First Aid

1 Understand the importance and application of a first aid kit and its contents

First aid kits

• Required components of a first aid kit: incident book, plasters, bandage, eye wash, eye dressing, disposable sterile gloves, wipes, scissors, tweezers, dressings, thermometer, tape, and first aid manual.
• Types of first aid kits: basic kits, burn kits, eye wash kits, travel kits, vehicle kits, biohazard kits, snake and spider bite kits, sports first aid kits, and sharps disposal kits.
• The process of selecting the type and number of first aid kits: kitchens, size of organisation, remote workers, risk levels, presence of hazardous chemicals, presence of animals.
• Monitoring of a first aid kit: incident book, expiry dates, stock, changes in regulations, change in risk levels.

DR ABC (danger, response, airways, breathing, circulation) procedure

• assessing for Danger
• checking for Response
• checking Airways
• checking Breathing
• checking Circulation

2 Be able to provide first aid using a first kit according to the DR ABC procedure

Using the internet to acquire all required components for first aid kits: price comparison, reliability of sources, supplier contracts, making a payment online, setting up regular deliveries, arranging delivery, and quality indicators.

Conducting a scene survey to identify basic hazards: electricity, falling objects, when to move the casualty, traffic, and fire.

Selecting the correct course of action in an emergency: responding to DR ABC procedure, calling for help, calling for ambulance, moving the casualty, when to use the recovery position.

Demonstrating the recovery position: correct position, explanation of recovery position, adaptations to the recovery position.

Effective infection prevention when responding to a first aid incident: Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), mouth guard, blood, hazardous substance disposal.

Assessing the level of assistance needed: general assistance, when to call an ambulance, speaking to emergency services.

3 Understand the symptoms of common medical emergencies 

Symptoms of a stroke

• Face: is it dropped at once side
• Arms: can the individual raise them above their head
• Speech: is their speech slurred
• Time: time to call for an ambulance if any of the symptoms are visible, the importance of a fast response.

Symptoms of a heart attack

• Common symptoms: chest pain
• Less common symptoms: pain in other parts of the body, lightheaded or dizzy, sweating, shortness of breath, sickness, anxiety, wheezing, coughing.
• When to start CPR
• When a heart attack becomes a cardiac attack

Shock

• What is shock
• Causes of shock
• Symptoms: pale skin, sweating, fast pulse, weak pulse, shallow breathing, grey-blue skin, sickness, restlessness, yawning, gasping, yawning, unresponsive.

Seizures

• Types of seizure: partial seizures, tonic-clonic seizures, absence, myoclonic, clonic, tonic, atonic, status epilepticus.
• Symptoms
  
  • Tonic-clonic seizures: muscles stiffening, rhythmic jerking of arms and legs, loss of consciousness, biting tongue or cheek, loss of bladder or bowel control.
  • Absence seizures: sudden lapse in awareness, staring spells, subtle body movements, sudden stop in movement, loss of consciousness.
  • Myoclonic seizures: sudden, brief jerks or twitches of the muscles, usually in the arms or legs.
  • Atonic seizures: sudden loss of muscle tone, fall or collapse.
  • Tonic seizures: sudden stiffness of rigidity.
  • Clonic seizures: repeated, rhythmic jerking movements.

Minor and major injuries

• Differences between them
• Identifying which is which
• Actions for each
• Minor injury
  
  • Cuts, bruises, blisters, grazes, etc.
• Major injuries
  
  • Severe bleeding, chemical burns, fractures, electric shock, etc.

Head and eye injuries

• Head Injury
  
  • Symptoms of mild head injury: headache, dizziness, sickness, wound, lack of response, memory loss, confusion, etc.
  • Symptoms of major head injury: loss of consciousness, headache, sickness, seizures, inability to wake up, dilated pupils, etc.
• Eye injury
  
  • Types: chemical burns, eye wounds, flash burns, foreign objects, etc.
  • Symptoms: redness, irritation, pain, excessive tearing, blurred vision, loss of vision, blood in the eye, etc.

4 Be able to provide first aid for common workplace accidents and injuries

First aid for minor injuries: animal bites (including ticks and spiders), cuts and grazes, blisters, bruises, stings (insect or nettle), splinters.

First aid for major injuries: chemical burns (skin), fractures, electric shock, severe bleeding.

First aid for an individual having a seizure: when to move them, cushion the head, loosen tight clothing around the neck, recover position, take notes, reassuring conversation, supervision, when to call an ambulance (first seizure, longer than normal, longer than 5 minutes, no recovery of consciousness, difficulty breathing following seizure, serious injury during seizure).

First aid for an individual in shock: finding the cause, correct positioning (raised legs, lying down), loosen clothes around the neck, keep them warm, monitor response.

First aid for head injuries

• Try to reduce swelling
• AVPU scale: alert, verify response, pain, unresponsive.
• Treat wounds
• Continue monitoring response
• Assess cause to assess response: if sports-related should not return to sport until properly assessed.

First aid for eye injuries

• Gauge level of injury
  
  • Major: chemicals in eye, cut or pierced, significant loss or change in vision.
  • Minor: small object, dust
• Foreign object first aid
  
  • Caution against rubbing eye
  • Rinse with water
  • Instruct to blink
  • Seek medical attention if object needs to be removed.
• Chemical burns
  
  • Flush eye
  • Hold eye open
  • Seek medical help
• Blunt trauma
  
  • Cold compress
  • Avoid applying pressure to eye
  • Seek medical treatment if needed
• Cuts or punctures
  
  • Cover
  • Seek medical treatment
• Light burns
  
  • Cover eyes
  • Seek medical treatment

First aid for heart attacks: position, medication, CPR.

First aid for strokes: FAST procedure, support, reassurance, monitor.