Article: It is important to take steps to prevent an infection, especially if there is any broken skin around the area of the dislocation. Wait until professional medical personnel arrive before attempting to wash or in any way "clean" the wound (if there is a wound, or if there are any areas of broken skin). Attempting to do so without the proper sterilizing equipment or medical training actually increases the chance of infection rather than decreasing it. For now, covering the area is enough to decrease the chance of it becoming infected. Try to use nonstick gauze such as Telfa if there is an open wound. Note that it is very important not to try and re-position or re-align the joint in any way. This can cause further harm, and it is best to simply immobilize it in the position it is in and to wait for a trained medical professional to definitively treat the dislocation. Be sure to immobilize both above and below the dislocated joint to ensure maximum stability while awaiting medical treatment. If it is the shoulder that is dislocated, you can use a sling (or make a sling by tying a long piece of fabric into a circle) to immobilize it. Make sure the sling holds the limb against the body. Instead of just wrapping the sling around the neck, try wrapping it around the torso before tying it at the neck. If it is another joint such as a knee or elbow, a splint is your best bet. Splints can be constructed of sticks or another stabilizing device and tape or fabric strips to hold the splint in place. This is to ensure it does not lose sensation, or exhibit a change in temperature or reduction in pulse. These signs could indicate an obstruction of blood flow or damage to the nerves leading down to the limb. If any of these changes occur, seek medical assistance for treating the dislocation immediately. Check the pulse in the area of the limb farthest from the center of the body in the wrist if the arm or shoulder is dislocated, on the top of the foot or behind the ankle bone if the injury is to a leg. Doctors usually prefer to work with a patient who has an empty stomach, particularly if surgery becomes necessary. If the patient exhibits any of the following signs or symptoms, call 911 immediately as it may be a medical emergency: Severe bleeding Other traumatic injuries A possible head, neck, or spine injury (do not move the person if you suspect a possible neck or spine injury as moving them can cause severe damage) Loss of sensation in the affected joint or the extremities (fingers, toes, etc.) Always seek medical help promptly, even if it does not fall into one of the above categories. Although these are more urgent and worrisome symptoms, all dislocations require prompt medical evaluation and treatment. If possible, drive the person to your local emergency room; if you are unable to do so, call 911 for assistance.
Question: What is a summary of what this article is about?
Cover the dislocated joint with something sterile. Immobilize the joint. Monitor the limb. Avoid offering food to the patient while treating dislocations. Know when to seek immediate medical help.
Article: Addicts with support are much more likely to succeed in getting sober. Alcoholics or Narcotics Anonymous are available in most cities and many small towns, offering daily meetings and a stylized series of steps that works for a lot of people. Find a meeting in your area and check it out. AA and NA aren't for everyone. If the thought of listening to a bunch of addicts talk about using sounds like it would drive you crazy, it's still a good idea to check it out for yourself and see what, if anything, you'll be able to take from it. What drove you to use in the first place? Circumstances? Stress? There doesn't have to be a good reason, or one reason, but it's important to identify the situations that might make you use again Were you a fan of the after work drink? Find something else to do with that after-work time, to celebrate the end of the day. Schedule some exercise, or some time with a sober friend, doing a sober activity. It might be necessary to sever ties with some of your friends, and find a new support group to rely on, if they won't be able to accept and support your sobriety. Make sober friends, doing new activities. If you're a drinker and a smoker, or abuse multiple drugs at the same time, it's usually recommended that you address each of these addictions separately, at a separate time. It may not be necessary for you to quit everything to consider yourself sober, but either way it's good to take it one step at a time. Focus on what you've quit now, and don't overwhelm yourself with other things. Most detox facilities and AA meetings are cigarette friendly. If you want to quit, quit later, especially if you feel like it offers you a good crutch in the short term. It's a crutch that's deadly, of course, but it's a fight for another day. Eventually, it's good to decide how far you want to take this sobriety thing. What does "sober" mean to you? Are you sober if you quit heroin but keep smoking pot? Are you sober if you quit drinking, but still smoke cigarettes? Do you have to be totally straight edge to consider yourself sober? Sobriety will be different for every addict. Getting sober is fighting a good fight, and you deserve to reward yourself for trying it and succeeding. Many addicts find it helpful to start a sober jar, into which you can put the money you'd usually spend on drugs or alcohol, every time you feel like buying it, then using that money to do something else. Buy a guitar. Go on vacation. Treat yourself for successes, little and big. Often, addicts use their drug or drink of choice as a reward, so this is a helpful replacement method, with a high success rate. Many former addicts fear having the sober talk. Telling your friends and family that you're not using any more may seem triumphant, but it can also be fraught with complication, awkwardness, and hurt feelings. AA and other sobriety groups can help to guide you through this process, but the decision is still up to you. All you need is one person. Find someone you'll be able to open up to and talk honestly about your addiction, and your struggles, but also abut regular things, too. Just getting through a regular Wednesday is one of the toughest parts of sobriety, and other addicts are experienced at it. They can help. Don't try to explain your quitting to everyone. Why you quit using is your business. If you want to discuss it with other people because you're proud and because it help you to stay sober, then do it. If it makes you uncomfortable, keep it to yourself. One of the hardest things about quitting is imagining your whole life ahead of you without ever being able to use again. Never another beer? Never another smoke? That's not the way to think about it, and trying to "never use again" is guaranteed to drive a lot of people back to using. Instead, focus on getting through each day. Keep track of your sobriety. Count up the days. Don't focus on tomorrow, just focus on getting through today. Face tomorrow when it comes.
Question: What is a summary of what this article is about?
Find a support group. Avoid the situations that might encourage you to use. Don't try to quit everything at once. Put a reward system in place. Decide how you'll talk about your sobriety. Take it a day at a time.