#firstaidtraining
Well, as Christmas Day rapidly approaches we would like to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Spare a thought for our emergency services working throughout the festive period.
And lastly keep safe, don't drink and drive.
#firstaidtraining
Seems to have been quiet on the blogging front.
Since my last training course and events I have mostly been completing admin and working through an agency for South Central Ambulance Service at stations throughout their area.
Looking forward to Christmas and the New Year. Already planned next year L2 and L3 first aid at work courses, L3 Paed, fire marshal and more agency work.
We still have places on our Two Day Outdoor First Aid courses in January and February with introductory offer of book one place and book second place half price, plus discounts for BMC and MTA members.
#eventcover
Cracking venue and cracking fights.
Really nice crowd and fighters are all on top form, never get tired of seeing the camaraderie among the fighters.
Working with Mick and Alan for Fightmedics, the best specialist cover for boxing, MMA and K1.
#firstaidatwork
Three lovely days at a lovely venue very close to home.
The Clare Foundation provides office and work space for charities and excellent meeting and training room space.
Off to Colchester tonight working for Fightmedics UK, covering MMA.
#firstaidtraining
Lovely morning with Sainsbury's Veteran's topping up recent first aid course with some outdoor elements as they are keen walkers with many trips away.
Sights set on Everest.
#firstaidtraining
We've been very busy for last week, first aid training with the Scouts, manual handling training with Hearing Dogs and covering frontline shifts in the local area.
Next week looking busy, giving a talk to Sainsbury's Veteran's and a FAAW course for National Trust and the Clare Foundation.
#firstaidtraining
Another successful session with Stokenchurch Medical Centre running a community first aid course for locals.
We had a good turn out of all ages and requests to run further courses.
Using the AED is popular as Stokenchurch now have two public access Defibrillators.
#firstaidatwork
We have spare places on an FAAW course on the 2nd to 4th December in Saunderton Buckinghamshire.
If you're interested please do get in touch.
#firstaidtraining
This week has been very busy, we provided first aid and health and safety training to Defaqto near Thame. Defaqto provides independent financial data to banks, insurers and other professionals in the financial markets.
Earlier in the week I ran a canine first aid training course for local businesses, in between Defaqto I covered two A&E shifts and last night I worked for Fightmedics covering a Mixed Martial Art competition in High Wycombe.
#firstaidtraining
Cracking day, I haven't laughed so much on a course for ages.
The staff from Maximus Gym in Surrey are really nice, everyone enjoyed themselves and hopefully learned something new or refreshed old skills.
Must say a big thank you to Ben who owns the gym and Michaela from Fightmedics who introduced us.
#firstaidtraining
Resuscitation Council 2015 recommendations were released last Thursday. We have studied the latest Resuscitation changes and are changing over to the new recommendations on our courses very soon.
The recommendations on CPR change every five years. On the 15th October 2015, the European Resuscitation Council, ILCOR and UK Resuscitation Council announced the 2015 guidelines. Our training courses will shortly follow the ERC and UK 2015 recommendations to ensure the latest guidelines are including in our online and classroom courses.
When the rules change, its not that the old rules were wrong, it’s that better advice is now available to improve the survival rates for a patient and improving the understanding of what to do for the rescuer.
There are not as many changes in 2015 as there have been in previous years, but the main changes are as follows.
Guidelines 2015 highlights the critical importance of the interactions between the emergency medical dispatcher, the bystander who provides cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and the timely deployment of an automated external defibrillator (AED). An effective, co-ordinated community response that draws these elements together is key to improving survival from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.
The emergency medical dispatcher plays an important role in the early diagnosis of cardiac arrest, the provision of dispatcher-assisted CPR (also known as telephone CPR), and the location and dispatch of an AED. The sooner the emergency services are called, the earlier appropriate treatment can be initiated and supported.
The knowledge, skills and confidence of bystanders will vary according to the circumstances of the arrest, level of training and prior experience. The bystander who is trained and able should assess the collapsed victim rapidly to determine if the victim is unresponsive and not breathing normally and then immediately alert the emergency services. Whenever possible, alert the emergency services without leaving the victim.
The victim who is unresponsive and not breathing normally is in cardiac arrest and requires CPR. Immediately following cardiac arrest blood flow to the brain is reduced to virtually zero, which may cause seizure like episodes that may be confused with epilepsy. Bystanders and emergency medical dispatchers should be suspicious of cardiac arrest in any patient presenting with seizures and carefully assess whether the victim is breathing normally.
With basic life support, the key messages are:
Ensure it is safe to approach the victim.
Promptly assess the unresponsive victim to determine if they are breathing normally.
Be suspicious of cardiac arrest in any patient presenting with seizures and carefully assess whether the victim is breathing normally.
For the victim who is unresponsive and not breathing normally:
Dial 999 and ask for an ambulance. If possible stay with the victim and get someone else to make the emergency call. If possible, stay with the victim while calling the ambulance. It has been added that, if the phone has a speaker facility, switch it to speaker mode as this will facilitate continuous dialogue with the dispatcher including (if required) CPR instructions.
Start CPR and send for an AED as soon as possible but do not leave the patient to search for an AED. AED units are safe to use even without training so should always be used if available.
If trained and able, combine chest compressions and rescue breaths, otherwise provide compression-only CPR. If the compressions are too shallow, it is more harmful than compressions that are too deep, therefore it is re-enforced that compressions should be between 5 to 6 cm in an average adult. CPR is difficult and it remains recommended that if possible change to a second rescuer after two minutes to ensure the quality of compressions.
It's also re-enforced, the importance or recoil. By allowing complete recoil of the chest after each compression results in better venous return to the chest and may improve the effectiveness of CPR. CPR providers should, therefore, take care to avoid leaning forward after each chest compression.
It was re-enforced that mouth to nose ventilations are an effective method of delivering breaths if you cannot deliver them via the mouth and it was added that mouth to tracheostomy ventilations we also an effective way of delivering breaths for someone with a tracheostomy tube or tracheal stoma. It was also changed that the maximum interruption in chest compressions to give the two breaths over 1 second and opening the airway each is ten seconds.
With children and infants, we say compress the chest by at least one third the depth of the chest but how far is this? Its stated now still as one third the depth of the chest, but clarified as approximately 4 cm for the infant and approximately 5 cm for an older child. We still use two fingers for an infant under 1 year; use one or two hands as needed for a child over 1 year to achieve an adequate depth of compression.
With the breaths with children and infants, the duration of delivering a breath is stated as about 1 second, to coincide with adult practice.
If an AED arrives, switch it on and follow the instructions. Minimise interruptions to CPR when attaching the AED pads to the victim. Do not stop CPR unless you are certain the victim has recovered and is breathing normally or a health professional tells you to stop.
Moving on to choking, the rules are the same. Treat the victim who is choking by encouraging them to cough. If the victim deteriorates give up to 5 back slaps followed by up to 5 abdominal thrusts. If the victim becomes unconscious, start CPR.
The 2015 Advanced life support (ALS) guidelines have a change in emphasis aimed at improved care and implementation of these guidelines in order to improve patient outcomes. Increased emphasis on minimally interrupted high quality chest compressions throughout any ALS intervention. This has also been reflected in the basic life support guidelines.
#eventcover
A very busy night in Essex, working for Fightmedic's.
The Southend Leisure and Tennis centre is a huge venue filled tonight with supporters of MMA, boxing and K1.
We had some real characters on the bill, including an entrance with drums.
#firstaidtraining
Shared the stage with Thames Valley Air Ambulance last night. They gave a talk to the scouts on what HEMS do and I followed up with a short piece on first aid.
The Air Ambulance had exiting news as their new helicopter has night flying capabilities, extending their ability to provide cover into the hours of darkness.
#firstaidtraining
Interesting article in the news, just talking about this with a colleagues.
Heart attack test 'cuts hospital stays' - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-34464484
#eventcover
Three coffees, two litres of water, six Sudafed, 50 medicals and seven hours of top Thai Boxing at a tournament today working for Fight Medics.
Met some old friends, made some new ones and had a great day providing medical cover for the competition in Kennington.
#eventcover
What an amazing day with excellent weather covering the 10km Bradenham Bolt for the National Trust. The course winds its way up, down and round the Bradenham Woods, in the Chilterns an AONB.
The organisers also added a few cheeky obstacles including tyres and jumps. Now in its third year they are looking to grow next year, so if anyone fancies a challenging but fun run please visit the website and sign up.
www.ntbradenhambolt.org.uk
#eventcover
A long drive and a late night, but it was worth it.
After a sedate day of lawn archery in Kent on Friday, I was off to Norfolk Showground with Fight Medics to cover high quality MMA and Kick Boxing Saturday night.
The show ground was a huge venue, which was filled last night with fans and fighters. Great evening.
#adventureactivities
Archery session today at Dulwich Prep School, Cranbrook in Kent.
Dulwich is a very forward thinking school, encouraging and using outdoor learning to broaden their pupils experience's.
The weather was great today, we enjoyed amazing views over Kent and had tea from the schools very own bush tucker kitchen.
#emergencyfirstaidatwork
Really nice day with staff from Dogs for the Disabled.
This is my second course with Dogs for the Disabled and as always everyone was keen and enjoyed practicals.
#eventcover
Gladiators when your ready!
Cracking night at the Troxy in London covering Mixed Martial Arts competitions for Fight Medics.
Excellent venue lively crowd and fantastic fighters. The semi pro fights have been really good so far, the professional fights later this evening look like being top notch.
#firstaidatwork
Final day, scenarios, assessments with a celebration of learning to top it off.
Cracking day with really positive feedback, we even had a three people enquire about becoming Community First Responder's after mentioning to everyone the importance of their role.
Medical cover at the Troxy in London for Fight Medics tomorrow. A busy card for the evening with 16 fights including a number of title fights.
#firstaidatwork
Very busy three days with the Berkshire College of Agriculture near Maidenhead. Del and I have had a fun few days working with staff from different departments in the college.
It's always nice working at BCA, as the venue and backdrop are outstanding and the staff team are keen to learn and enjoy a good laugh.
Last day tomorrow of the three day first aid at work, covering illnesses and adding a few scenarios before the celebration of learning.
#manualhandling
Cracking day Grommit at Hearing Dogs for Deaf People.
We ran a manual handling course for welfare officers working with the dogs in training. Our obstacle course was popular, incorporating lifting technique with the challenge of clear communication.
It is always a pleasure working at Hearing Dogs. Nice people, lovely setting and wonderful dogs all for a good cause.
A nice change of pace after working the weekend with the ambulance service on frontline A&E. Saturday and Sunday were both really busy. Monday was a rare day not working with a trip to Warwick. My partner was competing with our Belgium Shepherd at an obedience show. The location was interesting as it had a World War 2 themed army camp.
The remainder of the week is at BCA College running a First Aid At Work course for their staff, the weekend will be in London covering Mixed Marshal Arts at the Troxy for Fight Medics.
#firstaidtraining
Day two in London covering a Level 2 Paediatric course for Salvus Consultancy.
A busy day with lots to cover, culminating in a celebration of learning. Everyone enjoyed the course and are now setting their sights on a new term.
#paediatricfirstaid
The joys of driving in London this week, I'm running a L3 Paediatric Course for Salvus Consultancy at a very nice public school called Heathside close to Hampstead Heath.
We are using a Quaker meeting house which is a lovely venue, really quiet considering where we are.
Already this week Invenio has covered two frontline shifts and a basic life support course for GP's at a local surgery.
A busy weekend and week is approaching for Invenio with two more frontline shifts booked, a three day first aid at work with the Berkshire College of Agriculture, a half day manual handling course with Hearing Dogs for Deaf People and my bike needs an MOT.
Looking ahead, the final prep for new residential outdoor first aid courses almost complete, which will be an exciting addition.
#petfirstaid
With rain forecast for two days our August camp wasn't looking good.
However we had two good days, added to a great group and cracking dogs we had a nice two day camp at Hearing Dogs for Deaf People.
Plenty of obedience and agility training, with sessions on pet first aid and animal care throughout.
A huge thank you to all the staff who make it happen. Feedback from the kids and parents was really good.
That's it for this year, we will be looking at May half term 2016 for our next camp.
