First Aid. tips

Easy First Aid Tips that everyone should know- A useful skill that one can easily learn in a day or two of training is First Aid. Many employers pay an hourly bonus if you have a current First Aid Certificate and/or will pay you to complete a First Aid Course.

First Aid is one of those topics which can be so so important. You may in fact be able to save someones life by learning a few elementary lessons. These days first aid training is often run by the St John Ambulance. St John Ambulance believes that everyone should learn at least the basic first aid techniques.Either a one or two day course will equip you with the basic skills to enable you to perform life saving techniques.

It is highly recommended that your learn these techniques under qualified instruction. Many employers will pay the course fees for First Aid Courses. Similarly some employers pay a supplement for you have a current first aid certificate

First mouth to mouth resuscitation is an important skill to learn when for some reason some one becomes unconscious and stops breathing. First ensure that both you and the patient is not in immediate danger. e.g, on the road or close to an fallen electrical wire

Give 30 chest compressions

• Place heel of your hand in the centre of the chest
• Place other hand on top and interlock fingers
• Keeping your arms straight and your fingers off the chest, press down by four to five centimetres. then release the pressure, keeping your hands in place
• Repeat the compressions 30 times, at a rate of 100 per minute.

Give 2 rescue breaths.

• Ensure the airway is open
• Pinch nose firmly closed
• Take a deep breath and seal your lips around the casualty’s mouth
• Blow into the mouth until the chest rises
• Remove your mouth and allow the chest to fall
• Repeat once more.

Continue resuscitation, 30 compressions to two Rescue Breaths.

Do not stop unless:

• Emergency help arrives and takes over
• The casualty breathes normally or
• You become so exhausted that you cannot carry on.

Shock is a life-threatening condition that occurs when the vital organs, such as the brain and heart are deprived of oxygen due to a problem affecting the circulatory system. The most common cause of shock is blood loss but can be caused by other fluid loss such as vomiting or severe burns. Shock may also be caused when the heart has been damaged in some way, such as heart attack or angina and is unable to pump an adequate supply to the body. The recognition features of shock include:

• Pale, cold, clammy skin (skin could become blue/grey in appearance in severe shock, lips especially may appear blue)
• Sweating
• Weakness and dizziness
• Feeling sick and possibly vomiting
• Thirst
• Rapid, shallow breathing.
• If shock is not treated the casualty will:
• Become restless and aggressive
• Start yawning and gasping for air
• Lose consciousness.

Minor cuts, scratches and grazes

Treatment

• Wash and dry your own hands.
• Cover any cuts on your own hands and put on disposable gloves.
• Clean the cut, if dirty, under running water. Pat dry with a sterile dressing or clean lint-free material. If possible, raise affected area above the heart.
• Cover the cut temporarily while you clean the surrounding skin with soap and water and pat the surrounding skin dry. Cover the cut completely with a sterile dressing or plaster.

When the blood-sugar level falls below normal (hypoglycaemia) brain function is affected. This problem is sometimes recognised by a rapidly deteriorating level of response.

Hypoglycaemia can occur in people with diabetes mellitus and, more rarely, appear with an epileptic seizure or after an episode of binge drinking. It can also complicate heat exhaustion or hypothermia.

Treatment

Your aim is to raise the sugar content of the blood as quickly as possible and to obtain medical help if necessary.

• Help the casualty to sit or lie down.
• Give them a sugary drink, sugar lumps, chocolate or any other sweet food. Don’t give them diet drinks, they don’t have the sugar in them that they need.
• Alternatively if the patient has their own glucose gel help them to take it.

A poison - also called a toxin - is a substance which, if taken into the body in sufficient quantity, may cause temporary or permanent damage.

Poisons can be swallowed, absorbed through the skin, inhaled, splashed into the eyes, or injected. Once in the body, they may enter the bloodstream and be carried swiftly to all organs and tissues. Recognition features vary with the poison - they may develop quickly or over a number of days.