What Are The Skills Needed to be a First Aider?
So what skills do you need to be a first aider? Here’s our take on the skills required to become a great first aider: Soft First Aid Skills First, let’s examine some of the...
Author: John Furst
The Four Steps of First Aid
First aid is the immediate medical assistance given to an ill or injured person until professional help arrives to take over. First aid is necessary for both minor and serious injuries and illnesses. By providing the...
What does BE FAST stand for in First Aid?
The ‘FAST’ test is a well-known tool used to identify the key warning signs of a stroke. A stroke is a life-threatening emergency that occurs when the blood supply to the brain is interrupted....
How to Take a Respiratory Rate in First Aid?
The respiratory rate is the number of breaths a person takes per minute. Knowing how to take a respiratory rate is an important skill for first aiders and first responders. The rate is usually...
What Are The Five Links in The Chain of Survival?
The American Heart Association (AHA) Chain of Survival describes the critical actions required to treat victims of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA). When all links of the Chain of Survival are completed this provides the...
The Aims of First Aid – The Three Ps
Whether you’re addressing an injury or performing CPR, the central aim of first aid is to save the life of the patient. This is why it’s integral to know about the three Ps of...
What Does TWELVE FLAPS Stand For?
TWELVE FLAPS is a memory device (also called a mnemonic) used to assess a casualty’s airway and breathing. This easy-to-remember acronym is often taught to paramedics and ambulance staff, but it’s also a useful...
PQRST Pain Assessment Method
The PQRST mnemonic is a valuable tool for pain assessment when responding to medical emergencies. You can use it to gather information about the patient’s symptoms and level of pain. It can help you...
What are the Three Types of Bleeding?
Severe bleeding is a life-threatening emergency situation. Major blood loss can lead to the development of shock and the collapse of the patient’s cardiovascular system. In this first aid blog post we will discuss...
What does SAMPLE stand for in first aid?
When individuals receive training to become first aiders, their training enables them to possess sufficient knowledge of first aid. This includes the competency to identify illnesses and assess the extremity of injuries that require...
Correct AED Pad Placement
An Automated External Defibrillator (AED) is a medical device that delivers an electrical shock to a victim in cardiac arrest. A cardiac arrest occurs when a victim’s heart stops beating and blood stops flowing...
A guide to AVPU for first aiders
Being able to assess a patient’s level of consciousness is an important skill for any first aider. A wide range of injuries and medical conditions can affect the consciousness levels and first aiders should...
What is a Subarachnoid Hemorrhage (SAH)?
A subarachnoid hemorrhage, sometimes known as a ‘bleed on the brain’, occurs when bleeding occurs in the subarachnoid space. The subarachnoid space lies beneath a layer of one of the brain’s coverings known as...
How to Perform a Head-tilt Chin-lift?
An unconscious patient is at risk of blocking their airway and suffocating. The main reason for this occurring is due to the tongue. An unconscious patient loses all their muscular tone, and this includes...
