TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE

Why is this happening?

When someone has an asthma attack, their airways narrow, making it difficult for them to breathe. An inhaler relaxes the muscles, allowing the airways to expand and ease their breathing.

You should:

First check that you and the person are not in any danger, and, if possible, make the situation safe. If necessary, dial 999 or 112 for an emergency services and when it’s safe to do so carry out basic first aid.

1. Help the person sit in a comfortable position. Then help them find and then take their medication (inhaler). Make sure that you keep calm.
2. Keep talking to the person in a calm way and make them feel safe.  If the attack becomes severe, or they don’t have their medication, call 999 as soon as possible.
3. Call 999 if the attack lasts longer than a few minutes or if they don’t have their medication or the inhaler has no effect. Do not leave them, in case the attack becomes severe quickly.

If you can’t call 999, get someone else to do it.

If someone has a diabetic emergency, their blood sugar levels can become too low or too high.

Hypoglycaemia

If their blood sugar is too low this is what to look for:

• Weakness, faintness or hunger
• Confusion and irrational behaviour
• Sweating with cold, clammy skin
• Rapid pulse – Palpitations – Trembling or shaking
• Deteriorating level of response

They might have medical warning jewellery (bracelet or necklace) or medication.

You need to give them something sugary. This will help raise their blood sugar levels and improve their bodily function. Avoid giving them a diet drink, as it won’t have any sugar in it and will not help them.

1. Give them something sweet to eat or drink – make sure it is a non-diet drink.

2. Reassure the person and make sure that you keep them and yourself calm. Most poeple will gradually improve, but if in doubt call 999.

Hyperglycaemia

If their blood sugar is too high this is what to look for:

• Warm, dry skin
• Rapid pulse and breathing
• Fruity, sweet breath
• Excessive thirst
• Drowsiness, leading them to become unresponsive if not treated (also known as a diabetic coma).

They might have medical warning jewellery (bracelet or necklace) or medication.

1. Call 999 – They need urgent medical treatment.
2. Keep talking to the person and make sure that you keep yourself calm.

If you can’t call 999, get someone else to do it.

The person may develop a rash, itchiness or swelling on their hands, feet or face. Their breathing may slow down. They may also vomit or have diarrhoea.

RING 999

They need urgent medical assistance because an allergic reaction can affect someone very quickly, and is potentially very serious. The reaction may cause swelling of their airway, causing them to stop breathing.

2. If they have a known allergy, use their auto-injector.

If someone has a known allergy, they may have been prescribed an auto-injector. Follow the guidance on the packaging.

3. Reassure them and make them as comfortable as possible while you wait for the ambulance.

Tell the ambulance crew if the auto-injector has been used.

Common causes of allergic reactions are:

Pollen – Stings and bites – Latex – Some food items, nuts, shellfish, eggs or dairy products.

If you can’t call 999, get someone else to do it

Adrenaline Auto-Injectors

People with potentially serious allergies are often prescribed adrenaline auto-injectors to carry at all times. These can help stop an anaphylactic reaction becoming life threatening.

They should be used as soon as a serious reaction is suspected, either by the person experiencing anaphylaxis or someone helping them.

Make sure you’re aware how to use your type of auto-injector correctly. And, carry 2 of them with you at all times.

There are 3 main types of adrenaline auto-injector, which are used in slightly different ways.

These are: EpiPen – Jext  – Emerade

Instructions are also included on the side of each injector if you forget how to use it or someone else needs to give you the injection.

Would you know what to do if Someone is has epileptic seizure?

If someone is having an epileptic seizure the person will be collapsed and will be making sudden jerking movements. They may also have froth around their mouth.

• Make them safe and prevent injury. Use a blanket or clothing to protect their head. Do not restrain them.

Restraining them may cause injury to you or them. Let the seizure run its normal course. Remove objects that may injure them while they are having the seizure. If the seizure lasts longer than five minutes call 999 or if in doubt call 999.

If you can’t call 999, get someone else to do it.

Quite a simple subject today but which way do you put your head when you have a nosebleed?  Are you correct?

If you need to help a person with a nose bleed or you have one this is what to do:

1. Pinch the soft part of the nose lean forward.

Pinching the nose helps the blood to clot. Leaning forward NOT back stops blood going into the airway or stomach.

Breathe through the mouth and spit out any blood.

2. Continue to pinch the soft part of the nose for ten minutes. You or they might have to do this 2-3 times.
3. If it the bleeding continues for more than 30 minutes seek medical advice.

If a person is unconscious but is breathing and has no other life-threatening conditions, they should be placed in the recovery position. Putting someone in the recovery position will keep their airway clear and open. It also ensures that any vomit or fluid won’t cause them to choke.

1. With the person lying on their back, kneel on the floor at their side.
2. Extend the arm nearest you at a right angle to their body with their palm facing up.
3. Take their other arm and fold it so the back of their hand rests on the cheek closest to you, and hold it in place.
4. Use your free hand to bend the person’s knee farthest from you to a right angle.
5. Carefully roll the person onto their side by pulling on the bent knee.
6. Their bent arm should be supporting the head, and their extended arm will stop you rolling them too far.
7. Make sure their bent leg is at a right angle.
8. Open their airway by gently tilting their head back and lifting their chin, and check that nothing is blocking their airway.
9. Stay with the person and monitor their condition until help arrives.

If you think a person may have a spinal injury, do not attempt to move them until the emergency services reach you.

If it’s necessary to open their airway, place your hands on either side of their head and gently lift their jaw with your fingertips to open the airway. Take care not to move their neck.

The primary survey is a quick way to find out how to treat any life threatening conditions a person may have in order of priority. We can use D.R.A.B.C to do this: Danger, Response, Airway, Breathing and Circulation/CPR plus with a D on the end for Defibrillation.

If you are unsure before you approach the person call 999 – its always better to be safe than sorry

D for Danger – If you see a person laying on the floor always check that there are no dangers that can hurt you before you approach them. Where ever you are inside or outside. If inside, there could be hazards like upside down chair/table, pool of leaking water on the floor, ladder. If outside especially watch for traffic in the road.

R for Response – When you approach the person you need to see if they are responding to you. Walk over to them and kneel down. Tap the person on their collar bones and ask them if they are ok. You don’t have to tap them hard as they should feel your tapping – try it on yourself.

A for Airway – Sometimes when a person falls they can land with their head forward. If safe, placing your hand on the forehead and 2 fingers under the chin push their head back very. This will open their airway/windpipe. If this was the reason they were not responding they should now be able to breathe.

B for Breathing – You need to check if the person is breathing normally. Place your ear above their mouth, looking down their body. Listen for sounds of breathing and see if you can feel their breath on your cheek. Watch to see if their chest moves. Do this for 10 seconds.

Another easy way is to see if you can smell their breathe. This isn’t very nice but if you can smell it then they are breathing.

C for Circulation – Once you have established they are breathing, look and check for any signs of severe bleeding. If they are bleeding severely you will need to control and treat the bleeding by applying direct pressure to the wound until help arrives.

You can also use C for CPR

D for Defibrillation – If they are unresponsive and not breathing, you need to start CPR straight away. If you have someone with you get them to try and locate a defibrillator/AED. If you have rang 999 they will be able to tell you if their is a defibrillator nearby. 

If they are unresponsive and breathing but with no bleeding, put them in the recovery position. Stay with them until help arrives.

We have used our FAB First Aid  for Children book examples in the above image. 

If a person needs to be given Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation or CPR this means that the person is in cardiac arrest. This occurs suddenly and often without warning. It is triggered by an electrical malfunction in the heart that causes an irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia). With its pumping action disrupted, the heart cannot pump blood to the brain, lungs and other organs. This is why we have to perform CPR to help the heart pump the blood through the arteries, around the body and to the brain, keeping the brain alive. As well as CPR you will also need a defibrillator – if there is one near.  

If they are unresponsive and not breathing, you need to start CPR right away. Make sure that the person is not on a bed.

1. Kneel beside the person who needs help.
2. Place the heel of one hand on the center of the chest between the nipples.
3. Place the heel of the other hand on top of the first hand, then lace your fingers together.
4. Position your body so that your shoulders are directly over your hands, and keep your arms straight. You should be leaning over the person’s chest.
5. Push hard and push fast. Use your body weight to help you push down.  You should keep a steady rhythm of about 100-120 compressions every minute. Try humming ‘Baby Shark’ or ‘Stayin’ Alive’ to help you keep the beat. Make sure you don’t go too fast.  
6. Keep pushing. Continue hands-only CPR until you see obvious signs of life, like breathing, another trained responder or emergency services professional can take over, you’re too exhausted to continue, an AED becomes available, or the scene becomes unsafe. If someone is with you get them to take over. If you have someone to help – work as team – take turns every 5 minutes. KEEP GOING!

Using a Defibrillator/AED – Automatic External Defibrillator

A defibrillator or AED will tell you what to do once switched on. So if you have never had training you will be able to use the device – Don’t be frightened – Defibrillators only save lives.

Once the defibrillator/AED is in your hands and you see that you have been trained on a different device or not had training at all – don’t worry – the defibrillator/AED will tell you what to do. They might all look different but they all do the same thing. Don’t be scared, a defibrillator will not hurt the person. It can only save them.

1. When you have the defibrillator arrives open the lid or press on button.
2. Remove any clothing or jewellery from the persons chest.
3. Take out the pads. Remove paper and place pads. The first pad should be on the upper right side below the collar bone. The second pad should be on the persons left side below the arm pit.
4. The defibrillator will tell you to stand back from the person. It will then analyze the heart rhythm to see if it needs to be shocked. If the person in having a cardiac arrest the defibrillator will tell you to press the shock button. If the persons heart does not need a shock the defibrillator will say ‘No shock required’. It might also say ‘continue CPR’.
5. If you have had to press the shock button, once the shock has been delivered the defibrillator will then tell you it is safe to touch the person and if necessary to continue CPR. Most devices will play a metronome so you can push to the correct rhythm.
6. Continue with this until help arrives.

When it comes to CPR and using a defibrillator, the important thing is to give it a go, even if you haven’t done it before. By performing CPR and using a defibrillator in an emergency, you’re giving someone a chance of survival that they won’t have without you.

You can see a video on the Mediana A15 AED that we supply: 

https://www.helpsavelives.co.uk/mediana-heart-on-aed-a15-semi-automatic-defibrillator

A heart attack happens when the supply of blood to part of the heart is suddenly blocked, usually by a blood clot. You can make a full recovery following a heart attack, but this may depend on how much of the heart is affected.

If a person you know is who is having a heart attack they might be experiencing the following symptoms:

Crushing chest pain (sometimes travelling to the chest) in the arms, jaw, neck, back and abdomen

• Feeling or being sick
• Feeling sweaty and clammy
• Looking grey and pale
• Feeling generally unwell, restless or panicky
• Breathlessness, wheezing or coughing
• Feeling your heart beating very quickly
• Feeling dizzy
• Collapse Unexpectedly

The chest pain often starts in the middle of the chest and perhaps moving to the neck, jaw, ears, arms and wrists. It can travel between the shoulder blades, back or stomach area.

The chest pain can be very severe, or it can start off as a dull pain or ache. It’s been described as a “heaviness, burning, tightness, constriction or squeezing sensation” or as a “heavy weight or pressure”.

Chest pain can feel similar to indigestion or heartburn.

If you find a person who is having a Heart Attack:

1. Call 999
2. Ensure they are comfortable – for example, sitting on the floor and leaning against a chair or a wall. Sitting will ease the strain on the heart. Sitting them on the floor also means they are less likely to hurt themselves if they collapse.
3. You can offer the person an aspirin tablet to chew slowly, as this will help thin their blood. They should not take more than 300mg in one dose.
4. Keep calm and keep talking to the person. Keep them reassured until help arrives.

If you can’t call 999, get someone else to do it

(PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS IS NOT A CARDIAC ARREST )

1. With the person lying on their back, kneel on the floor at their side.
2. Extend the arm nearest you at a right angle to their body with their palm facing up.
3. Take their other arm and fold it so the back of their hand rests on the cheek closest to you, and hold it in place.
4. Use your free hand to bend the person’s knee farthest from you to a right angle.
5. Carefully roll the person onto their side by pulling on the bent knee.
6. Their bent arm should be supporting the head, and their extended arm will stop you rolling them too far.
7. Make sure their bent leg is at a right angle.
8. Open their airway by gently tilting their head back and lifting their chin, and check that nothing is blocking their airway.
9. Stay with the person and monitor their condition until help arrives.

If you think a person may have a spinal injury, do not attempt to move them until the emergency services reach you.

If it’s necessary to open their airway, place your hands on either side of their head and gently lift their jaw with your fingertips to open the airway. Take care not to move their neck.

A Stroke is also known as cerebrovascular accident (CVA), is a condition wherein the blood flow to the brain is interrupted. When this happens, the brain is deprived of oxygen, leading to cell death and brain damage.

If you are with a person and you think they are having a stoke – always remember the FAST guide:

F – is for FACE weakness. Is there weakness on one side of their face?

Look at their mouth or eye – they may be droopy, and they can’t smile evenly.

A – is for ARM weakness. Ask them to raise both of their arms. They may only be able to raise one. 

S – is for SPEECH problems. They are unable to speak clearly or might not be able to understand what you are saying to them. Ask them a question, like ‘What is your name?’  Can they answer correctly?

T – is for TIME to call 999 for emergency services help and tell them you suspect a stroke after using the FAST guide.

While waiting for help to arrive, keep the person comfortable, supported and reassure them. 

Do not give them anything to eat or drink because it may be hard for them to swallow.

Keep monitoring their level of response until help arrives.

If you can’t call 999, get someone else to do it.

Burns

WITHOUT DELAY – Cool the burn under cool running water for at least ten minutes. If there isn’t running water try and immerse the burn in cool water, bucket of water, use a big bottle of water or a shower/garden hose.

Cooling the burn will reduce pain, swelling and the risk of scarring. The faster and longer a burn is cooled with cool water, the less the impact of the injury.

Remove any clothing or jewellery near the burnt area of skin, including babies’ nappies. But do not try to remove anything that’s stuck to the burnt skin, as this could cause more damage.

After the burn has been cooled, cover it with cling film or a clean plastic bag. This will keep it clean and not stick to the burn and will reduce pain by keeping air from the skin’s surface.

Remove any clothing or jewellery near the burnt area of skin, including babies’ nappies. But do not try to remove anything that’s stuck to the burnt skin, as this could cause more damage.

Call 999 if necessary.

If you can’t call 999, get someone else to do it. 

The burn may need urgent medical treatment. If you’re in any doubt, seek medical advice and always seek medical advice for a baby or child who has been burned.

Bumps/Bruises

BRUISES occur when there’s trauma to the body and the capillaries near the skin are broken. The blood leaks out of the capillaries and pools near the skin’s surface, leaving a black, blue or dark red bruise. As the bruise fades, the colours will change as the body starts to reabsorb the blood. Bruises tend to look worse than they feel, but there are a few things you can do to relieve the bruising.  If you get a BUMP or the injury starts to swell (type of haematoma) this is simply the body trying to protect itself by swelling.

Get some ice on it or something cold as soon as you can. An ice pack, ice wrapped in tea towel or cloth, frozen vegetables like peas wrapped in a tea towel/cloth if you haven’t got ice then get a cold damp cloth rung out. Hold these on the bump/bruise for at least 20 minutes on and 20 minutes off.

Always try and put the ice in a plastic bag and wrap it in a towel. NEVER put ice straight on your skin when it comes out of the freezer. It will stick to your skin. You don’t want another injury!

Keep applying ice every 30 minutes or so within the first 24 hours

Try and raise the injured limb or body part above the heart.

Bleeding

If you get a cut or a scratch and it is bleeding you need to clean the wound by rinsing it under running warm/cool  tap water or using sterile wipes. 

Pat the wound dry using a non fluffy clean cloth like a tea towel or if you have a gauze swab and cover it with a sterile gauze. Avoid using antiseptic as it may damage the skin and slow healing

Clean around the wound with soap and water. Make sure you are wiping away from the wound, using a clean swab for each stroke. Pat it dry. Remove the cloth or gauze covering the wound and apply a sterile dressing or a large plaster. 

Keep the dressing clean by changing it as often as necessary. Use waterproof dressings to keep the wound dry while bathing and showering. You can remove the dressing after a few days, once the wound has closed itself.

Seek medical help if:

A wound won’t stop bleeding

A foreign object is embedded in the wound – like a splinter of wood or glass

The wound is from a human or animal bite

You think the wound might be infected

You are unsure whether the person has been vaccinated against tetanus.

Bleeding Heavily

If the wound in bigger – KEEP CALM – Put pressure on the wound with whatever is available to stop or slow down the flow of blood.

You are acting as a “plug” to stop the blood escaping. The pressure you apply will help the blood clot and stop the bleeding.

Call 999 as soon as possible.

If you can’t call 999, get someone else to do it.

Keep pressure on the wound until help arrives.

 FAB First Aid Test

1. Name two words in the guide that can help if a person is having a stroke.
2. What should you do to protect a person’s head when they are having a epileptic seizure?
3. Which way do you put your head when having a nose bleed?
4. How should you get someone to sit when they are having an Asthma Attack?
5. What can you wrap round a burn that won’t stick to it?
6. Why should you put a person in the recovery position?
7. If you see a person lying on the floor, what do you look out for before you walk over to them?
8. What signs do you look for if someone is having a hypoglycaemic diabetic emergency?
9. How should you position your body when giving CPR?
10. What should you give a person when their blood sugar is low?
11. When should you call 999 if a person is having an Asthma Attack?
12. What should you also have when a person needs CPR?
13. Once clean, what do you put on a cut or scratch and a bigger wound?
14. What should you not do to a person when they are having an epileptic seizure?
15. What should you do once you have placed the defibrillator electrode pads on a person?
16. Name 5 signs of a person having a heart attack?
17. When should you not put a person in the recovery position?
18. What would a person have prescribed if they have a known allergy?
19. How long should you hold a cold compress on a bump/bruise for?
20. What can you offer a person to chew when they are having a heart attack?
21. Why do we give a person CPR?
22. What must you ensure for a person having a heart attack?
23. How do you open a person’s airway?
24. What is a defibrillator also called?
25. What signs do you look for is someone is having a Hyperglycaemia diabetic emergency?
26. C means Circulation – What do you check a person for?
27. What should you do if a person is having a stroke?
28. How long should you hold a burn under cool water for?
29. How long should you squeeze the squidgy bit of your nose for when you have a    nosebleed?
30. If a person is unresponsive and not breathing – what are the next 2 things?
31. How many compressions should you try to give per minute?
32. What do you put on a bump?
33. What can Heart Attack chest pains fell like?
34. What should you do if a person’s blood sugar is too high?
35. Why should you not put ice straight onto your skin?
36. Name 3 symptoms that a person might develop if they have an allergy?
37. How do you clean a cut or scratch?

WELL DONE!