Bites
When dealing with bites, there can be all sorts of different injuries. The main one will be bleeding. There could be rough tears or grazes and there could be puncture wounds in the skin. There could be bruising or even broken bones or soft tissue damage. The first thing we need to do is make sure the scene is safe. For example, if a dog had bitten somebody, make sure that the dog has been taken away, as you do not want to get bitten as well and become a patient yourself. Once safe, you need to treat the wound. You also need to clean it and ensure that we stop the bleeding. With serious cases, it may be a catastrophic bleed, so treat it accordingly. Snake bites could also occur.
Sting
Stings are slightly different because an insect has actually injected a toxin into the skin. Toxins from wasp or mosquito stings are injected and then not much can be done to stop the reaction. For some people, it may just hurt for a while, whilst others may have an allergic reaction. There may be some creams and ointments you can find which may help to reduce the pain. However, always gain the patients’ consent before applying any medication. The important thing with anything to do with stings is to check for allergic reactions? Ask the person if they are allergic to anything. If they say bees and they were stung by a bee – you have a problem. Call the ambulance as soon as possible. If you notice any problems with their breathing or they are feeling unwell, this may indicate an allergic reaction.