Any open wound – one where there is a break in the skin – should be covered with a dressing to help prevent infection until new skin has had a chance to form over...

When treating open wounds it is important to protect both yourself and the patient from any risk of infection. The most likely source of contamination is body fluids – saliva, vomit or other secretions...

Shock in a medical sense is quite different from emotional or psychological shock. It means that the body’s circulation has failed, and insufficient blood supply is reaching vital organs. Shock, if progressive, can be...

The bones of the leg can be broken by impact, twisting or direct blows. Knees are commonly injured in sporting accidents and falls. The femur or thighbone is the strongest bone in the body...

The most common form of hip injury is a fracture of the neck of the femur (thigh bone) within the hip joint. The pelvis itself is usually injured by an indirect force such as...

A fractured collarbone is a common injury, usually resulting from a blow or fall on to the shoulder or a fall onto the outstretched hand. The clavicles or collarbones join the shoulder blades to...

Any head injury is potentially serious because of the risk of skull fracture or damage to the brain. There is also a risk of associated neck and spinal injury. A head injury can trigger...

People can develop an allergy to anything. Common causes include drugs and medicines, foods, pollen and insect bites or stings. An asthma attack may be triggered by an allergic reaction. The most common foods...

An EpiPen® is a life-saving device used to help patients suffering from an Anaphylactic reaction. The device contains an auto-injecting syringe of the drug Epinephrine / Adrenaline which is administered into the outer thigh....

The two primary emergencies that can arise in diabetic patients are very high and very low blood sugar. In medical terms, high blood sugar is called hyperglycemia, low blood sugar is called hypoglycemia. In...

In an unconscious patient, the most common cause of airway obstruction is when the muscles holding the tongue relax causing the tongue to fall back into the oral cavity blocking the airway. If it...

Heatstroke The most serious of the heat-related syndromes, heatstroke can be brought on by exercise or work in a hot environment, coupled with inadequate fluid intake. Young children, older adults, obese people, and people...

All foods contain small amounts of naturally occurring bacteria, however, improper cooking, handling or storage can result in the bacteria multiplying to large enough numbers to cause sickness – food poisoning. Food can also...

Asthma is a chronic (long-term), inflammatory disease in which the lining of a person’s airways becomes swollen and inflamed, the muscles surrounding the airways constrict and mucus production increases, leading to mucus plugs. Asthma...