Basic First Aid and CPR who has it?

[jaffa1949]

So you are going away to a secret beach, surf resort, boat trip or whatever, one of your friends hurts themselves seriously if first aid were available his chances would be much better, in that he could survive until full medical help arrives.
How many of you know and can do basic first aid? Importantly how many of you can genuinely do CPR?

How many of you have a first aid kit in your car even at home?
What you do in the first thirty minutes after an accident could save your friends life, and even determine the outcome of his future health, what are you able to do

[travelzomg]

i have a first aid kit in my car and on bigger trips, i usually carry one in my backpack...
i learned CPR on different occassions (drivers licence, military, civil safety service) and am still able to perfom it..
they keep it fresh with sending us all tree years into rehearsel classes.. as an officer in civil safety, to know CPR is a must.

the first thirty minutes are actually the most crucial.. you approach the injured person with the so called (in german) GABI:
Gibt er Antwort? --> does he answer?
Atmet er? --> does he breath?
Blutet er? --> does he bleed?
Ist sein Puls normal? --> Can you feel a pulse and is it normal?

you check everything through with its own techniques and then assess and process the situation:

Is he unconscious but breathing, not bleeding and has a somewhat normal pulse --> you lay him on the side, stabilise him and call emergency.. make sure he keeps breathing and wont swallow his tongue of suffocate on his own thrown up...

is he conscious/unconsious but breathing, yet bleeding and has a somewhat normal pulse --> you try to stop the bleeding with a compression.. in case of unconsciousness, you then lay him on the side and stabilise him and then call emergency..
if he is conscious, try to ask what happened so you can get the information on to the emergency guys...

Is he unconscious, not breathing, not bleeding and has a somewhat normal pulse --> you start to give extra oxygen untill he comes back.. never ever stop it as long as he wont regularly breath by himself... the doc is the only one to make decisions...
incase he's bleeding - get somebody to compress the wound while you keep on applying respiratory help.. he needs to call emergency...

if hes unconscious, not breathing, not bleeding and the pulse is erratic --> you start CPR immediately untill he regains consiousness.. never break up CPR untill he's back to breathing and somehow awake...
if he's bleeding, get somebody to compress the wound while you keep applying CPR.. he needs to call the emergency...

One very important thing, try not to move "the patient" at all if possible... unless his live is endangered... you can never know what happened.. maybe he has broken vertebra and you moving him will severe the spinal cord...
yet, allways value his live higher than possible implication on his future health... thats why you allways concentrate on CPR although he might be bleeding pretty hard..
incase you are alone: try to CPR him for at least 3 minutes and then try get help... dont break up the CPR for longer than 30seconds, once you started.. if you need to call emergency yourself, you will need to find free seconds in between the circles..
(stuck your phone on your shoulder while compressing, make a break in talking when giving respiratory aid... )

If you call emergency, never give information you're not sure about... only tell them what you realy know.. but the more the better...

and i can only stretch it again - never ever ever ever stop CPR and respiratory aid until the doc arrives... maybe he wont be able to do anything anymore... but maybe a siringe of adrenaline will bring him back and he will survive, only because you kept up CPR..
so again, never ever break it up untill the doc sais so...
and as small additional hint: the impulses of compression are the same tempo as "staying alive" from the BeeGees...
so on every AH, AH, AH, AH you apply a compression...

i think thats pretty much it... at least what i been taught...

[frreako104]

I've had some training but I did not ever use it thankfully. Not sure what I'd do in the situation

[travelzomg]

loos like i scared everyone away...

[surf patrol]

I've had a little one on one training from the misses. She's an emergency nurse so she's able to keep me up to speed on basic first aid and CPR.
I have a first aid kit at home, but never take one surfing - it's something that should be packed but I never do.

Good rundown there travelzomg. I'll just add to it and mention one thing that should be done before your list begins, and that's to consider any possible hazards or dangers still present - make sure you are not going to sustain a similar injury (don't start treating the shark bite while till in the water )

Another thing to consider - contacting the emergency services. Make sure this is done as soon as is possible.
- Let them know exactly where you are and how to get there
- describe the injuries in detail, exactly what happened and how long ago
- stay on the line until they tell you to hang up
- give them your details, and contact number

[jaffa1949]

I'd like more people to be able to do this.
In Australia, there are areas that are hours way from even mobile phone contact with emergency services and god knows how far you are from help in a Third world surf destination, in both those cases a major injury could away from anyone but a lot of the lesser ones can be stabilised and survivable if the right help is given.

Travelzomg covers it well, I hope a lot more get the training, I've patched quite a few nasties in Indo enough that they have recovered and been able to be repatriated and be OK at home.
Arrived after a double drowning in Vanuatu, it was too late, it made a mess of the survivors in the family and the local villagers as no-one knew CPR from all accounts at the coroners court which I had to attend , they could well have been saved.
AAARGH. So what skills, have you other posters got to survive

[frreako104]

Honestly not much. Here in the states, we have a lot of things to help others should they need it.

[surf doc]

I've participated in many resuscitations, but always in the hospital and (thankfully) never on the beach.
I think basic CPR is for sure good to know, knowing the exact details (how many compressions to breaths etc) is not terribly important just get something started until help arrives. The new guidelines emphasize good compressions with less focus on the airway altogether.

If you're dealing with a true cardiac arrest, you really need to have a defibrillator. Which makes me wonder, do lifeguard towers have these available? Where I surf lifeguards drive around in jeeps and I've always assumed they have defibrillators onboard but never actually checked.

[jaffa1949]

A Cardiac arrest in the third world or remote surf spots, you can only hope their last surf was enjoyable.
But a lot of injuries can be stabilised and made ready for transport with a functional knowledge of First Aid and that's where a little training will help.
First aid is not just CPR that's the extreme end of what you might need to do!

[TheBeatenPath]

ive never taken a class on such things. but ive got the basic premise down for alot of things. and we had a very basic cpr thing while i was learning how to scuba dive. hope to never use that stuff. and i bring a first aid with me whenever i go 4 wheeling, never to the beach though. i always have a fire extinguisher though:D

[mutumbo]

I've participated in many resuscitations, but always in the hospital and (thankfully) never on the beach.
I think basic CPR is for sure good to know, knowing the exact details (how many compressions to breaths etc) is not terribly important just get something started until help arrives. The new guidelines emphasize good compressions with less focus on the airway altogether.

If you're dealing with a true cardiac arrest, you really need to have a defibrillator. Which makes me wonder, do lifeguard towers have these available? Where I surf lifeguards drive around in jeeps and I've always assumed they have defibrillators onboard but never actually checked.

IN the United States yes, lifeguards are required to have a AED (automated external defibrilator) nearby, or access to one relatively quickly.

i wouldnt put too much stress on pure CPR, because if youre 30 mins or more away from definitive care and any sort of ermergency help, the patients chances of survival are SLIM to NONE. id focus on bumps, bruises, scrapes, and cuts, stuff youre much more common ailments youll see.

and for reference, I am a certified Lifeguard, Critical Care, Remote, and SWAT Paramedic. theres not much I cant handle prehospitally, for a little while

[jaffa1949]

I've participated in many resuscitations, but always in the hospital and (thankfully) never on the beach.
I think basic CPR is for sure good to know, knowing the exact details (how many compressions to breaths etc) is not terribly important just get something started until help arrives. The new guidelines emphasize good compressions with less focus on the airway altogether.

If you're dealing with a true cardiac arrest, you really need to have a defibrillator. Which makes me wonder, do lifeguard towers have these available? Where I surf lifeguards drive around in jeeps and I've always assumed they have defibrillators onboard but never actually checked.

IN the United States yes, lifeguards are required to have a AED (automated external defibrilator) nearby, or access to one relatively quickly.

i wouldnt put too much stress on pure CPR, because if youre 30 mins or more away from definitive care and any sort of ermergency help, the patients chances of survival are SLIM to NONE. id focus on bumps, bruises, scrapes, and cuts, stuff youre much more common ailments youll see.

and for reference, I am a certified Lifeguard, Critical Care, Remote, and SWAT Paramedic. theres not much I cant handle prehospitally, for a little while

The more than 30 minutes thing for CRP is so true as most people couldn't keep it up by themselves and the would be no real chance of a successful outcome.
Being able to work with deep cuts wounds and injury stuff may be enough to get the patient stable enough for evacuation.
BTW personally I"d rather be helped to be stable and then get out medvac out of Indo than have a hospital stay there.
I always carry travel insurance that covers that back to Australia ASAP.
My trips to third world surf always have a full first aid kit and scripted antibiotics and antiseptics, suture kits etc, which usually stay unused and then get donated to the Drs. at Surfaid or another quality organisation.
It is a lessening of home bound luggage and helps greatly and is so easy for a traveler to do, just make sure you have the prescription for any medicals, antibiotics and stuff so customs are no problem.Then make sure that the medicals end up in the hands of someone who knows how to use them properly.

[Tassiedevil]

Jaffa we teach 1st aid courses on spare weekends to horse riding groups (I am a vet so I teach the animal part and others teach the human part ) .You would be surprised there is not much difference , some of the girls even look like their horses . (I wouldn't like to be taking their rectal temps as I reckon they would kick harder then the horses)
In Australia first aid is taught as dr abcd ( danger to yourself / patient ) , response( conscious or not ) , airway - clear or blocked , Breathing ,CPR , defib . Not sure why the European one is different maybe different dangers such as in Australia more exposure to things like snake bites / shark bites . but you are right most people have no idea
Anyway the thing we try to get through to most of our students is to stay calm , the rest of it is pretty much common sense . If something is bleeding stop it , if someone has a mouth full of salty water and sand empty it out .
We have a defib machine here in Penguin at the lifesavers club which is only a small club so I assume the rest of the clubs throughout Australia would have them .


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[jaffa1949]

I posted this on a number of surf forums, and I was appalled by the numbers that responded by I might get around to it.
I have recently retired after thirty years as a Chiropractor and a small country town on the south coast of New South Wales, and mved to a slightly smaller holiday beach town, so I can continue surfing and the surf clubs here too have the defibs, but few outside SLSC St John Ambulance and the Red Cross have more than a TV picked up version of first aid.
Private swimming pool owners are required to have a CPR sign displayed, but in reality how many people when faced with a crisis would be reading and following instructions at the same time

The number of surfers who go on road trips without a kit or a clue.

Do you have the great Aussie Paralysis Tick in Tasmania? Just had a successful recovery from one by one of my dogs.
Cheers

[Tassiedevil]

No paralysis ticks in our part of Tassie . Don't know why coz they have them on the east coast and it is just as cold there as here . Terrible way to die . My mate in Qld lost his 60 kg pig dog to one last week . Good to hear your dog pulled through your local vet must love you at the moment the antiserum as you would know is pretty expensive .
Sorry to read about your experience in Vanuata . We have been unlucky enough to come across quite a few bad car accidents so partly the reason why we run the 1st aid courses . You would have to see the 1 st aid box we take away with us on camping trips to believe it . Hopefully never need most of it but keeps the Missus happy which makes my life easier .

[Tassiedevil]

Thanks for the message Jaffa not sure what was going on there but I think I have fixed the problem, I'll know for sure when this message is posted

[firstaidtrain]

CBD College - First Aid Training Organisation
Phone : 1300 674 119
Phone : 1300 723 019
Phone : 1300 850 964

[jaffa1949]

WARNING
This information is totally useless.
You give us no evidence of your qualifications.
This is an International forum and each member would be better off seeking appropriate training in their own country with qualified/certified organisations.
if you wish to advertise your courses please do so by contacting the Forum Administrators and providing the above information.
A single post from the Philippines following up an old thread doesn't give me much confidence in what you offer.

[oldmansurfer]

Holy ressurection Batman! This thread is from 2011. I know CPR and first aid. But I haven't had to use CPR at the beach or anywhere else and rarely use my first aid skils (just a few times). I also know a little lifesaving techniques and they have come in handy from time to time over the years.

[kitesurfer]

I think you'll the correct phrase is "Holy sardines Batman". I am doing a first aid/CPR refresher course next week coincidentaly. Keep my qualification upto date for another 3 years

KS