Today in building academy we have did a FIRST AID course learning about different methods to use in case of an emergency by role playing different types of scenarios and talking about all the potential things that can happen in an emergency such as sprained or broken bones, choking, heart attacks, strokes, head injuries, diabetes, asthma, seizures, the difference between hyper and hypothermia, poisoning and when and how to perform CPR.
Our tutor taught us how to understand the DRS ABCD which stands for…
D – danger, check for any dangers to you or the patient around the environment and make sure it is safe
R – response, check if the patient is responsive by asking for their name, squeeze shoulder
S – Send for help, send a bystander for help and have someone phone emergency services on the line
A – airway, open mouth to look for foreign material and maintain a clear airway by head tilt and chin lift
B – Breathing, check for normal breathing look, listen and feel for chest rising
C – CPR, chest compression are started if breathing is absent
D – defibrillation, apply AED using diagram and follow the AED voice prompts.
I just discovered today the machine that shocks a patient and resets their heart is called an AED which stands for automated external defibrillator. I found that really interesting because the machine actually gives you voice prompts and tells you what to do step by step, tells you what the patients condition is, tells you when to not touch the patient and when to start giving chest compression (If necessary).