SYMPTOMS AND SIGNS

SYMPTOMS AND SIGNS

Each injury and illness manifests itself in distinctive ways that may help your diagnosis. These clues are divided into two groups: symptoms and sighs. Some will be obvious, but other valuable ones may be overlooked unless you examine the casualty thoroughly form head to toe. A conscious casualty should be examined, wherever possible, in the position found, or with any obvious injury comfortably supported; an unconscious casualty’s airway must first be opened and secured. Use you sense – look, listen, fell. And smell. Be quick and alert, but be thorough, and do not skimp or make assumptions. Ask the casualty to describe any sensations your touch causes as the examination proceeds. Though you should handle the casualty gently, your touch must be firm enough to ensure that you will feel any swelling or irregularity, or detect a tender spot.

CHECKING FOR SYMPTOMS

These are sensations that the casualty feels or experiences, and may be able to describe. You may need to ask questions to establish their presence or absence. Ask a conscious casualty if there is any pain and exactly where it is felt. Examine that part particularly, and then any other sites where pain is felt; severe pain in one place can mask a more serious, but less painful injury at another. Other symptoms that may help you include nausea, giddiness, heat, cold, weakness, and impaired sensation. All symptoms should be assessed and confirmed, wherever appropriate, by an examination for signs of injury or illness.

LOOKING FOR SIGNS

These are details discovered by applying your senses—sight, touch, hearing, and smell – often in the course of an examination. It’s common sighs of injury include bleeding, swelling, tenderness, or deformity; signs of illness that are very often evident are a pale or flushed skin, sweating, a raised body temperature, and a rapid pulse.

Making a diagnosis form signs

Many signs are immediately obvious, but others may be discovered only in the course of thorough physical examination. If the casualty is not conscious, confused or otherwise unreliable, your diagnosis may have to be formed purely on the basis of the circumstances of the incident, information obtained from onlookers, and the signs you discover.

SYMPTOMS AND SIGNS OF INJURY OR ILLNESS

The casualty may tell you these symptoms:
• Pain
• Apprehension
• Heat
• Cold
• Loss of normal movement
• Loss of sensation
• Abnormal sensation
• Thirst
• Nausea
• Tingling
• Faintness
• Stiffness
• Momentary unconsciousness
• Weakness
• Memory loss
• Dizziness
• Sensation of broken bone


You may see these signs
• Anxiety and painful expression
• Unusual chest movement
• Sweating
• Wounds
• Bleeding from orifices
• Response to touch
• Response to speech
• Bruising
• Abnormal skin colour
• Muscle spasm
• Swelling
• Deformity
• Foreign bodies
• Needle marks
• Vomit
• Incontinence
• Containers and other circumstantial evidence


You sense of touch may reveal these signs

• Dampness
• Abnormal body temperature
• Tenderness to touch or pressure
• Swelling
• Deformity
• Irregularity
• Grating bone ends


You may hear these signs

• Noisy or weakness of breathing
• Groaning
• Sucking sounds (chest injury)
• Response to touch
• Response to speech


Your sense of smell may detect these signs. Remember to smell the casualty’s breath

• Acetone
• Alcoholic liquors
• Burning
• Gas or fumes
• Solvents or glue
• Incontinence