First Aid Training

sockpuppet

Registered user
Joined
Aug 12, 2008
Messages
1,685
Reaction score
0
Location
A Field
Hate to be the one to bring this up but is anyone considering a first aid/emergency aid style course for this trip.

This was made more "prominent" last weekend as my parents were out for a walk in the Leicestershire country side when a member of the walking group they were with collapsed. My dad (also a trained first aider) performed CPR while the air ambulance responded. Sadly the walker was declared dead on arrival at hospital.

Now this was only a few miles from a major city. I'm already a trained First Aider and really think that people should have at least the basic training on CPR etc. Not sure what other peoples thoughts are but although were not going to the central congo even the roadside in a developed country is a real shitty place to find out you wished you had the training.

I'm going to look into some decent medical training (anyone got any suggestions), mainly becuase I'm looking at going solo south afterwards and want to be able to look after myself but if anyone wants to join me then I'll try and find some training where we can both make it!

Good/bad idea - comments and suggestions welcome.
 
In my job we have to have first aid training, and usually it's been the run of the mill st john's or red cross cos they were the cheapest providers, and it's always been the kind you would fall asleep in. Recently though we bought in a guy who was genuinely ex forces top notch. (think Embassy siege).

I can't think of his company name off the top of my head, but I'll get it. This chap had us more confident in dealing with trauma situations in only a few days than any amount of training we'd had in the past. He actually made it interesting. I'd have paid my own money to learn from him, he was that good.
 
Not sure what other peoples thoughts are but although were not going to the central congo even the roadside in a developed country is a real shitty place to find out you wished you had the training.

.

We are going through Mauritania which is probably worse than central Congo for medical facilities outside of major towns. Is is certainly not a developed country.

Your suggestion is very good about first aid training just to cover the basics and most importantly tell people what NOT to do etc.
 
Hate to be the one to bring this up but is anyone considering a first aid/emergency aid style course for this trip.

This was made more "prominent" last weekend as my parents were out for a walk in the Leicestershire country side when a member of the walking group they were with collapsed. My dad (also a trained first aider) performed CPR while the air ambulance responded. Sadly the walker was declared dead on arrival at hospital.

Now this was only a few miles from a major city. I'm already a trained First Aider and really think that people should have at least the basic training on CPR etc. Not sure what other peoples thoughts are but although were not going to the central congo even the roadside in a developed country is a real shitty place to find out you wished you had the training.

I'm going to look into some decent medical training (anyone got any suggestions), mainly becuase I'm looking at going solo south afterwards and want to be able to look after myself but if anyone wants to join me then I'll try and find some training where we can both make it!

Good/bad idea - comments and suggestions welcome.



Great idea !! :thumb
 
Get's my vote especially if its bike based and covers safe removal of lids. It would be nice to know that chap with the Leatherman in his hands knows what bits to leave alone when operating!
 
Joining first responders as just like Mauritania it's a third world up here.
We have Single manned ambulance's :mad:
 
2%

Heard a quite shocking statistic the other day, only 2% of people who receive

CPR from 1st aiders survive. NOT Parameds.:(
 
Heard a quite shocking statistic the other day, only 2% of people who receive

CPR from 1st aiders survive. NOT Parameds.:(

not a reflection on the quality of the cpr given, more likley to be the nature of the condition that created need for cpr, i.e heart attack....etc....it is not a panacea, its more likely that those who are present feel that they did their best, even tho' most cases are lost causes, anyway!!!
 
I did a 5 day first aid at work course 6 months ago. It included de-fib training, but we are unlikely to be able to afford one of those for the trip.
We were told that CPR on it's own is no good without a de-fibrilator, although it should be done until one arrives.
I almost convinced my GP, who is a keen biker, to tag along. He was up for it till I mentioned Gambia. He talked about bodies floating in the rivers etc and backed out. :eek: I haven't researched his claims any further.
 
Heard a quite shocking statistic the other day, only 2% of people who receive

CPR from 1st aiders survive. NOT Parameds.:(


Just as a point all that CPR does is keep blood pumping around the system, you do have to breathe in air as well or the blood has nothing to take with it as it goes round the system.
The number of people you see pumping the chest like buggery but forgetting to give the poor victim oxygen.

But you cannot get a heart going with CPR it is just to keep you going enough until the medics get there with a jump start kit.

Oh and if your going to have a heart attack make sure its an paramedic and NOT a doctor that turns up if you can ( ;-) ) doctors have to do CPR and Mouth to mouth for 5 minutes and get it right better than 50% of the time, medics have to do it for 20 minutes and get it right 90% of the time, doctors are hopeless at first aid !!!
 
Just volunteered to be a first responder in my village - looks like a good way to learn the ropes.
been in St John for a year, but to be honest you dont very often get any practical experience.

a relative of mine has been a paramedic for a long time and its a job you only really learn by doing it.
 
Getting some quotes for first aid training. We'll probably just end up doing them seperatly due to the geographical location!

First bike on scene courses are looking at being around £80 a head. I've asked for prices for normal and longer first aid courses then peolpe can see what they want to do.
 
doctors have to do CPR and Mouth to mouth for 5 minutes and get it right better than 50% of the time, medics have to do it for 20 minutes

This is great thinking, however I'me just a tad concerned if one were to have a little "siesta" will there be a queue of tossers all licking there lips in preparation of a bit of mouth to mouth ? :hug :ymca
 
Oh and if your going to have a heart attack make sure its an paramedic and NOT a doctor that turns up if you can ( ;-) ) doctors have to do CPR and Mouth to mouth for 5 minutes and get it right better than 50% of the time, medics have to do it for 20 minutes and get it right 90% of the time, doctors are hopeless at first aid !!!

even b etter hope the doctors nurse practitioner turns up:mmmm
 
I'm not "current" on my first aid, but I was thinking of doing some sort of refresher.
 
Don't know how I managed to miss this thread the first time round, but I'm ashamed to say I've never had any first aid training (apart from making a sling for my arm in the Scouts). Which I'd better say was a long time ago.:D
 
in terms of cpr upto 7 mins of 02 in blood. before 02 starvation.

remember

Catastrophic bleed
Danger
Response

c spine
Airway
Breathing
Circulation


red basic black if trained.

2 breathes 30 compressions around 1/5 of chest depth.

cpr can help resus is only successful if defib is carried out.
 
Just as a point all that CPR does is keep blood pumping around the system, you do have to breathe in air as well or the blood has nothing to take with it as it goes round the system.
The number of people you see pumping the chest like buggery but forgetting to give the poor victim oxygen.

But you cannot get a heart going with CPR it is just to keep you going enough until the medics get there with a jump start kit.




Sorry to tell ya dude, but there is no such thing as a jump start kit. A defibrillator , contrary to common belief, does not restart the heart- it actually stops it and the heart then restarts itself. That of course means it can only be used in certain cardiac conditions, and not the flat-lining one we see on TV.

As regards CPR, it actually includes the air-in bit. If someone is just pounding on the chest, it aint CPR (in the same way 2 bits of bread together aint a sandwich with no filling--they're just 2 bits of bread!)

If you're heading into the boonies, you should have someone with some medical skill. The problem is, learning it isn't enough--it also needs some practice, because when you come face to face with the real thing, the biggest difficulty is keeping cool enough to actually do something. The other thing is that 1st/ambulance aid can only do so much. You still need a doctor/surgeon somewhere not too far down the line--dont forget your "Golden Hour".

Brendy
 


Back
Top Bottom