Tips for Administering First Aid during New Year Holidays

You might get perplexed and panicked not knowing where to go if you get sick during New Year holidays. Many think that clinics will be closed during holidays, and fail to get in-time treatment.

You can call either the 119 emergency center or the 1339 medical information center if you are injured or fall sick during the holidays. Most of emergency rooms in general hospital will also remain open. Still, it will be of good help for you to know how to administer first aid just in case.

1. When you get a stomachache = Try to take a rest in bed. Drinking barley tea, honey-sweetened water, yogurt or sport drink will be of help, too. Take a digestive pill. For small kids and seniors, you had better take them to hospital. If the sick person continues to suffer from a stomachache, high fever, diarrhea and vomiting, which are symptoms of food poisoning, for more than a half-day, take him or her to hospital right away.

2. When you get cut by a knife or a sickle = Wash the wounded area with a saline solution or clean water, wrap the area with a towel to stop bleeding and go to hospital. Keep in mind that the wounded area must be held higher than the position of the heart for stopping of bleeding. When a finger was cut off, wrap the separated part with gauze or cloth and put it into a vinyl bag and then into cold water. You must not wash it with water or put it into alcohol because cells are killed in that way.

3. When you get burnt = Cover the affected area with clean cold wet towel for about ten minutes. Apply neither soybean paste nor ointment. If the burnt area just looks red, the cooling with wet towel will do, but the skin gets blistered or turns white, you need to go to hospital after administering first aid. If you get burnt by hot steam from a rice cooker, you must go to see a doctor since the wound may be worse then it looks.

4. When you get bitten by an animal = Wash the wounded area with clean water, use a disinfectant and wrap the area with gauze or cloth before going to hospital.

5. When you get fractured = If there is too much pain and you cannot work, or if the affected area changes the color of the skin and swells, chances are the bone is broken. Fix the area using a hard material such as a board. If you can`t fix the area, lie down and wait for the 911 or 1339 medic team to arrive instead of trying to walk.

(Consulted by Prof. Wang Sun-ju at emergency medical treatment department in Hallim University Seongshim Hospital in Pyeongchon & Prof, Song Hyeong-gon at emergency medical treatment department in Samsung Seoul Hospital)

Seong-Ju Lee stein33@donga.com