First Aid for Christmas

First Aid for Christmas

No-one wants to think about needing First Aid at Christmas but it is worth being prepared.  Brush up on your skills, check your First Aid kit is complete and that you’ve still got plasters left over from the summer.  In this latest blog I’ve given some general First Aid tips.

First Aid for Wounds

If you have any wounds it’s important to wash it well under running water, especially if it’s from a dirty knife.  Be aware that a knife is considered dirty if you’ve been using it for meat preparation.

If the wound is more severe remember your SEEP:-

• Sit or lie them down
  • If they’re feeling at all faint or light-headed

• Elevate above the heart (if possible)
  • Raising a bleeding arm or leg really does help to reduce the bleeding enabling you to more closely examine the wound

• Examine
  • Have a look at the wound and decide what you need to do, can you just cover it or do you need to seek attention

• Pressure
  • If needed apply pressure to the wound, if there is something stuck in the wound don’t remove it but instead apply pressure around the edge of the wound and seek attention
  • Cover the wound whilst travelling to seek attention or whilst waiting for help, use something clean and non-stick.  Kitchen roll or a tea towel are fine as they can easily be soaked off and don’t leave fibres behind like cotton wool products.

First Aid for Choking

There are lots of new toys and games around at Christmas and these often have small parts that can pose a choking hazard.  Equally food is a common choking hazard.  You can revise what to do with someone who is choking in my earlier blog and by using the Lifesaver app.  The Lifesaver app is in interactive film where you make the decisions about what to do next, it’s a great tool even if you do or don’t have any formal First Aid training.

First Aid for Trips and Falls

The small toys can also create trip hazards.  If you suffer a simple trip/fall then rest, elevation and ice is the order of the day.  There’s more advice here on trips and falls.  Resting isn’t easy when you’re busy at this time of year, but if you’ve sprained an ankle and don’t rest it initially it can take longer to recover and will swell more.  Don’t forget to take some simple painkillers too.

First Aid for Faints

When working in the Emergency Department over Christmas I used to see a lot of people that had collapsed at home, often Granny or Grandad who weren’t used to the rich food and alcohol!  It is a time when we eat and drink things that we don’t usually and for the elderly this can prove too much.  There is a great video from the British Heart Foundation about how to put someone in the recovery position and part of the Lifesaver app is devoted to how to put someone in the recovery position too.

We use the recovery position because when someone is unconscious they are at risk of obstructing their airway with either their tongue, vomit or both and putting them on their side helps protects them from this.

First Aid for Burns

Doing all that extra baking whilst rushing about puts us at increased risk of injury.  Be mindful when using your oven and handling hot items.  If you or someone else suffers a burn cool it for 10 minutes under running water.  Remove clothing if it’s not stuck and remove any rings if it’s a burn on the hand.  If you can’t remove a ring without going over the burn then seek attention.  There’s further advice here.

 

Merry Christmas from Orchard Training Services

I hope you have a happy and safe Christmas and don’t need any of the above advice.

All the best for 2015,

kind regards, Helen.