Clinical skills - Professionalism and the Patient Perspective Flashcards
Objectives of first aid
3P’s
Preserve life
Prevent further harm
Promote recovery
Priorities of first aid
First on the scene Assess the situation Make the area safe Don't put yourself at risk Reassure and comfort Assess the in cured Treat most serious conditions first Seek help, call an ambulance
ABC’s of first aid
Airway
Breathing
Circulation
A - Airway
Bearing in mind cerival spine in jury
Clear airway by removing dentures, any food and debris in the mouth
Pull chin forward to stop tongue falling back and obstructing airway
B - Breathing
If necessary, ventilate
May need to perform ‘kiss of life’ or formal ventilation w/ insertion of an airway and ventilating
C - circulation
Seek out sources of bleeding and stop bleeding by direct pressure or by applying tourniquet if limbs bleeding
How do you check if an unconscious is still breathing
Look to see if chest is rising/ falling
Listen over their mouth and nose for breathing sounds
Feel their breath against your cheek for 10s
First thing to do when you see an unconscious person
Ask them if they are alright
Ask them to open their eyes
What should you do if you get no response from an unconscious person
Open their airway
Place on hand on the patients’s forehead and gently tilt their head back
Lift the chin using two fingers
Why do we lift the chin using two fingers
This moves tongue away from back of throat
Suspected spinal injury in someone who is unconscious
Do not extend neck but lift jaw forward - jaw thrust
If unconscious and not breathing
Start CPR immediately
CPR steps
Place the heel of the hand on the centre of breastbone. Place other hand on top and interlock fingers
Position yourself with shoulders above your hands
Use bodyweight to push down 5-6cm on their chest
Keeping hands on chest, release compression and allow chest to return to orig. position
Repeat compression at rate of 100-120x/min until ambulance arrive
CPR w/ rescue breaths
After every 30 chest compression, give two breaths
Tilt the casualty’s head gently and lift the chin up w/ two fingers. Pinch the person’s nose. Seal your mouth over theirs and blow steadily and firmly for one second. Check their chest rises, give two breaths
Continue w/ cycles of two breaths until they begin to recover, or emergency help arrives
Recovery position
Place patient on the side
Bend knee and elbow at 90 degrees and place on floor
Chain of survival
Early recognition and call for help
Early CPR
Early defibrillation
Post resuscitation care
To confirm cardiac arrest
Patient response Open airway Check for normal breathing - caution gasping breathing Check circulation Monitoring
Cardiac arrest confirmed
Call resuscitation team
Attach defribillator/ monitor
Minimise interruptions
First aid for conscious patients
Comfort and reassure casualty
Neck immobilisation
Maintaining airway
Maintain neck immobilisation
Child resuscitation
Try to get a response by asking or gently tapping
If no response, tilt head back and lift chin to open airway. Listen for any breathing
Clear airway removes any obstruction, dentures, tongue. Give 5 rescue breaths
Start CPR until signs of recovery w/ coughing, speaking or moving purposefully
Bleeding
Pale and cold and clammy skin Thready and weak pulse, feel carotid and femoral pulses Rapid and shallow breathing Confusion, irritable combative Altered consciousness Bleeding source History of assault; injury
What to do when someone is bleeding
Assess the situation make the area safe and don't put yourself at risk Reassure and comfort Assess the injures Treat the most serious injury first Seek help, call an ambulance Apply direct pressure and maintain pressure Apply tourniquet on extremity Leave offending weapon in situ
First aid for choking
Clear mouth, food, dentures
Hit them firmly on their back between their shoulder blade 5x
Perform the Heimlich manoeuvre 5x
Call 999
Domestic electrocution
Causes muscular spasms contractions
Avoid touching person
Requires hosp check up
