralysis may last for some considerable time, and sometimes it is necessary to continue artificial respiration for hours.' It should never be discontinued until it is absolutely certain that the heart has ceased beating. Keep the body warm. This is important. After natural breathing returns the patient must be kept lying down, and a close watch must be kept for hours to see that paralysis of breathing does not return. If it does, more artificial respiration is necessary. Where there are burns, treat them with tannic acid preparations or gentian violet jelly, if available, or simply cover with dry sterile gauze. The first step when a person is electrocuted is to remove him from the source of contact as quickly as possible, because the liability to fatal injury increases very quickly with longer duration of contact. Knock the electric wire away with a dry stick or a dry coat. If the patient has to be handled, do so with rubber gloves, or improvise with a rubber tobacco pouch, a golosh, or hotwater bag. A loop of rope and a dry woollen garment may be used. Don’t touch anything damp or made of metal. Even if you can’t help what other people may do, the sensible thing, of course, is not to get yourself electrocuted. Don’t meddle with electricity, especially with household appliances, and don’t handle anything electrical when standing in the wet, or if your hands are wet. Strange and painful things are liable to happen when you least expect them.