First aid for electric shocks

四川 蒋建平（特级教师）

据统计，每年遭遇触电事故的人不在少数，有一些人甚至因此死亡，所以学习一些触电急救的知识是非常有必要的。

Government statistics recently showed that in the UK, more than 3,000 people a year experience electric shocks in their homes.A smaller number of people are killed after contact with power lines outside home. Electric shocks can cause a person's heart or breathing to stop, and it can also cause burns. It is essential for people to learn basic first aid techniques to deal with such emergencies.

What to do? If you are the first person to reach people who have had an electric shock, don't touch them! If they are still holding the appliance（电器） that has given them the shock (e.g. a hairdryer), unplug it or turn off the power at its source. Under no circumstances will you try to move the appliance with your hand.

If you can't turn off the power, use a piece of wood, like a broom handle or a chair, to separate the victim from the appliance or the power source. You may even be able to do this with a folded newspaper.

The victim must remain lying down. If victims are unconscious, they should be placed on their side. But they should not be moved if there is a possibility of neck or spine injuries unless it is absolutely necessary. It is essential to keep the victims' body heat, so make sure you cover them with blankets before you do anything else. If victims are not breathing, apply mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.Keep the victims' heads low until professional help arrives. If the electric shock has been caused by an external （外部的） power line, the dangers to the victims and to anybody providing first aid are much greater.

Reading Check

1. What can be inferred from the underlined sentence in paragraph 2?

A. You should move the appliance that caused the shock.

B. It is unnecessary to unplug the appliance with your hands.

C. It is very dangerous to touch the appliance with your hands.

D. You should pick up the appliance and turn off the electricity.

2. When a person has got an electric shock, you should ________.

A. keep the victim warm and help the victim breathe again

B. let the victim sit up

C. keep the victim's head high

D. move the victim despite the victim's neck injuries

3. What is the text mainly about?

A. A news report.

B. A horror story.

C. An advertisement.

D. First aid emergency advice.

Language Study

Ⅰ. 熟词生义

A smaller number of people are killed aftercontactwith power lines outside home. 少数人在与屋外的电线接触后死亡。

contactn. 触摸；接触

e.g. His fingers were briefly in contact with the ball. 他的手指短暂地接触了一下球。

Ⅱ. Useful expressions

deal with 处理

turn off 关闭

lie down 躺下