A fall can happen because of accidents at home or at work, when climbing on chairs, tables and sliding down stairs, but it can also occur due to fainting, dizziness or hypoglycemia that can be caused by the use of specific medications or some diseases.
Before attending to a person who has suffered a severe fall, it is important not to touch the person, as there may be a fracture of the spine and internal bleeding and if an improper movement is made it may worsen the victim's health.
After witnessing a person falling, it is necessary to check if they are conscious, asking their name, what happened and then, depending on the intensity, height, location and severity, it is necessary to call for help and call the SAMU ambulance at 192.
Thus, the steps to be followed according to the type of fall are:
1. Slight fall
A light fall is characterized when a person falls from his own height or from a place less than 2 meters and can occur, for example, walking a bicycle, slipping on the smooth floor or falling from a chair, the first aid of this type of fall requires the following precautions:
- Check the presence of bruises on the skin, observing any sign of bleeding; If you have a wound, you must wash the affected area with water, soap or saline and do not apply any type of ointment without medical advice; An antiseptic solution, based on thimerosal, can be applied if there is an abrasion-type wound, which is when the skin is skinned; Cover the area with a clean or sterile dressing to prevent infection.
If the person is elderly or if he / she has osteoporosis it is always important to see a general practitioner, because even if he has no symptoms or visible sign at the time of the fall, some type of fracture may have occurred.
Also, if even in the event of a light fall, the person has hit his head and is drowsy or vomiting, it is necessary to seek emergency medical attention, as he may have a skull injury. Here's what to do when someone hits their head during a fall:
2. Severe fall
A serious fall occurs when a person falls from a height of more than 2 meters, as on high stairs, balconies or terraces and the first aid that must be taken, in this case, are:
- Immediately call an ambulance by calling 192; Verify that the victim is awake by calling the person and checking that the person responds when called. Do not take the victim to the hospital, it is necessary to wait for the ambulance service, as health professionals are trained to mobilize people after suffering a fall. If you are unconscious, check your breathing for 10 seconds, by observing the movement of the chest, listening for air coming out of your nose and feeling the exhaled air; If the person is breathing, it is important to wait for the ambulance to continue specialized care; However, if the person is NOT breathing:
- It is necessary to start cardiac massage, with one hand over the other without bending your elbows; If you have a pocket mask, do 2 breaths every 30 cardiac massages; These maneuvers must be continued without moving the victim and only stopped when the ambulance arrives or when a person starts breathing again;
If the person is bleeding, the bleeding can be controlled by pressing the spot with the help of a clean cloth, however, this is not indicated in case of bleeding in the ear.
It is also important to always check whether the victim's hands, eyes and mouth are purple or if she vomits, as this can mean internal bleeding and head trauma. Check out more about other head trauma symptoms and treatment.
How to prevent serious falls
Some accidents can happen to children at home, due to severe falls from some furniture, stroller, walker, crib and windows, so some adjustments to the residence are necessary, such as placing screens on the windows and keeping the child always under surveillance. Check out what to do if a child falls and hits his head.
The elderly are also at risk of suffering severe falls, either because of slips on carpets, wet floors and steps or because they have a disease that causes weakness, dizziness and tremors, such as diabetes, labyrinthitis and parkinson's disease. In these cases, it is necessary to be careful on a daily basis, such as removing obstacles from the corridors, attaching carpets with tapes, wearing non-slip shoes and walking with the aid of walking sticks or walkers.
