Imbedded Objects/Sprained Fingers

How long it’ll take:

75 minutes

What the goal is:

The campers should develop basic first aid skills.

What the objectives are:

In a given first aid scenario, they should be able to identify “stop” and “go” aspects to the Scene Size Up. They should also be able to identify things that are included as a “stop and deal” item during the ABC’s. Campers should have experience assessing and stopping bleeding, and stabilizing an imbedded object and/or splinting an unusable finger injury

What you’ll need:

Moulage kit

7 imbedded object wrist bands

Wound care information cards

Broken finger information card

Gauze pads

Roller Gauze

Medical Tape

Popsicle sticks/tongue depressors

What you’ll do:

Introduction (10 min)

1. Create a story for your group to set the stage for the injury.

• Ex: Your group is part of a backcountry expedition that’s seeking to complete the Tahoe Rim Trail. You all are pretty famous in the world of expeditions, and you’re well trained in all emergency procedures as a result. After a cozy night of tent sleeping, you’re proceeding along the Tahoe Rim. 6 miles into your day’s hike your team leader (an instructor) falls and lands hand-first on a stick that was curiously lodged in the ground. ‘AHHHHHHH!!!!! MY HAND!!!!!!’ The leader yells. They’re flailing about and they smack their other hand on a rock…really hard. ‘Holy guacamole! My finger!!!!’* they shout, and they try (and fail) to bend their pointer finger. ‘I’ve got it’ says your other leader, with confidence. ‘Watch and learn, young grasshoppers.’ Your leader whips into action to help your impaired guide.”

Begin with one instructor demonstrating signs and symptoms of an imbedded object injury and/or a sprained finger.

*depending on time, you may want to pick one injury or the other. Gauge the group and how long this activity may take in order to plan accordingly.

2. The rescue instructor should go through a complete patient assessment system (get various campers to help you with aspects where you need multiple sets of hands)

   1. Scene Size Up

   2. ABC’s

   3. Head to Toe

   4. Vital Signs

   5. SAMPLE history

   6. Planning

   7. Treatment

3. Explain that what you just did was advanced first aid and response. What you’ll be teaching them today is just a piece of the entire process. After the day is over, they should have a bit of experience with broken arms and legs. Emphasize that this is NOT formal first aid training, and calling an adult or a trained emergency responder should always be their first go-to in any first aid situation. If they get really excited and interested by the day’s mini-training, provide them with information on local Community First Aid and WFA courses.

Scene Size Up and ABC’s (5 minutes)

4. Ask the campers, “Why is it important to make sure the scene is safe before trying to help someone who’s hurt?” Give several examples of scenes and have the campers yell “safe” or “not safe” after you’re done explaining. Make them as ridiculous as you see fit.

5. Ask the campers, “Why is it important to make sure someone can breathe and that they’re not bleeding profusely before you help fix their injury?”

Imbedded objects and sprained fingers (20 minutes)

6. Divide the group into three sub-groups. Each of the sub-groups will be presenting information on aspects of bandaging an imbedded object OR splinting a finger. Give the sub-groups the information cards: signs and symptoms, assessing the injury (is it usable?), and checking CSM’s. Give each sub group time to come up with a skit to convey the information on their cards to the rest of the group. Each sub-group will present their skit to the overall group.

7. The instructors will then demonstrate how to stabilize an imbedded object on one of the campers using gauze, tape, and roller bandage. Go slow and show the campers every step along the way. Re-check CSM’s after bandaging.

8. Talk about what to do next: get them out of the field and into a medical center for professional treatment.

Entire scenario (15 minutes)

9. Take half of the campers away with you. Give them a story and create an imbedded object using the moulage kit OR creating a ‘deformity and bruising’ on a finger for a sprained digit.

10. The rest of the group members are “responders”. Play a short game if you have time.

11. Make sure everyone checks to see if the scene is safe before treating their patient. Also make sure everyone sees that their patient can breathe and is not bleeding profusely before treating their patient.

12. Encourage them to “treat” their patients by assessing the injury, checking signs and symptoms, assessing usability, checking CSM’s, bandaging the wound OR splinting the finger. You might need to walk through each step as a group.*

*Kids will likely have lots of fun bandaging and splinting. You make need to switch partners so the previously injured camper can practice too.