10 days ago, my father slipped and
fell down the stairs.
He is 64 years old, weighing 85 kgs and a highly diabetic
patient. We found out the next day, when we took him to the hospital that he had
suffered a fracture between C5 and C6 vertebrae of his spine. This had
compressed the nerve next to it rendering his arms stiff and unmovable. The
doctor told us that the best thing we did was give him the right first aid that
saved him from paralysis.
Here are some of the things you can do when a
geriatric in your house falls down.
1. Do not move the person unless they
are in an emergency such as fire or if they have fallen in an awkward position.
If you have to move them, ensure their head is balanced. Do not attempt this
single handedly. Have one person near the neck and one near their feet. Call
your doctors immediately.
2. Check for their breathing,
especially if they are vomiting or have difficulty breathing, roll them to
their side. If they have breathing problems, do not attempt CPR, because that
can strain the neck, instead attempt chest compression techniques.
3. Make them lie on their back with
least stress to the neck. Any extra pressure may severe the nerves, rendering
them paralysed (worst case scenario).Add a neck brace if you have one handy.
4. Check for swelling and bruises.
Most of them will not appear immediately. Make them move their arms and legs to
check for onset of nerve damage.
5. Check their memory with a few
simple questions, such as the year, the current president or a few arithmetic problems,
to see impact on their speech pattern and brain function.
6. To manage the pain till the doctor
arrives, you can give them any pain killer such as Dolo 650, after they have
ingested some water and food.
First aid is critical to ensure the
patient does not suffer from any severe damage. Since spinal cord bones are non
regenerative, to ensure minimum damage, they need to be taken to the hospital
within 12 hours. Also any surgery that has been suggested needs to be done
within 24-36 hours to minimize the damage.
Currently, my father has undergone surgery,
where the doctors have inserted a titanium plate to help healing. A graft from
his neck was used to fuse the cervical vertebrae with the titanium. He is
healing slowly with the help of physiotherapy, which the most important postoperative care, for any bone & muscle related injuries.
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