First Aid

Question 1

What are the 3 steps for first aid on a groomed slope?

Answer 1

1. Cover accident site to prevent collisions and call for rescuer. In the case of suffocation and severe external bleeding, we first help the injured person and then secure the scene and call for help.
2. Before the arrival of professional help, we try to make the waiting easier for the injured person.
3. When there is a possibility of new injuries, we do not move the injured person unless it is life-threatening, as this can cause more harm than good.

Question 2

What are the 7 steps to emergency first aid?

Answer 2

1. We remove our jacket or protective foil from the injured person or put it under him, if it is not dangerous, so that he does not get cold by moving.
2. We replace his wet gloves with our dry ones.
3. For an unconscious injured person who does not seem to be breathing and does not show signs of life, we check his vital functions.
4. In the case of breathing, we take care that the unconscious injured person does not choke on his tongue, saliva, and so on, then turn him on his side with his head to the side and his lower leg bent (lateral unconscious position).
5. If the casualty is not breathing and shows no signs of life, we should immediately start giving artificial respiration. Due to possible additional injuries to the cervical spine, we should not tilt the head back, this should be replaced by a special jaw grip (if we know how).
6. Check the heart’s function (feel the pulse in the neck) and, in the case of cardiac arrest, add a simultaneous heart massage: place crossed palms on the lower third of the sternum and press it 30 times in 20 seconds.
   —> This is followed by two breaths of artificial respiration and repeated chest compressions.
7. In an injured person who is bleeding heavily, we try to stop the bleeding: we press hard on the wound and cover it with a sterile dressing, and we elevate the injured limb if this does not cause pain.

Continue until resuscitation or the arrival of rescuers.

Question 3

What do we do with a victim in shock?

Answer 3

The victim in shock should be placed as comfortably as possible and allowed access to fresh air. Place the victim on his back (if there is no spinal injury) so that his head is on a flat surface with his legs raised. The other limbs can also be raised to get more blood to the head. Wrap the victim in foil or at least cover with our jacket to prevent hypothermia. Keep the unconscious person’s head tilted back with the jaw raised and mouth open. In the case of fainting, which can be caused by various causes, lay the fainted person with his head lower than the body to get more blood to the brain, and allow him to access to fresh air.

Question 4

What do we do in the case of limb injuries, head injuries, chest injuries, spinal injuries and lumbar/thoracic injuries when we are more familiar with first aid or no help is coming?

Answer 4

In the case of limb injuries, lift and immobilize the injured limb.

In the case of head injuries, if the injured person is conscious, lay them on their back and slightly raise their head.

In the case of chest injuries (difficulty breathing), lift the injured person higher - into a half-sitting position. We also treat injured persons with abdominal injuries in a similar way, and additionally bend their hips and knees.

In the case of spinal injuries, we generally do not move the injured person unless it is necessary due to external danger, in which case at least three people should help us. For cervical spine injuries, we apply a collar.

For lumbar and thoracic injuries, we place the injured person on a firm, flat surface, supporting the natural curves of the body.

Question 5

What do we do in the case of sunburn, snow blindness, sun stroke/heat stroke and frostbite?

Answer 5

For first-degree sunburn (red skin), apply an after-sun cream with vitamin E, a cooling cream, Vaseline or baking soda to the skin. For more severe burns, call for medical help.

Snow blindness is an inflammation of the conjunctiva, which is expressed in swollen eyelids, watery eyes and red vision or loss of it, and occurs in high altitudes if protective glasses are not used. Place the injured person in a dark room and apply cold compresses with boiled water, or diluted chamomile, to the eyes. If the injured person goes into the light, they should wear dark glasses for a few more days.

In the case of sunstroke, which occurs when the sun is directly exposed to an unprotected (uncovered) head, redness, headache, nausea, loss of balance, confusion. The affected person should be moved to cool shade as soon as possible, given a cold drink, and cold compresses (snow) should be applied to the head and chest.

Hypothermia and frostbite, or less dangerous frostbite, which most often occurs in those parts that are less covered with clothes or are at the end of the limbs. If it is frostbite, it is best to call for professional help, do not massage or rub the frostbitten parts, but place them in cold water, the temperature of which is slowly increased. In the case of hypothermia, we must warm the child gradually.

Question 6

What are the 6 most important tools to carry when skiing off-piste?

Answer 6

• Beacon
• Probe
• Shovel
• Foil
• Avalanche backpack
• AvaLung