Staying Alive

Recently Sarah Currie did a Presentation on First Aid, those present felt that it was that good and the information would be of possible benafit to all of you out there (hopefully not)

So here it is, (Thanks Sarah)

The information below is basic, but if remembered, will enable you to know what to do in the case of an accident or emergency and may even save someone’s life.

There are four basic things to remember.

1. D.R.A.B.

This acronym explains what you should do first when faced with an injured person

D is for Danger – make sure that the area is safe for you to approach the injured person.

R is for Response – Ascertain their state of consciousness, by talking, tapping their shoulder (remember they could be deaf)

A is for Airway – it may be that their airway is restricted, ease this by gently moving their jaw upward and forward.

B is for Breathing – Listen close to their mouths, and watch for the rise and fall of the chest.

Next steps:-

If the injured person is still breathing, put them in the recovery position and call the emergency services.

If they are not breathing, call the emergency services first and commence CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation)

Adult CPR – the non breathing person to be on the floor or hard surface. Interlock fingers with one hand on top of the other, place in the centre of the chest and with arms locked straight, leaning over the causality, do 30 compressions, then breathe 2 breaths into their mouth, with the head tilted back and their nose pinched closed. Compressions should be at a rate of two per second. Repeat until help arrives, or you are no longer able to physically continue.

Child CPR – Dependent on age/size of child. Babies and very small children, 5 breathes first, then 30 chest compressions with just two fingers, then 2 breaths. Larger/older children, same sequence, but with one hand only doing the chest compressions

2. P.E.P

This acronym explains briefly what to do with a severe bleeding injury.

P is for Pressure - apply pressure to the wound to help stem the bleeding. If there is an embedded object in the wound, do not remove it but apply pressure either side of it.

E is for Elevation – raise the wounded area of the body above the heart area. This helps to restrict the flow of blood to the wound.

P is for Position – put the injured in a position to combat the onset of shock which will is a result of heavy blood loss by lying them down, with their legs raised and keep them warm with a blanket or coats. And then call the emergency services.

3. A.M. P.L.E.

This acronym explains briefly what you can do to assist the emergency services when they arrive by being ready with basic, but necessary information.

A is for Allergies – ask the casualty if they are allergic to anything

M is for Medication – ask if they are currently taking any medication and what for

P is for Past History – ask if they have any medical history that should be taken into account

L is for Last Meal – when did they last eat, how large was the meal – necessary information in case they need an aesthetic

E is for Event – ascertain if they actually know what happened to make them become injured, or did they just black out and come round injured

4. EU = 112

112 is the EU equivalent to 999. You can call this number anywhere in the EU, including the UK, for free, from a payphone, a land line or a mobile. If a mobile is used, your location can be tracked via the GPS signal, in case you are unsure of your location, and the operator will be able to speak English