Injury Prevention
Health 11 Principles of Healthful Living
Appendix A1-A8

Injury Prevention
Morbidity/Mortality in the U.S.
Leading Killers & Causes of Disability
Recognizing Emergencies
The Cardiac Chain of Survival
Emergency Action Steps (check,call,care)
Rescue Breathing/CPR/Choking
Other Preventable Accidents

Injury Prevention
Intentional versus Unintentional Injuries
Major Public Health Problem in U.S.
Unintentional Injuries are the leading
cause of death for the population under
44 years old
Accidents are the 5th
leading cause of
death in this country

Vehicle Safety
 16-24 years old highest death rate
 Inexperience and Immaturity
 In 2002, 38,309 died in auto crashes
 Each year 1.9 million are disabled (140,000
permanently)
 Prevention: Risk Management
 1 car length for every 10mph, constantly scan around
you for new variables (drivers, road conditions,
weather, signs), drive w/low beams, drive
refreshed/sober, obey traffic laws, use seat belts, AAA
accident-avoidance techniques, when buying a car
look for safety technology, stay in car when in breaks
down

Pedestrian Safety
 13% of all motor vehicle deaths involve pedestrians
 82,000 pedestrians injured each year
 Very young & elderly have the highest death rates
 High risk situations – after dark, urban setting,
intersections w/blind corners
 Alcohol not a variable
 Prevention – wear reflective material/clothing, cross
only at crosswalks, look both ways, watch for turning
cars, walk facing traffic, don’t wear headphones

Cyclist safety
 63 million Americans ride bikes
 800 cyclists die each year
 Biggest risk factors – not wearing a helmet (ANSI approved),
riding after dark, children 10-14 years highest risk for injury, 87%
of fatal collisions are due to cyclist error – failure to yield, alcohol
plays a significant role in cyclists death/injuries
 Prevention – wear a helmet (ANSI approved), 85% of head
trauma due to not wearing a helmet, don’t drink & ride, respect
traffic, don’t assume right of way, know and use proper hand
signals, keep bicycle in proper working condition, ride w/the flow
of traffic, use bike paths when you can, same laws apply to
drivers and cyclist so share the road, stop at stop signs and red
lights

Water safety
 3rd
most common cause of accidental death
 85% of victims are teenage males
 Usually strong swimmers but they choose bad situations
 Risk factors – alcohol consumption, unorganized, unsupervised
conditions, swimming alone, diving into shallow, murky water
 Prevention – don’t drink alcohol and swim, you should be able to
swim at least 50 feet unassisted, know your limitations, never
swim alone, don’t leave children/infants unattended in water
(pools or bath tubs) even if it is shallow you can drown in 1” of
water, most neck and back injuries result from diving into shallow
water, careful when getting into a pool or other water source if it is
raining so hard you can’t see the bottom of the pool, river
currents. If you have a pool party hire a lifeguard.
 Awareness of people who have conditions where they might lose
consciousness (epileptics, diabetics, drug use)

Top 10 Killers in U.S. 1997
 1. Heart Disease 31.4%
 2. Cancer 23.2%
 3. Stroke 6.9%
 4. COPD 4.7%
 5. Accidents 4.1%
 6. Pneumonia/Influenza 3.7%
 7. Diabetes 2.7%
 8. Suicide 1.3%
 9. Kidney Disease 1.1%
 10. Chronic Liver Disease and Cirrhosis 1.1%

Heart Attack Signals
 Pale, clammy, SOB
 Faint, anxious, feeling
that death is imminent
 Tachycardia, thready
pulse, low BP
 Chest pain > 2 min.
 Radiating pain,
pressure, discomfort in
arm, jaw and back
 EKG might detect
elevation of ST segment
and Q wave
 ALOC – altered level of
consciousness measured
using Glasgow Coma
Scale
 Nausea/Vomiting
 Gastrointestinal Distress
 Activate E.M.S. as soon as
possible. Forty percent of
people die within the first
hour of a heart attack.

Heart Attack Trivia
 70% of heart attacks take place at home
 30% of heart attacks outside of home
 Most heart attacks occur Monday mornings
 Men and post-menopausal women are at
highest risk
 Men deny they are having a heart attack
 Women are treated for gastric or gynecology
problems – treatment delayed because
women present different s/s for heart attacks –
Women’s Health Initiative 1991

The Cardiac Chain of Survival
 The United States
Chain of Survival has 4
links:
1. Early Recognition and
access 911
2. Early CPR
3. Early Defibrillation
4. Early ACLS
 The Canadian Chain
of Survival has 7
links:
1. Healthy Habits –
prevention of risk
factors
2. Recognition of problem
3. Early 911
4. Early CPR
5. Early Defibrillation
6. Early ACLS
7. Early Rehabilitation

Adult, Child, Infant CPR
Key point: supply what is missing
A – airway (head tilt, chin lift)
B – breathing(10cc/kg/min)
C – circulation(30 compressions: 2 breaths)
D – defibrillation Adult and Child Only – Do Not Use
AED on Infants (“I’m clear, your clear, we’re all clear”) AED will
shock for 2 rhythms 1. ven. Fib 2. pulseless ven. Tach.

Emergency Action Steps
Check
check the scene, then check victim
Call
have someone call 911 and have them get
back to you – make eye contact
Care
ABC’s – A=airway, B=breathing,
C=circulation

Primary / Secondary Survey
Primary Survey – ABC’s –
This is YOUR job when you are CPR
certified
Secondary Survey – Head to Toe check
This is your job if you are First Aid certified
or an EMT or paramedic or advanced
medical personnel

Reasons to STOP CPR
When the scene becomes unsafe
You detect signs of circulation
An AED becomes available
You are too exhausted to continue
Another trained person takes over CPR
EMS personnel arrive and take over