First Aid

Just wondering how many of you have first aid skills, CPR that kind of thing?

An incident last night near my house where myself and 2 others were trying to help this old man who had collapsed via instructions from the 999 operative set me to thinking hard about it.
The man in question had fallen face first , wasn't breathing and we couldn't detect any circulation. In the event we were advised to carry out chest compressions till the paramedic then eventually the ambulance arrived and took over.

It's been a long time since I was on a first aid course, but vaguely remembered enough to go thru the airway, breathing, circulation checks and an idea of how to carry out chest compressions but not enough to be confident about what I was doing.

I guess where I'm heading in this is with the depressing number of rider down threads I wonder how many of you would know what to do.

St Johns ambulance run courses all over the place from first aid to emergency life support. They will also come to do courses for groups it seems provided there are the numbers and payment.

I was retrained about a month ago (for work). The CPR guidelines had changed in the 5 years since I was last trained.

It's a good skill to have - if your work offer the training, I'd recommend it every time.

@ Daem - hope you're recovering from the ordeal; it's a lot to process.

^^ I was retrained for work a month ago as well, a lot has changed as BMMF said
would also recommend it, most of its common sense, but I found it very useful on the vintage jersey ride last weekend, when Donut took a bad fall - luckily there were two nurses around to take over (what are the chances!) and he was concious and ok, if a bit battered.
I think the course gave me a lot more confidence about how to deal with these situations without panicking.

I'm about to put on some training for staff at work in the next few weeks - there may well be some places at cost.

Thanks BBMF, at the time it felt very calm, weirdly. I don't know if that was because we already thought/assumed the worst or that the situation is made easier when someone isn't screaming in pain and there's blood and bone everywhere.
Clefty, yea I think the confidence and knowing what to do without panicing is a huge part of it.
I'd be interested,if that was an offer Marky, but unless it was evening's or sunday, my other days are pretty much chocked with work or looking after my wee one.

In the next couple of weeks I should have an idea of when it's likely to happen and if there are any places - but it was a (tentative) offer. Having kids made me update my first aid training, but I need to do it again.

I trained as a lifeguard so I know CPR, how to detect lifesigns and the basics of keeping someone going until the medics arrive.

To be honest, it's a bit shocking stuff like this isn't part of the national curriculum... it saves lives!

NP thanks Marky. On the off chance and if you remember, PM me that'd be great. I'm going to have a look about my area for courses as well I think.
Teach it in school's? Makes sense.

I'm first aid trained. My bro is too and last week he was out walking with a bunch of guys, one of them collapsed, needed CPR three times and an eventual casevac from the top of the mountain.. crazy shit!

we had a first aid test when i was in primary school, i was told that i failed on just about everything, and would probably damage the person further.

i can help a drowning person though

I qualified as an Emergency First Responder as part of my rescue diving course.

Definitely worth doing any kind of CPR/First Aid course - particularly for the training / constant drumming in of not acting without thinking. i.e. Don't dive in with cpr straight off, but call for an ambulance first.

And as for making things worse. if somebody's heart has stopped and he is not breathing; he's dead. You can't make anything worse by giving CPR while waiting for help.

Have any of you completed the first on the scene first aid course by St Johns.

I'm FAW qualified, a Lifeguard, Defib and Ski Patrol Mountain First Aider trained.

Didn't stop a woman dying on my in the High St weekend before last. In front of her husband and a cake shop full of people :-(

there are new regulations out as of Oct/Nov. they are not very important changes.
In the future it is possible that breaths will be taken out of the equation for First Aiders in the general public.....
I'm Ski Patrol, and Med School BEC trained.
Although I'm yet to find the legislation that directly says it, when we were trained for BEC, we were told that we had a legal obligation to provide BEC as med students who had undergone that course, whereas the rest of the members of the course (Physios, Pharmacists, etc.) had no such ruling from their governing bodies.

Bigtwin that's a big thing to go through... hope you're alright.

I've yet to use CPR, but have used everything else.

I'm FAW qualified, a Lifeguard, Defib and Ski Patrol Mountain First Aider trained.

Didn't stop a woman dying on my in the High St weekend before last. In front of her husband and a cake shop full of people :-(

shit!! horrible thing to happen

Didn't bother me at all actually for some reason, other than it being generally not nice, and having my family with me at the time.

I guess that's the benefit of being trained; you now you did as much as you could have (assuming you didn't fick it up of course). And that's about the 5th death I've been involved with, and each seems less shocking, though it probably depends a lot on the circumstances. This was an old woman, and it was a bit of a case of her time being due. Prob would have been less easy with a kid being run down or similar.

Took the ambulance 40 mins to arrive though, which was a long time I can tell you.

Anyway, I'd definitely say do a course - must be awful not to be standing around helpless, especially if it's someone you know.

So, I'm thinking of doing a first aid course. A tournequet YouTube of all things triggered it.

There's a "new" easy to use tournequet avaliable that everyone should have (I believe). RATS Tournequet.

The big thing is it can be used on small peoples. So better than the big black ones.
Its also cheaper at only £15 ish

St John's for training? Thoughts?

What's in ppls FAK? And what do ppl carry? What's at home?

Done the three day StJohns one. Highly recommended. Good fun and skills takeaway.

Go for a 3day course, learn loads.

Tournequets have been in then out then back in again. We got passed on a clapped out CAT mk II TQ and where supposed to get issued with CAT 7's but still bodging it with a Triangle bandage and pen.

To be fair at my level even with attending RTC's i don't know anyone who has actually done a TQ unless they are a squaddie. There are several variations out there and have variable applications, the CAT series is adopted by many services and can be found around £25 maybe a few quid cheaper, you can find sealed unused early generations via ex-forces surplus. AVOID the cheap CAT's on amazon/ebay as they are clones and might fail in use which would kill someone.

Israeli bandages are good but not a TQ. Celox and Hemostatic dressing and granules are a massive leap forward in major tramua and bleeding (bullet holes, stabbed etc etc)
http://www.SPServices.co.uk sell direct and worth a look about. Forget about Blue light kits for your Biek as they only get sent to station houses/bases :)

If you work with chainsaws or in the timber industry with big Re-saws and plate saws etc etc then it's really worth getting trained up and having one.

You have the golden hour rule. If your fitting one, you have minutes to do it, maybe less, a lot less. Once it's been on for 15mins it stays put, time of application, write on patients face, after an hour chances of losing limb are high but patient survival is high. This also applies to crush injurys, once the limb has been cut off from circulation for 15mins leave patient trapped as the trapped blood is becoming Toxic, it requires counter treatment to stop Toxic shock killing the patient.
Paramedics need the time details for correct treatment.

First aid courses are ace.

Good advice! Keep a sharpy in your bag to write on patients forehead. No dick pics...

I work at an airport and many of us get training.
We had a really serious accident a few years ago. A guy had a piece of metal go through his leg and would have bled out if someone had not put a tourniquet on him. That was scary.
Saw a lady choking, their kid tried a Heimlich but was not strong enough.
Everyone else at their table was frozen, no idea what to do.
I did and it worked! Great feeling, she would have died.

Speaking of 15 minutes, the good news is that most serious accidents will be dealt under the 15min threshold, so applying the tournequet could be ok to use. Or is that just being hopeful?

I've trained hudreds of people over the years for the Royal Life Saving Society, some of the more enlightened countries train kids in basic skills in Primary Schools. I only carry gloves and a folding plastic face shield as part of a keyring. Even a few hours training can make the difference between life and death, could well be someone you know. I wish everyone would do at least some training.
As cyclists we're ' out and about' a bit more too.

Purchasable?

Sure - there are lots available - mine from St Johns Ambulance I think - they've a great online shop at brilliant prices compared to other suppliers.