Gotta learn First Aid

[Mudball]

Unusual start to our day. As I was driving my son for football training, got to the end of the cul de sac. I noticed that there was a man lying by the side of the road with some others trying to do help him. So we pulled over only to find that the man; probably in his 70/80s had stopped breathing and blood coming from his head.

No one who had stopped to help knew first aid and someone was on the phone to 999. Unfortnately, the ambulences were delayed. Luckily my wife was at home this morning. I reversed back to drop son and picked up my wife. That’s the fastest reverse driving I have ever done.. we got back in about 2 mins.

As a medico she is trained in CPR and first aid. So she took over and help administer CPR. Over the next few mins we had a couple of ambulance crews and specialist cardiac paramedics join. The rest of us took over to direct traffic, locating family and other activities. Everyone tried their damnedest.

A couple of police cars joined us as it became clear that they might be able to revive him. It looked as if he probably had a heart incident of some form and fell in a way that his head hit the footpath.

Very unfortunate start to the weekend. It showed the good in people - someone from the shop down the road offered us beverages and nibbles. Equally we had a couple of cars refusing to stop when asked to because they were getting late!!

It also makes me wonder that if I could do first aid, maybe we could have had a few more golden minutes. Not an average Sat morning but strengthens the resolve to get some first aid training.

May his soul rest in peace. He knows we tried really hard.

PS.. if someone is interested then pl do an essential first aid course ..>> http://www.sja.org.uk/sja/first-aid-training-courses.aspx

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Learned CPR at the hospital and now do an ALS course every year. Have had to use my knowledge once, fortunately with a positive outcome. Important (in my humble opinion) you talk the incident through with your son though as that would have been difficult for him to witness

 

[Hobbit]

I did my first First Aid course way back in the early 70's, as part of my Duke of Edinburgh. I've kept up to date up until this year out here in Spain. Its been used in anger on quite a number of occasions, usually bumps and bashes, and there has also been some very hairy moments.

I would absolutely recommend any, and every parent doing it. Choking incidents, electric shocks and burns - kids have a habit of finding ways of scaring the living daylights out of you. No one wants to wish, after the fact, they'd made an effort to learn.

And well done today Muddy. Making the decision to get involved isn't easy - rabbits and headlights spring to mind.

 

[Deleted member 16999]

Easier to stand back and rely on others, thank god there are people like yourself and your wife willing to step forward.
Won’t of been easy for any of you, but at least you stepped up and tried.

 

[Mudball]

Easier to stand back and rely on others, thank god there are people like yourself and your wife willing to step forward.
Won’t of been easy for any of you, but at least you stepped up and tried.

I agree .. fight or flight kicks in.. I m not sure why I decided to jump in. Thank god there were no coppers who saw me drive in reverse back to the house.

Once the specialists and paramedics took over from my wife, she was shaking and fighting tears. And she is trained!! When the Mrs of the guy arrived she switched to speaking to her so paras could focus on him.

Speaking to her over a cuppa at night, she mentioned that she knew they lost him very early.. but they kept trying.

I have seen the Mrs in clinical setting but never in an emergency one. I hope we don’t have to or it has a better result. Incredibly proud of her.

I have to speak to my son at some point.

 

[Deleted member 16999]

I agree .. fight or flight kicks in.. I m not sure why I decided to jump in. Thank god there were no coppers who saw me drive in reverse back to the house.

Once the specialists and paramedics took over from my wife, she was shaking and fighting tears. And she is trained!! When the Mrs of the guy arrived she switched to speaking to her so paras could focus on him.

Speaking to her over a cuppa at night, she mentioned that she knew they lost him very early.. but they kept trying.

I have seen the Mrs in clinical setting but never in an emergency one. I hope we don’t have to or it has a better result. Incredibly proud of her.

I have to speak to my son at some point.

Give them both an extra hug tonight mate and don’t forget it’s ok for you to want to talk about it to them as well.

 

[Mudball]

Give them both an extra hug tonight mate and don’t forget it’s ok for you to want to talk about it to them as well.

Understand what you say.. i think I will be fine.. after it was all over one of the paras came over and told me the same thing ... if I wanted to speak then call xyz..


I never had another man die on me before.. since this was on the footpath, they did not have anything to hang the saline drip on, so I stood there holding the bottle amongst all the paramedics (who I must say were brilliant)

 

[Dellboy]

Was first on the scene at a motorbike V car a good few years ago, down near Taunton, bike went into the side of the car.

Chap in car had stopped breathing so myself and a women got him out of the car ( yes I know not something you should do ) but had to do something.

I started cpr and carried on doing so for just over 5 minutes ( time of 999 call made and ambulance on scene, lucky for me they were in the area) first thing I will say is I didn’t realise how hard it is to do for that long, but to be honest all I can really remember is singing out loud ( Abba’s Staying Alive) to keep my rhythm going.

After the paramedics took over I just walked off and was violently sick and couldn’t stop shaking and crying, funny what shock can do to you.

Sadly he was declared dead at the scene by a doctor and I was driven home the 60 miles by the police as I was not fit to drive.

I had a lovely letter from the daughter thanking me for trying and being with him at the end.

First Aid training is a must for anyone who drives.

 

[Lump]

As much as being a first aider is a very valuable life skill. The aspect of CPR saving lives is very misleading. When you look at the numbers CPR doesn’t save a lot of lives. I know of several first aiders that have given CPR in my field of work. On every occasion the person was declared dead on scene once paramedics arrived. The first aid givers have all been deeply effected by not being able to save a life.
I’m not saying don’t perform CPR but if you do, always remember a heart doesn’t stop without good cause

 

[chrisd]

I did the 4 day 1st aid course a few times for work and always took the view that it should be taught in school so that everyone knew the basics. I only used it once seriously when a lady got hit on the head by a golf ball. She had blood everywhere and was semi conscious and her husband was in shock - all ended fine and the paramedics arrived and took her off to hospital

 

[Wolf]

First aid is so important these days, what you and your wife have done to assist this man and his family is nothing short of brave and commendable. Unfortunately some of these things don't go how we want but the fact you both tried is testament to your character.

I agree as well paramedics are simply sensational of all our health care providers they're probably overlooked by many but what they do everyday is truly remarkable.

I did a medics course when serving in the army and have kept up my first aid since, have had to use it so many times at work for some minor and quite a few major. Incidents it really does come in handy and as a parent I'd recommend it to everyone

 

[jim8flog]

I did my first course at the age of 16 with some refresher courses in the mean time including defibrilator training. Luckily I have only needed it on a 'major' emergency basis once with a girl having an epillectic fit. One thing that has always come across is that CPR and mouth to mouth are two of the most essential things to know.

My Dad was in the ambulance service and St Johns and had taught me of the necessity of knowing.

 

[Doon frae Troon]

I was a qualified first aider for most of my working life.
Came in quite useful on many occasions, the training never leaves you.
The downside is that I have witnessed a few deaths and often wondered if I could have done more.
One which involved a 36 year old husband and dad who collapsed on my course caused quite a bit of heartache for all involved

Golf has one of the highest death rates of any sport, mainly heart attacks.

 

[Tashyboy]

Started in the SJAB when i was 10 and never knew at the time it would be the foundation of my career. Lump writes a very good but hard hitting post. CPR is not that brilliant in terms of recovery rates, but just getting oxygen into them helps a little. Defibs help a little, drugs injected by paramedics help a little. Its that little thats for some makes a differance. Trying to think what was the worst incident was where i did CPR. Egypt
( in me speedos, honest) last day of me hols when a guy had a massive heart attack. A Guy in Coal Cleaning plant at pit, Heart attack. Double RTA fatality where 17 yr old brother on leave from army and his 14yr old beautiful sister came of a motorbike. Guy i found dead in a car on A1 coming home from work at night. All tragic events where i got stuck in. None survived. But i never beat myself up. Sat and thought about it is an understatement. Doing CPR on a smoker is like kissing an ashtray. Am gipping thinking about it now. But i would do it again. The folk i did CPR on, i did not know them. But one day it might be my family and friends, my golfing buddies. So knowing First aid for me is paramount. Good on you for getting stuck in.

 

[Sharktooth]

Good for you.
But remember, “first aid/rescue breathing/cpr” is not designed to revive someone, it is to keep oxygenated blood flowing to the brain until the professionals arrive.
I used to be a Diver Medic Tech and one of the important things to remember is that if you tried, at least you tried. Standing around doing nothing would have helped a hell of a lot less.

 

[Tashyboy]

Good for you.
But remember, “first aid/rescue breathing/cpr” is not designed to revive someone, it is to keep oxygenated blood flowing to the brain until the professionals arrive.
I used to be a Diver Medic Tech and one of the important things to remember is that if you tried, at least you tried. Standing around doing nothing would have helped a hell of a lot less.

Amen to that brother.

Without getting to complicated. CPR does work in certain instances. Its chances of success ( greatly) depends on the circumstances of why you are doing it. Eg, drowning, smoke inhalation, choking, heart attack, crushing objects on chest, Trauma are all differant examples of why CPR may be required. As sharktooth says. Doing summat is better than doing nothing.