First Aid

First aid is sometimes the only reason that somebody pulls through and survives an accident. It is a valuable skill to learn and just like many other industries, it is definitely something that every film member should learn.

Bandage Man

The first aid course that I am taking is four hours a week for four weeks. We have learned how to slow down or stop external bleeds, putting a person into the recovery position, the meaning of the acronyms STOP and DRS ABCD and this past week we learned how to administer CPR. This post will be talking about what I have learned about CPR and will also explain the two acronyms STOP and DRS ABCD.

STOP
When you come across a person who has had an accident or is in need of first aid the first thing you should do is remember the acronym STOP and carry out each step carefully to make sure that you as the first aider, are protected from any potential harm or dangers.

S - Stop
T - Think
O - Observe
P - Protect

Stop - Stop and assess the situation before rushing into anything.
Think - Think about whether you are capable of managing the situation by yourself and also what equipment you need such as a first aid kit and protective clothing. Last but not least you need to think about ringing 111 to call for an ambulance.
Observe - Check for dangers that could put you at risk while trying to help the victim.
Protect - Protect yourself from any body fluids from the victim that might cause you harm by infection or cross contimination of disease or illness. Take measures such as wearing face masks, full face shields, gloves, rolling down long sleeves, keeping cuts covered with waterproof dressings and washing your hands thoroughly after treatment.

DRS ABCD
The next acronym to remeber is DRS ABCD and these are the steps to follow when administering first aid to a victim.

D - Dangers
R - Responsive
S - Send for help

A - Airways
B - Breathing
C - Compressions
D - Defribillator

Dangers - Check for any dangers that may harm you and check that you can walk right around the victim without coming across any hazards.
Responsive - Tap the victim a few times while calling loudly asking them to if they are alright.
Send for help - Send somebody to call 111 and ask for an ambulance to be sent. This can only be done if you are not alone. If you are alone, then carry out the next few steps for a minute and then put the victim into the recovery position while you go and call for help.
Airways - Move the victim so they are lying on their back and position their head, so that the end of their nose is pointing upwards. This is to give their airway the best possible position for breathing.
Breathing - Check whether the victim is breathing by feel, sound and sight. Place two fingers under the chin or a hand on the chest. Check to see if you can see their chest rising and put your ear to their mouth to see if you can hear the victim breathing.
Compressions - Start compressions on the victim.
Defribillator - Connect a defribillator and follow the prompts on the machine.

CPR being practiced on a CPR dummy

CPR
CPR stands for Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation. This literally means restarting the heart and lungs of a person. The ratio is thirty compressions to two breaths. The compressions are done at the base of the sternum in the middle of the chest and the pressure you use is one third down. If the victim is a baby the compressions are administered using two fingers, a child's compressions are administered using one hand (or two depending on the build of the child) and for an adult two hands are used. Compressions need to administered using a nice even rhythm. After thirty compressions are done, then two breaths need to be given to the victim. The head must be put in the correct position so that the airway is nice and clear. For a baby, you must place your mouth over the nose and mouth creating a seal and small puffs are used. If the victim is a child or an adult, you must pinch the nose and place your mouth over the victim's whole mouth creating a seal and give two full breaths. You will see the chest rise if these are given correctly. Too much air will full up the diaphragm and will need to be expelled from the victim, so that the breaths given can be effective and the victim can use their diaphragm muscles to draw air into their lungs by themselves.

I am enjoying learning first aid and just hope that I never have to use it. However, if I am in a situation that requires me to use it, then I feel as though I am well equipped to deal with the situation. I will be able to use my first aid skills to try and give somebody more of a chance to survive.

First Aid