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Medical Treatments Internal Bleeding Treat for shock and seek medical help. There is nothing else that you can do. If internal bleeding does not stop on its own, it must be surgically terminated. Epilepsy Allow the victim to have the seizure. Remove objects that may injure the victim during the attack. Be aware of the possibility of breathing emergency. Place victim on side after seizure has stopped. Electric Shock Do not touch the victim if he is still in contact with the electricity Turn off the power source or remove wires from the victim. After the rescue, check immediately for stopped breathing; if stopped, administer artificial resuscitation. Treat for shock. Psychological First Aid Catastrophic difficulties frequently bring about severe emotional reactions in the parties involved. These are often unpredictable but are normally only temporary. If the person is not violent, the first thing to do is to treat physical injuries. If person becomes violent, call for professional help, 911. Stay calm. Comfort the person; do not criticize him but on the other hand do not be overly solicitous. Avoid expressions such as "snap out of it", or "get hold of yourself." Avoid joking. Accept the person's feelings and try to reassure him. Make things as comfortable as possible. Involve the victim in meaningful but not overly taxing activity as soon as possible to help him release tensions and forget his troubles. Be patient with the disturbed. It may take awhile, but they will probably return to normal. Do not give sedatives or tranquilizers; these will only delay his adjustment to the situation. Diarrhea In some cases diarrhea can be a serious malady. When it occurs, the victim should stop eating solid food and start a diet of clear fluids, such as broths, Jell-O water, juices, and similar liquids. Milk and other dairy products should be avoided. Fluids could also include a sugared salt solution made with one and one-half tablespoons of sugar and one teaspoon of salt in a quart of water. Kaopectate also helps. While the diarrhea continues, pay particular attention to sanitation and hygiene to prevent spread of the disease. Hypothermia When the temperature of your body falls to a level at which your vital organs can no longer function you are experiencing hypothermia or exposure sickness. Hypothermia will develop rapidly and is caused by cold, wet and/or windy weather that chills the body at a speed faster than it can produce heat. A lack of energy-producing food and proper clothing will heighten the speed at which hypothermia will affect you. Always remember to bring extra clothing. It is important to hike at the speed of the slowest member of your party. Take frequent breaks and keep a close watch for members experiencing signs of fatigue. Exposure sickness generally occurs in temperatures of less than 10 C (50 F). Symptoms are easily recognizable: Feeling cold and constantly exercising to keep warm. Uncontrollable shivering and numbness. Violent shivers. Your mind becomes slow and starts to wander. Violent shivering ceases and muscles begin to stiffen and become un-coordinated. Exposed skin becomes blue and thoughts are foggy. Victim usually lacks the capability of realizing how serious the situation is. Pulse and respiration slows. Victim will not respond and becomes unconscious. The section of the brain controlling the heart and lungs ceases functioning. Treatment must be quick and efficient: Move the victim to a sheltered area, out of the elements. Remove wet clothing and replace with dry clothes and if possible, a sleeping bag. Wrap warm rocks and place them near the patient. Do not let the victim fall unconscious. Give the victim a warm, non-alcoholic drink. Allow another person in the sleeping bag to share body heat. Exhale warm air near the vicinity of the patients mouth and nose. Choking: The Heimlich Maneuver Choking on food is the sixth leading cause of accidental death in the U.S. Over 3,000 and as many as 6,000 deaths occur each year. The usual slap on the back does not help very much, but the Heimlich Maneuver is easy to administer and is quite safe if administered properly. Choking occurs when food is sucked into the windpipe instead of being swallowed. Onlookers often mistake the symptoms for those of a heart attack and administer inappropriate treatment. The maneuver utilizes air that is already in the lungs. Even when we've breathed out, we still have quite a bit of air in the lungs. The Maneuver forces the diaphragm upward which forces air up through the windpipe to dislodge the obstruction. The most important thing is to make sure the victim is choking, but the choking victim cannot talk. Therefore if the patient is still conscious, one must quickly ask questions that can be answered by shaking or nodding the head -- but quickly. The choking patient will soon collapse. The Maneuver forces air that is in the lungs out through the windpipe, dislodging the obstruction. This can be done with the patient in the standing or sitting positions or with the patient lying on his back. Back to the First Aid page.