What to look out for:
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• Pain and difficulty in breathing
• Confusion
• Shock
• Coughing up blood
• Blue lips and skin
• Blood frothing out of a wound
• Unconsciousness
What to do:
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1. Cover the wound immediately with your hand or, if the patient is conscious, their hand.
2. Cover the wound with a sterile dressing. If the wound is deep, cover this dressing with a plastic bag or similar and make an airtight seal by sticking down the four sides down with tape or securing it with a bandage.
3. If the casualty is conscious get them to sit down, leaning slightly towards the side that is injured.
4. Send for an ambulance.
IMPORTANT:
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If the casualty becomes unconscious, check they are still breathing and have a pulse, and put in the recovery position on their injured side. If breathing stops; start artificial ventilation and, if you lose a pulse, cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
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