Category: Emergency

Real Emergency or not – think before you call

FirstAidMike
  • Ambulance with blue lights for real emergency

Getting treatment

We’re all worried by the thought of not getting prompt emergency treatment because of Covid-19.

With pressure on the emergency services mounting due to the pandemic, you need to be sure what help you need, before calling an 999.

We all think our needs are greatest, but by checking the obvious, before we call, can help everyone in a real emergency.

But before we do anything, you need to do is make sure everyone’s safe, and that all dangers are under control.

Is it a real emergency?

Is the situation life-threatening?

  • Are they breathing?
  • Are they conscious?
  • Are they bleeding and how much blood are they losing? Is it spurting from the wound?
  • Is it a child in trouble?

Anyone unconscious and not breathing is in cardiac arrest and clinically dead. This is a real emergency, you must act now to try and save their life. Now is definitely the time to call 999

What can you do?

Unconscious and not breathing

Knowing CPR will help but it’s only a temporary solution you need access to an AED defibrillator. This is a real emergency.

The call handler at 999 will tell you where the nearest AED is and the code to access the cabinet.

They will also stay on the line until the paramedics take over and will talk you through everything from CPR to using the defibrillator.

Help with using a defibrillator is rarely necessary because it will tell you what to do.

We recommend putting your phone on speaker, so you can stay in contact, whilst using two hands.

Unconscious but breathing

You need to make sure their airway is unobstructed and they are breathing freely. This could be a real emergency but may just be a faint.

If so leave them where they are, unless they are in danger or a risk of the airway becoming compromised.

You only need to put the person on their side in the recovery position if there’s a real danger of the airway becoming blocked.

Choking

Hopefully you can expect the emergency services to react quickly. Yes a real emergency but try these steps first.

  1. Ask them if they’re choking – they’ll probably nod frantically and point to their throat
  2. Support them and ask if they can cough – if not
  3. Tell them you are going to slap them between the shoulder blades 5 times – if this works reassure them
  4. If not tell them you’ll give them 5 abdominal thrusts
  5. Still nothing NOW call the ambulance and be prepared to start CPR if they stop breathing

Bleeding

Slipped carving the turkey and there’s a lot of blood.

If it’s just the hand involved you can probably deal with it and take the person to hospital. Call 111 if you need reassurance

If necessary take the person to hospital after you’ve controlled the bleed, but this is unlikely to be a real emergency.

You can normally control bleeding with pressure. A relatively simple cut from a knife should respond well.

Ideally use a clean sterile dressing an apply pressure to the source of the bleed for 10 minutes

After that, try to elevate the limb above the heart.

Could be they’ve slipped, with the cut to the neck or groin, the blood is spurting out of the wound in time with the heartbeat, this is life-threatening and needs an ambulance. Call 999

Maybe there’s something embedded in the wound, glass or metal, don’t try to remove it

Above all keep pressure on the sides and get the person to hospital.

Treating cuts and grazes

Burns and Scalds

All types of heat can potentially cause burns.

To be clear burns can be hot or cold, wet or dry. Wet burns are usually called scalds.

Touching an iron or oven tray quickly, leaving the skin unbroken red, inflamed and tender, is a superficial burn, like sunburn, painful, but not a reason to call 999

Any burn that breaks the skin or forms a blister is serious and is called a partial thickness burn. Very often burns result in shock, which can be life-threatening. If you’re worried call 111, they may decide you need an ambulance.

Because liquids and steam, flow, scalds are more likely to affect a larger area. So tell the call handler the size of the burn. It’s a good idea to relate the size to how big the palm of the person’s hand is.

Someone with severe burns or full thickness burns where clothing has melted into the flesh or the skin is like cooked meat, is definitely 999

 

 

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Small, shiny and deadly

FirstAidMike # # # # # # # #

Toys and Gadgets

Nearly all toys for infants and early years children seem to need a battery to make them work, very often coin batteries.

So it’s important to make sure the batteries are all safely fitted and secured before the Christmas morning rush to unwrap presents.

Christmas Eve

Anyone who’s had children will know that late night session wrapping up all those presents.

Rolls of foil wrap, uncontrollable sticky tape and trying to write legibly on the gift tags while well lubricated with mulled wine and mince pies.

It’s easy to forget putting the batteries in these toys and devices, or maybe you don’t want to open the packaging before the children have the chance.

Leaving it until Christmas morning, when you open the presents  could be a dangerous strategy.

Because you’re distracted, lots of things going on and several children looking for attention, things happen.

They want to get on with using their toys. The batteries are fiddly and easily lost in the sea of ripped wrapping paper.

Exploring a new world

All young children explore their surroundings, sucking, licking and tasting everything that they can fit in their mouths. Experiencing the flavours and textures associated with the new world they find themselves in.baby secure battery pack

Tiny, shiny, silver coin batteries look inviting, so from a child’s viewpoint. It takes a fraction of a second to lift a carelessly discarded or misplaced button battery into their mouth and potentially swallow it.

Maybe, they’ve seen an older sibling with one of the foil encased chocolate coins we hang on the Christmas Tree. They’re unaware the older child has discarded the foil and only eaten the chocolate filling.

Encouraged by this, a toddler may try one of these bright shiny coins, copying the older child by slipping it into their mouth.

This is why it’s so important that coin batteries are only handled by responsible adults.

Coin Batteries Powerplay

If you’ve bought a gift which needs power from these tiny objects. Always ensure the battery is secured behind a casing with a locking screw or child-proof clip. If it doesn’t have one the toy or game is not safe and is not approved by the UK standards authorities.toy with screw battery cover

Many types of devices have coin batteries inside, but because you don’t regard them as toys the covers are only slide locked. Some of the less secure items are bathroom and kitchen scales or remote controls and key fobs which come with less secure means of locking the battery inside.

Small, shiny and deadly

Keeping any batteries, especially coin batteries, in a safe locked drawer or in a high cupboard, makes sense. You should also keep unused and sealed packs out of reach. Once they’re dead you should put them in a secure place until they can be safely disposed of.

The scariest part, and one not always considered, is that even when the batteries are dead, they can still do the same damage; the little residual power left can still be enough to kill.

These batteries are truly dangerous. They can kill a child in hours, or do the most horrendous internal damage, resulting in life changing consequences.

And never forget coin batteries are a choking risk too.

Make sure all your devices and toys are safe.

The should have either the CE mark or UKCA mark printed or moulded into the product.CE mark on battery cover

Also look for a UK address on the product. A UK address means someone company is taking responsibility for the importation of the goods and that it is compliant with UK safety regulations.

For more information listen to the Child Accident Prevention Trust webinar about dangerous toys here.

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An Airtight Seal

FirstAidMike

The Cork – an airtight seal

– a simple piece of tree bark shaped to form an airtight seal for a bottle of wineWine cork

Designed to keep the wine in and the air out.

Makes a very effective plug

 

 

 

CorkscrewCork removed from bottle

– A simple device makes removing a cork easy

Will extract a cork effectively in seconds

Making access to your favourite tipple simple

 

 

Chocolate mini eggs

– a small sugar coated chocolate sweetChocolate mini Egg

Ideally shaped to form an airtight seal in child’s airway

Becomes sticky in the mouth and dissolves very slowly

Which makes them very difficult to remove

Unfortunately, there’s no useful tool like a corkscrew to remove these and that airtight seal will be difficult to break

What should you do if they’re choking?

Choking Hazard

Always look for manufacturers danger warnings on the packs Warning text

Never leave your child unattended with small objects

 

Some other equally dangerous objects:

Carrot rounds, coins, toy parts, coin batteries*

Mini eggs and small objects can kill a child in minutes

Would you know how to help a choking child? What to do.

Learn Basic Lifesaving skills now it could be your child you save

*Batteries are even more dangerous, they can burn through internal tissues causing irreparable damage to airways and digestive tract

Categories: Children choking, Emergency, First AidLeave a comment

Fetch the AED

FirstAidMike # # #

Where’s the AED (Automated External Defibrillator)

When someone has a cardiac arrest and isn’t breathing, you should start CPR immediately, then send someone to fetch the AED.AED unit

Not all AEDs have locked cabinets, so you may be able to just pull open the door.

Some of the locked units have quite a lot of writing on them and you could be in panic mode, so may not see, “Call 999 for the access code”

Once you’ve dialed 999/112, you’ll be able to open the door. If you’re not by the cabinet, they’ll tell you if there’s a unit within a few minutes of where you are.

Take the AED out of the cabinet.

Defibrillator ON switch
Switch ON
Defibrillator PULL bar
PULL to activate

Once you’re back with the casualty, open the unit, unzip, pull the lever, switch it on if necessary.

Follow the voice instructions and do whatever they say.

Remove Clothing

Remove all clothing from the casualty’s chest, cutting it off if necessary.

Most AED packs include a set of heavy-duty shears, these will easily cut through cloth and underwired bras.

If there are bystanders, get them to hold up a blanket, rug or towel to preserve the casualty’s dignity.

Once you’ve removed the clothes, wipe dry the skin.

Look at the pads to see where they need to go, if the casualty has a lot of chest hair, be prepared to shave it.

There’s a razor in the pack, use it to clear the areas where the pads are to go.

Remove the pads from the backing and place them as shown in the diagram on the reverse side.Defib Pad placement

Don’t worry if you get them mixed up, they’ll work just as well in either position.

Before placing the pads, make sure they’re not touching any metal or jewellery, including piercings.

Remove all patches and plasters and avoid placing the pads over existing internal pacemakers or defibrillators. (If there’s an internal defibrillator beneath the skin, it has failed, so continue with pad placement adjacent to it)

Attach the Pads

Once the pads are attached, the AED should now be giving you further instructions.

If you’ve already been performing CPR it will tell you to stop and not touch the casualty, while it analyses their heartbeat.

Following a cardiac arrest, the heart won’t be beating normally, it will be quivering or fibrillating.

The AED will detect this, but if someone is touching them it will detect their pulse and stop the defibrillator from shocking.

When the AED has stopped analysing, having failed to find a heartbeat, it will tell you the patient needs a shock.

Deliver a shock

Some AEDs deliver this automatically, but others require the person using it to press a button to deliver the shock.Defib SHOCK button

When you’re told the shock’s been given, if the heart hasn’t restarted, you’ll be instructed to begin CPR again.

The unit will give you the option to follow instructions for this and give you a rhythm to follow for the correct rate of compressions.

You should follow the audible instructions from the unit, administering CPR and shocks as directed.

Always continue this until medical professionals tell you to stop, the casualty comes round and makes definite signs of life, or you’re just too exhausted to carry on and there’s nobody to take over from you.

If the casualty comes around, never remove the pads, they could easily have another arrest. Because they’re single use they can’t be reattached.

Myths about defibrillators.

  1. They start the heart – defibrillators stop the heart from quivering or fibrillating. This allows the heart to naturally “reboot” into a normal rhythm.
  2. The casualty can be harmed by an AED – The person is clinically dead, you can only help them
  3. You can be shocked by an AED – You can only shock someone if there is no heartbeat, this why it’s important not to touch them when the device is analysing.

 

 

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The choice is yours

FirstAidMike # # #

Dead or alive, which would you rather be?Ambulance with blue lights

The choice of being driven slowly and respectfully to the crematorium or fast with blue lights flashing, should be simple.

Unfortunately, fear could make that choice irrelevant.

We all react to events in different ways, and how a bystander reacts could make the difference.

The very definition of an adrenaline response poses the option, “flight or fight”.

Which will it be?

Fear, by the person first on the scene of your cardiac arrest.

Or will they fight for you? Confidently beginning resuscitation and using a defibrillator

In too many instances, the answer is flight, where fear overcomes the ability to help.

In an attempt to confront this fear, we need to consider, what makes you fearful.

Many people worry that they will do more harm than good

Sadly, the fact is, if that person has suffered a cardiac arrest and isn’t breathing – they are DEAD

You cannot harm them.

People also worry about using a defibrillator.

The type of defibrillator available to the public is the automated external defibrillator (AED).

Simply applying the pads to the casualty will start the process of analysis.

It checks for circulation, if there’s a pulse, it will tell you no shock is required and will stop it being delivered.

This is why it’s important you shouldn’t touch the person, if the defib detects your pulse because you’re in contact, it won’t give a shock.

It also tells you when to start CPR and even gives you the correct rate and rhythm as well as when to give rescue breaths.

Why would you be fearful in the words of footballer, Glenn Hoddle

“I never thought I’d be grateful to have seven ribs broken”.

After sound engineer Simon Daniels saved his life with CPR and a defibrillator

If you’d like the confidence to fight rather than flee, learn basic life-saving skills – book now

 

 

 

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Dying for a holiday?

FirstAidMike # # # # # # # # # # # # # #

Christmas Eve

Why is 10pm on Christmas Eve a dangerous time for Swedes.

Swedish research led by Dr David Erlinge, from the Department of Cardiology, Clinical Sciences, at the Lund University  looked at the frequency of heart attacks at holiday times.

They have concluded that, the average daily number of heart attacks increases from 50 to 69 a on Christmas Eve massive 37% increase. Most of these occur around 10pm, following a day of too much food and excessive drinking

You may ask why Christmas Eve? The simple answer, in Swedish culture they celebrate on the 24th of December, not Christmas Day as we do in the UK.Christmas lights

Christmas Day

Therefore, it’s not unreasonable to suppose that, 10pm on Christmas Day in the UK, may be the most likely time for Brits to be having heart attacks, too.

Seemingly it doesn’t get much better on Boxing Day either, the increase remains high at 22%.

But the big surprise was New Years Eve, with no appreciable increase, and heart attack symptoms probably masked by alcohol.Paper chains

New Year

However, New Year’s Day the heart attacks again rose by 20%. Put down to after effects of too much alcohol and food, sleep deprivation and cold weather.

Dr. Erlinge said, “The peak is very pronounced, exactly on Christmas Eve and the following two days, so, I think it is something specific about the way we celebrate these holidays.

“We do not know for sure, but emotional distress with acute experience of anger, anxiety, sadness, grief, and stress increases the risk of a heart attack. Excessive food intake, alcohol, long distance travelling may also increase the risk.

“Interestingly, the pattern of increased risk in the morning which dominates the rest of the year was reversed at Christmas. With an increased risk in the evening, indicating that the stress and eating during the day triggered the heart attacks.

“People could avoid unnecessary stress, take care of elderly relatives with risk of heart problems and avoid excessive eating and drinking.”

Beliefs

The researchers believe that the emotional pressure of Christmas. Stress, anxiety, sadness, anger, grief, family disputes, financial worries and memories of lost relatives and friends, all contribute.

Of course, environmental issues such as the “flu” season will pay a part. Over 65s being most liable to succumb, especially if they have heart problems.

“People need to be aware of the increased cardiovascular risk associated with emotional distress and excessive food intake that may occur during large holidays. We also need to care more about our elderly and sicker friends and relatives,” added Dr Erlinge.

Read about this research in the British Medical Journal

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