Something EVERYONE should know

I have been struggling to get back into blogging, but I have just had a thought pop into my head- First Aid.

Not everyone is first aid trained and as I work with children it I essential that I am. But I believe everyone should be trained in this, the main reason for this is because you could save a life just by knowing what to do.
Some of the most common accidents and emergencies in the UK include:




Burns + Scalds :

• Cool the burn as quickly as possible with cold (but not ice-cold) running water for a minimum of 10 minutes or until the pain is relieved.
• Call 999 or seek medical help if necessary.
• While cooling the burn, carefully remove any clothing or jewellery, unless it is attached to the skin.
• Keep the person warm using a blanket or layers of clothing (avoiding the injured area) to prevent hypothermia. This is a risk if you are cooling a large burnt area, particularly in babies, children and elderly people. 
• Cover the burn length ways with strips of cling film or a clean plastic bag if the burn is on a hand or foot. If no plastic film is available, use a sterile dressing or non-fluffy material. Do not wrap the burn as this may lead to swelling and further injury.
• Do not put creams, lotions or sprays on the burn.
• If appropriate, raise the limb to reduce the swelling and offer pain relief.

For chemical burns, wear protective gloves, remove any clothing affected, brush the chemical off the skin if it is a powder and rinse the burn with cold running water for a minimum of 20 minutes. If possible, determine what has caused the injury.

Be careful not to injure yourself, and wear protective clothing if necessary. Call 999 or 112 and arrange immediate medical attention.

Bleeding-

If someone has severe bleeding, the main aim is to prevent further loss of blood and minimise the effects of shock (see below).

First, dial 999 and ask for an ambulance as soon as possible.

If you have disposable gloves, then use them to reduce the risk of any infection being passed on.

Check that there is nothing embedded in the wound. If there is, take care not to press down on the object. Instead, press firmly on either side of the object and build up padding around it before bandaging to avoid putting pressure on the object itself. If there is nothing embedded:

• Apply and maintain pressure to the wound with your hand, using a clean pad if possible.
• Use a clean dressing to bandage the wound firmly.
• If the wound is on a limb and there are no fractures, raise the limb to decrease the flow of blood.
• If bleeding continues through the pad then apply another pad over the top and bandage it in place. Do not remove the original pad or bandage.

If a body part has been severed, such as a finger, do not put it in direct contact with ice. Wrap it in a plastic bag or cling film, then wrap it in a soft material and keep it cool. Once it is wrapped, if possible, place the severed body part in crushed ice.

Always seek medical help for the bleeding unless it is minor. If someone has a nosebleed that has not stopped after 20 minutes, go to the nearest hospital's accident and emergency (A&E) department.

Chocking-

If the airway is only partly blocked, the person will usually be able to speak, cry, cough or breathe. In situations like this, a person will usually be able to clear the blockage themselves. If choking is mild:

• Encourage the person to continue coughing to try to clear the blockage.
• Carefully remove any obvious obstruction from the mouth using your first two fingers and thumb.
• Do not put objects or fingers into the person's throat as this could push the obstruction further into the airway or cause vomiting.

If the obstruction is severe and the person is struggling to breathe, give up to five back blows (between the shoulder blades), using the heel of your hand. Carefully check the mouth and, if possible, remove any obstruction after every blow.

If this does not clear the obstruction, perform abdominal thrusts by following the steps below. This technique should not be used on babies under one year old, pregnant women or people who are obese:

• Stand behind the person who is choking.
• Place your arms around their waist and bend them well forward.
• Clench one fist and place it just above the person's belly button and below the breastbone.
• Place your other hand on top, then pull sharply inwards and upwards.
• Repeat this up to five times until the object stuck in their throat comes out of their mouth.

The aim is to get the obstruction out with each chest thrust rather than necessarily doing all five. If the obstruction does not clear after three cycles of back blows and chest thrusts, dial 999 or 112 for an ambulance and continue until help arrives.

The person choking should always be checked over by a health care professional afterwards to check for any injuries caused by abdominal thrusts or any smaller pieces of the obstruction that remain.

CPR-

Hands-only CPR

If you have not been trained in CPR or are worried about giving mouth-to-mouth resuscitation to a stranger, you can do chest compression-only (or hands-only) CPR.

To carry out a chest compression:

1. Place the heel of your hand on the breastbone at the centre of the person’s chest. Place your other hand on top of your first hand and interlock your fingers.
2. Position yourself with your shoulders above your hands.
3. Using your body weight (not just your arms), press straight down by 5–6cm on their chest.
4. Repeat this until an ambulance arrives.

Try to perform chest compressions at 100-120 chest compressions a minute.

When you call for an ambulance, telephone systems now exist that can give basic life-saving instructions, including advice on CPR. These are now common and are easily accessible with mobile phones.

CPR with rescue breaths

If you’ve been trained in CPR, including rescue breaths, and feel confident using your skills, you should give chest compressions with rescue breaths. If you are not completely confident, attempt hands-only CPR instead (see above).

Adults

1. Place the heel of your hand on the centre of the person's chest, then place the other hand on top and press down by 5–6cm at a steady rate, at approximately 100 compressions per minute.
2. After every 30 chest compressions, give two breaths.
3. Tilt the casualty's head gently and lift the chin up with two fingers. Pinch the person’s nose. Seal your mouth over their mouth and blow steadily and firmly into their mouth. Check that their chest rises. Give two rescue breaths.
4. Continue with cycles of 30 chest compressions and two rescue breaths until they begin to recover or emergency help arrives.

Children over one year old

1. Open the child's airway by placing one hand on the child’s forehead and gently tilting their head back and lifting the chin. Remove any visible obstructions from the mouth and nose.
2. Pinch their nose. Seal your mouth over their mouth and blow steadily and firmly into their mouth, checking that their chest rises. Give five initial rescue breaths.
3. Place the heel of your hand on the centre of their chest and press down by at least one-third of the depth of the chest. Use two hands if you can't press down hard enough with one.
4. After every 30 chest compressions at a rate of 100 per minute, give two breaths.
5. Continue with cycles of 30 chest compressions and two rescue breaths until they begin to recover or emergency help arrives.

Babies under one year old

1. Open the baby's airway by placing one hand on their forehead and gently tilting the head back and lifting the chin. Remove any visible obstructions from the mouth and nose.
2. Place your mouth over the mouth and nose of the infant and blow steadily and firmly into their mouth, checking that their chest rises. Give five initial rescue breaths.
3. Place two fingers in the middle of the chest and press down by one-third of the depth of the chest. Use the heel of one hand if you cannot press deep enough with two fingers.
4. After 30 chest compressions at a rate of 100 per minute, give two breaths.
5. Continue with cycles of 30 chest compressions and two rescue breaths until they begin to recover or emergency help arrives.

I got this information from the NHS website and picked out a few to share with you, if you would like to read up more than go to the website : here. I also highly recommend getting trained in first aid, you never know when you will need it and it is always reassuring when you're in a terrible situation and you have people that know what to do in order to help a person / yourself out.  

A very random post, i know but one thought lead to another and I was questioning why First Aid training isn't compulsory. 

Hope you're all doing OK , and this post encourages people to think about / get trained or knowledgeable :)

Love Jacqueline x