Ski or snowboard accidents – first aid training in Montreal, Laval, St-Hubert.

Par Hugo Surprenant Le 2019-03-02

Alpine skiing and snowboarding are exhilarating activities that keep you fit. However, these are also risky sports because several types of potential injuries can occur during practice. Fans are more at risk of injury but it is the experts who suffer the most serious injuries, especially because of their temerity and the high speed at which they make their descent.

Not surprisingly, knee injuries are most often reported in more than 35% of cases. This is known as anterior or posterior cruciate ligament sprain or meniscus tears. Some can be prevented with proper adjustment of our bindings, but these injuries are also often due to poor physical training of the skier.

A sprained knee is usually detected by the cracking during the accident, followed by a sharp pain and a feeling of dislocation in the movement. The joint will also swell. Do not necessarily rely on the size of the swelling or the level of pain of the patient, as this does not indicate the severity of the injury. The sprain can be benign if there is only a stretch of the ligament, moderately severe if there is partial tearing of the ligament, or serious if the ligament is completely teared apart.

What will first aid training will teach you?

During the Emergency First Aid CPR Course – Level C Red Cross, Standard First Aid CPR Course – Level C Red Cross and the Red Cross First Aid and Wilderness First Aid Course, you will learn first aid techniques appropriate to treat such common injuries on ski slopes. As soon as possible, stop all physical activity and keep the limb still and at rest. To prevent swelling, apply ice in a clean cloth that is affixed to the knee. If you have ibuprofen, it may help because it is an anti-inflammatory. Early management by a physician is required to correctly assess the severity of the sprain and to perform the necessary surgery to repair the injured ligament.

Another very common injury on the tracks is concussion. This may be caused by a contact of the head with another skier, with equipment on the track or a tree, or even following a contact of the head with the snow during a light fall. Concussion is usually recognized because of symptoms such as headaches, dizziness and balance problems or confusion, and after the accident, drowsiness, blurred vision or hypersensitivity to light. It is important to remember that these symptoms do not appear immediately but can occur within 48 hours of the fall or collision. Our Emergency First Aid CPR Course – Level C Red Cross, Standard First Aid CPR Course – Level C Red Cross and the Red Cross First Aid and Wilderness First Aid Course will help you to identify the symptoms of a concussion because the patient must quickly see a doctor to avoid any serious consequences. To prevent this type of injury, it is strongly recommended to wear a helmet when you practice risky sports, although for the moment, wearing a helmet on the ski slopes is not mandatory yet.

Finally, the other common injury on the ski slopes is the fracture of the leg or arm. In the event of an arm fracture, the fractured limb should be placed against the chest and surrounded by a scarf tied behind the neck to support the arm. If it is a leg fracture, place a temporary splint on each side of the fractured limb and secure with tissue without squeezing too hard to affect the blood circulation. It is important not to press the fracture, nor try to put the bone back in place. Ideally, the patient should not be moved without specialized support (first aid team, stretcher, ambulances) so it is important to ensure that the patient does not suffer from hypothermia, which occurs within one hour of the accident. Specialized techniques will be taught in the First Aid training in remote areas and in Basic Taping Workshop and Advanced Taping Workshop as it is in such cases that access to doctors will be the longest and sometimes you will not have at hand all the necessary medical equipment so we will give you tips to improvise with what you can find around you.

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