The risk of life-threatening or catastrophic bleeding is unfortunately no longer just for those working in hazardous environments such as factories, forestry or farming. The increase in knife crime and dangerous dogs means this threat is now relevant to all of us and emergency bleed control kits can now be found in or near many public access defibrillator boxes.
This topic can be taught as a standalone 3 hour course, or bolted on in 1 hour to the 6 hour Emergency First Aid at Work (EFAW) course. All participants will have a chance to handle a variety of equipment and apply it to fake wounds and limbs.
For more details including costs - click here
The Lone First Aider
Should you start CPR or go fetch a defibrillator if you are on your own? This is a question that I regularly get asked on my courses and I now have a definitive answer (highlighted in yellow below). The full sequence can be seen on page 27 of the ERC Guidelines.
Levels of Response
An extra level has been added to the oft-used AVPU scale to describe a casualty who is talking but not fully orientated.
The addition of "Confused" ensures that a conscious but disorientated person is recognised as high-risk, whereas they might have been wrongly classed as "Alert" under the old system.
Paediatric defibrillator pad placement
For a baby, or child who is less than 25kg (4 stone), place one pad just to their left of their sternum, and the other pad between their shoulder blades. Ignore the diagrams on the pads until they are replaced, as they will still imply front centre.
EURneffy
EURneffy is now available on an NHS prescription, as a needle-free treatment for life-threatening allergic reactions. It is a single dose adrenaline nasal spray, that delivers its entire contents (2mg) when the plunger is fully pressed.
It can be used by adults and children who weigh 30kg or more (so not for those currently with a junior EpiPen). If a second dose is needed, it goes in the same nostril, unlike EpiPens that go in the other thigh.
It is easy to store, isn’t affected by high temperatures, has a long shelf life, is relatively small and can be used even if people have colds or blocked noses.
