First aid training...

Mikey23

Doing care in the community I have done a few of these courses and am a basic first aider. Yesterday I had to do it for real in a cafeteria when the old boy on the next table went unconscious and slipped under the table with a mouth full of food. No one else to help so recovery position, clear airways check breathing and pulse, secure and make comfortable till emergency services arrive... Fortunately he was not dying as I had at first thought and came round pretty quickly but very scary moment and I was pretty chuffed how well I coped and how that training kicked in automatically under pressure... And I got a free meal out of it!

Do any of you guys have similar training and had to do it for real?

ballysmate

Well done mate.
In previous life had loads of training in all sorts of things. Thankfully never needed!

magibob

Learned first aid in the Police Cadets, 35 years ago.

Used it in life or death circumstances 4 times, three times successfully.

In smaller ways too. I once stopped at a motor-scooter crash. The lady had a badly gashed hand and someone was holding a wad of tissue against it, but it was still bleeding pretty heavily. She was obviously concious etc. I checked with her that her neck and shoulder were OK, then advised the guy holding the pad to raise her arm. The bleeding stopped like magic. I knew the theory, but it was amazing and gratifying to see it work in real life.

I am amazed that first aid isn't taught compulsorily in Schools. Nothing against geography for example, but the basics of first aid, Keep them breathing and stop them bleeding, can be taught very simply and very quickly.

My thoughts.

Andy

Lycra-Byka

Should be compulsory in schools,correct.

I'm first aid trained. I work in construction so get to use it regularly but nothing life threatening yet thank god.

Best one I dealt with was a guys who thought his thumb needed a 40tonne flattening press of top of it. Needless to say, the plasters didn't help but I did roll a fag for him before taking him up to a and e!

simonhead

My mother is a first aid instructor and so first aid training was compulsory. Had to use it loads of times after bar fights and rugby. Never had to treat a jellyfish sting and used it on myself a few times, the worst i have had to deal with is a burnt leg where a chef covered his leg in boiling oil.

southdownswolf

I'm a first aider at work, but never had to do anything too serious. A guy did fall down the stairs, but refused to go to hospital despite not being able to move for a few minutes. I knew he had a major fear of hospitals so sat there for a while with him, until he felt ok to get up. I took him home, where his Mrs convinced him to go to A&E.

My daughter won the Sussex St John (Badgers 5-10 year olds)) First Aid competition on Saturday, so goes through to the South East finals later in the year. Well impressed!

Kieran_Burns

FAW trained for 9 years... usual list of incidents:

diabetics going hypo
faints (one of which was hilarious, as the guy was sat down at the time and his head fell straight back... apparently the noise was akin to an exorcism. By the time I turned up there was one genuinely hysterical woman to sort out and a VERY embarrassed guy who had just flown in from AMS without having breakfast)
cuts, bruises, trips and falls

One major incident where the guy ended up having brain surgery and almost a year off work. He was fitting for almost an hour (Ambulance got lost, went to the airport not the offices) and I was there keeping him safe. Utterly terrifying sight when you walk into it. He was bouncing around the floor making the most alarming buzzing noises. I just spoke to him calmly, kept him informed and I can remember him staring straight at me the whole time. If I moved his eyes would track on me, so I realised that I was his 'link'.
When he came back to work, he had no recollection of any of it and had to be introduced to me (Manager said "this is the guy that saved your life" Not true.)

I also saw the aftermath of a RTA (scooter-car coming together) and helped out. There was an off-duty fireman holding the lady's head and I took care of the rest: top to toe, treated for shock, found a broken ankle, no obvious head injuries etc. When the Ambulance turned up, one of the technicians took one look and said "Okay, who's the 1st Aider? I did the handover and was really proud when he complimented me on my care.
One small follow up to that was an article in the local paper where the lady involved thanked the two men that took good care of her

Mikey23

I think in most cases 'being the link' is the key. A bit of eye contact and pattoire is all most people want in a frightening situation and was all I did in honesty..

natrix

One evening in a pub, was just about to tuck in to omelette and chips, with a liberal helping of tomato ketchup, when the cook cut his hand open. Hearing the commotion I went into the kitchen and dressed the wound then sent him off to A & E for some serious stitching.

Somehow didn't feel like the ketchup covered meal after that and am always reminded of the incident when I have an omelette.

London_Falcon

Used to work as a lifeguard in a swimming pool so did all the First Aid stuff.

Never used it at work but did have a nasty traffic incident sprung on me. It involved a young girl of 8 or so who had been hit by a car on a dual carriageway.

Didn't bother too much about the clearly broken legs, just concentrated on whether she was still breathing and trying to re-assure her and keep her still but awake. Whilst also getting someone else to make sure the driver (who was in shock) didn't drive off. Whilst keeping an eye on her friends (who were in shock) to make sure they were not running across any more roads (one of them asked me whether their friend was dead :shock: )

Anyway, same as KB above, when the emergency services got there they asked who was in charge and I then got a nice pat on the back from the ambulance crew plus a letter from the authorities. She apparently made a complete recovery.

Jim C

A heartening thread. Good stuff folks......