First Aid

At dinner Hazel often asks "What did you learn today?" she didn't tonight, but if she had I would have had an answer because I did a First Aid refresher course with First Aid Consultants today. Here's what I learnt:

1. Survey the scene.
• dangers in general?
• what happened?
• number of patients?
  
2. D - dangers to patient (move them?)
   R - responsive?
   S - send for help ("ring ambulance, come back and tell me when you have")
   
   A - airway open (+ stabilise head and neck)
   B - breathing? (look, listen, feel)
   C - CPR
• if patient under 8 then start with 5 rescue breaths
  
• C: 30 Chest compressions (in time with Queen's "Another One Bites the Dust" 30 takes you about one chorus)
• A: airway open?
  
• B: 2 rescue breaths
3. Airway closed? 5 back blows, 5 Heimlichs (or chest thrusts if can't), repeat.
   Breathing but unconcious -> Recovery Position
   Conscious but breathless -> Sit Up (elbows up too perhaps)
   Conscious but feeling faint -> Lie Flat on ground
4. Body Check
1. Calmly introduce and explain yourself, ask what happened.
   
2. "Squeeze my fingers with your hands"
3. "Push my hands with your feet (if can't lower spine injury, don't move them)"
4. Head: look for fluid coming out ears, nose, mouth. Feel for spongey skull.
   
5. Neck, spine, abdomen: feel for hard bits.
   
6. Squash pelvis: check for grating
7. Check legs then arms for deformity, bruising, pain. Check joints work.
   
5. Nil by mouth.
   
6. Keep the patient warm and reassure people. Speak slowly, deep and calm.
   
7. Keep Monitoring and Reassuring.
   

If a person is unconscious get an ambulance. If a someone has been knocked out they should be checked out.

If you've RICEd someone (rest, ice, compression, elevation) and there's no reduction in pain or swelling or they don't have the ability to move the thing, take them to A&E. Do no HARM for the first 24 hours (Heat, Alcohol, Resuming activity, Massage: all things which make more blood and inflammation at the site of the injury).

Burns are now 20 minutes under cool water (softly running). Get off all relevant jewelery and clothing unless it sticks.