A road traffic collision (RTC) is potentially a very dangerous scene. We have moving traffic, fuel, passive bystanders, patients who are injured, people who are upset and angry and the remnants of the car crash itself. All of these things can present a danger to us. On Arrival at an RTC Before you even get […]
Tracheostomy patients are people who have had problems with their airway in the past, meaning a tracheostomy has had to be put in place. This could be due to things like cancer, trauma, or being in intensive care for a long period of time where the patient had to have assistance with their breathing. The […]
The method to use for assessing the level of a patient’s disability or mental capacity is a system called AVPU or A-V-P-U. When using this acronym properly, you can accurately assess how alert a patient is. If done early on, you can give yourself an indication of how the patient is doing at that moment, […]
The spinal recovery position is a variant of the normal recovery position. This should be used if you suspect the patient has injured their spine. With the normal recovery position, the persons’ spine is liable to be moved about quite a lot. If a person has injured their spine, moving them could cause further damage. […]
Having an alcoholic drink is not usually a problem but when taken in excess it can lead to alcohol poisoning. Alcohol poisoning may be a one-off event for the person involved, or it may be linked to a more serious case of alcoholism. Alcohols are a group of chemical compounds, most of which are liquid […]
The Recovery Position is a way of placing the patient into a more safe and secure position. The Recovery Position allows you to monitor the patient easily and also negates the risk of them choking on anything. Use of Recovery Position After carrying out a primary survey, you will be able to tell if the […]
One first aid skill that you may well have to use at both work and home is dealing with someone who is choking. Choking is a life-threatening problem and can involve basic airway management. In Wales and England, in 2016, over 250 deaths were reported from choking alone. Over 60% of these cases occurred whilst […]
An allergy is an adverse reaction that the body has to a particular food or substance in the environment. Allergic reactions can cause anaphylaxis. Most substances that cause allergies are not harmful and have no effect on people who are not allergic. An allergen is any substance that triggers an allergic reaction. Allergies The most […]
Head injuries must be treated with the utmost care. The skull, or cranium, contains one of the main components of the Central Nervous System – the brain. The brain controls most things that happen in the body, and any damage to it could be fatal. Concussion Concussion is one of the most common types of […]
