How good are first aiders?
We often tend to think of scientific studies as experiments that can be done in a lab. We imagine of scientists holding test-tubes, culturing cells and undertaking all kinds of …
Course: Basic First Aid: How to Be an Everyday Hero
Introduction to Week 2
Welcome back to Week 2 of the course. We hope you have enjoyed Week 1 and are looking forward to learning more about first aid. By the end of this …
First aid training
As a summary of some of what you have learned on this course why don’t you read this article? This course has hopefully provided you with a solid foundation of …
Dealing with a choking patient
Firstly, confirm if the casualty is choking by asking them if they are choking. Check for signs of choking: Partial obstruction: o Able to speak, cough and breathe o Encourage …
Managing shock
In dealing with shock there are some key things that is important to remember. DO 1. TREAT – Check for any obvious cause (bleeding) and aim to treat it. Call …
What is shock?
The commonest type of shock is called hypovolemic shock – this occurs due to loss of fluids, usually blood. The body begins to go into shock when more than 2 …
Controlling a severe bleed
Controlling a severe bleed is vital to prevent shock and save lives! Step 1 – EXPOSE: If the wound is covered by clothing expose it to assess the type and …
Types of wound
Wounds can be caused in a number of different ways by a variety of different objects, be it blunt, sharp or projectile. They are classified into several categories dependent on …
What is bleeding?
What causes bleeding? Bleeding occurs when an injury causes a break in the skin and damage to blood vessels. Most of the time when we cut ourselves, we bleed and …
Automated external defibrillators
AEDs are gaining increasing public awareness through a number of high profile cases where they have saved lives (see links below). But what are they, where would you find them …
The recovery position
In this video Emily and Daniel demonstrate how to put someone in the recovery position.
Primary survey
When you find a casualty it is important to perform a primary survey- this is a rapid assessment to safely assess whether someone has life-threatening injuries. The order of the …
Contents of a basic first aid kit
What should a basic first aid kit contain? Obviously not all accidents and emergencies happen in an environment where there is a first aid kit to hand. But some do! …
