First Aid & Safety for Dummies [Paperback]

Arco (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0764552139 | ISBN-13: 978-0764552137 | Publication Date: January 31, 2000 | Edition: 1

Ask any fire/rescue or EMS person and they will tell you: the key to emergency response is preparedness. First comes prevention; knowing how to stop emergencies before they happen. Yet if sudden injury or illness occurs, knowing what to do can make the difference between a mild emergency and a serious one, or even between life and death. When you don’t know, panic usually results; now you’re part of the problem. But don’t fret; the information you need to be the first step in the solution – basic first aid and safety skills – is relatively simple and easy to learn. Easy to learn, yes, but if things go wrong, your learning suddenly makes all the difference.

First Aid and Safety For Dummies gives you the tools you need to save a life. Whether it’s performing CPR correctly or accident-proofing your home, this comprehensive guide shows you how to effectively prevent and respond to emergencies. In typical lively-yet-informative Dummies style, you’ll find out about dealing with:

• Wounds
• Burns
• Poisoning
• Shock
• Bites and stings
• Choking
• And much more

Thorough instructions detail each problem and its first aid; off-putting jargon is kept to a minimum and common sense to a maximum in considering not only the classic symptoms (for example, two hands on the throat for choking) but also the variations (what if that choking victim is you – and you’re alone?) that crop up in real-world emergencies. Emphasizing practicality and ready-to-use knowledge, this book also covers:

• Creating a first-aid kit
• Safety for all areas of the home
• Special needs of children, the elderly, and the disabled
• A chapter on hazards of the high-tech workplace
• Sports injuries and accidents
• Herbal remedies
• CPR and artificial respiration
• Emergency rescue procedures
• Who to call and when

Preparedness is peace of mind. With the knowledge you’ll gain from First Aid and Safety For Dummies, you can rest assured that you’ve taken the most effective steps against accidents and mishaps. You can also be confident that if an emergency does occur, yours will be the calmer, cooler head, and cooler heads are the ones that prevail.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Features step-by-step instructions and easy-to-follow illustrations!

Includes sections that address first aid for infants, children, and seniors!

When every second counts, you need to know first aid Smart first aid can mean the all difference in the world. This reliable guide gives you just what you need to know to handle emergencies— from tips on preventing accidents and following emergency protocol to determining when to call the doctor and more!

Discover how to: Bandage and splint a wound Prevent and treat sports injuries Create a first-aid kit Treat sudden illnesses Administer CPR and the Heimlich maneuver Safeguard your home and environment

The Dummies Way^™ Explanations in plain English "Get in, get out" information Icons and other navigational aids Tear-out cheat sheet Top ten lists A dash of humor and fun

Get smart! www.dummies.com Register to win cool prizes Browse exclusive articles and excerpts Get a free Dummies Daily^™ e-mail newsletter Chat with authors and preview other books Talk to us, ask questions, get answers

About the Author

Charles B. Inlander is the current president and Janet Worsley Norwood is a former editor at the People's Medical Society, the nation's largest non-profit consumer health organization.

Product Details

• Paperback: 332 pages
• Publisher: Arco; 1 edition (January 31, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764552139
• ISBN-13: 978-0764552137
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 2.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,345,284 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars First Aid and Safety For Dummies, February 19, 2000

By 

Theresa E Walden (Cromwell, CT) - See all my reviews

This review is from: First Aid & Safety for Dummies (Paperback)

I have been a big fan of the "For Dummies" series and own many copies of their books. However, my most recent purchase, First Aid and Safety for Dummies, has been extremely disappointing. The purpose of reading this book was to find a book that my first aid and CPR students could reference for more details than the standard class covered. However, I found the book to have incorrect information, and information that contradicts the nationally accepted standards. The authors are medical journalist with no documented emergency medical experience. The only section of the book that had reasonable information was the "Special Situations" section. The first aid, and preparation section has recommendations that could be harmfull, even deadly if followed. For example, the book mentions numerous times that first aid and CPR should be performed for 1-2 minutes before EMS(911) is activated, the national standard is; as soon as an adult person is found unresponsive to activate 911. The reason is that most adults go unconscious or into cardiac arrest is due to an irregular heart rhythm, this rhythm can only be reversed with defibrillation by a portable defibrillator (like in the show ER). This is why most communities have police, fire, and ambulances carrying these units, airlines also now carry them. A delay of a "few" minutes can mean the difference between life and death. The book also makes a recommendation for during an asthma attack to use the herbal supplement ephedra (it mixes alternative medicine in with traditional medicine, during the first aid section;versus having a seperate chapter addressing alternative medicine). Ephedra has been known to cause deaths in healthy young people (it is used as an energy boost, simular to caffeine)someone may misinterpret this and use it alongside with a prescibed asthma inhaler, this could be deadly. These are just a sampling of the mistakes (personally, the two most scariest in my opinion). I have written IDG books and hope to get a response. My recommendation is if you want a book on First Aid or CPR stick with a nationally recognized organization (i.e. American Red Cross, American Heart Association, National Safety Council)many of these publications are available online. And most importantly, take a class, the books are invaluable, but so isn't the hands on experience you will recieve. I am writing this as a First Aid and CPR Instructor with 12 years of emergency medicine experience. Once again, other than this particular book, I have enjoyed and found the "For Dummies" series very informative.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars In response, June 1, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: First Aid & Safety for Dummies (Paperback)

I have a copy of this book as well, and I decided to check on the comments of the last reviewer. I didn't find any mention of waiting 1-3 minutes before calling 911 in cases of CPR. In fact, the book makes a point of not putting off calling 911, especially if you haven't practiced CPR before. The book provides natural remedies interspersed in the text. They are noted with an icon next to the paragraph so the reader will know that these are alternatives to regular medicine. I am not an advocate of natural medicine, so I really didn't pay much attention to those paragraphs. I do suggest that anyone really serious in first aid should take a class (from Red Cross, for example). That is the only way you can safely practice CPR before really performing it.