Many people do not bother about to learn first responder skills, because they assume that medical professionals will be able to take care of their needs should an emergency arise. However, emergencies are generally not predictable, which means you may find yourself in a situation that involves a beloved friend or family member without anyone nearby to help. Therefore, it is important that you have first responder skills honed and ready to use at the drop of a hat. This way, regardless of where you are when an emergency occurs you will be properly prepared to jump in and help.

Importance Of Training

Most people vaguely know about CPR and the Heimlich manoeuvre, and may even know how both are administered because they have seen the first aid measures performed on television. However, watching and doing are completely different matters, and when an emergency arises you need to be able to act quickly without any questions. In a true emergency there is no time to Google how to perform life-saving measures. Therefore, proper training is essential, so that you can jump into action without wasting any time thinking about what you should be doing. Every second counts in an emergency, so the less time spent panicking or questioning the better.

There are certain circumstances in which you should consider taking a first responder class for formal training at no costs. While, ideally, everyone should be trained in first responder skills, parents and caregivers of children or adults with medical conditions should certainly be trained. This is due to the fact that they are more likely to find themselves in an emergency medical situation than other people. With heightened health risks, it is always worth it to take a training class so that you can feel prepared for the worst.

Learning The Skills

The good news is that learning first responder skills is not something that is out of your reach. There are plenty of ways that you can enrol in first responder classes. Most are affordable, because the intent is to arm the public with information that will help save lives. NDFA offer first aid training courses so that you are ready to response if you find yourself in the position to help a loved one or a member of the public.

The modern world has also made it easier to find first responder classes, and now you can even enrol online at NDFA. At the end of the course you are tested on your skills, and then awarded a certification that proves you are able to complete first responder actions. This may benefit you within your workplace, but most importantly will allow you to act quickly and decisively should you ever find yourself in an emergency situation with someone you love.

What to Do When a Child is Choking

For a parent or anyone nearby, a child choking can be one of the most terrifying experiences they will ever be involved in. When a child is choking there is a limited amount of time to intervene before they will be deprived of oxygen for too long. Therefore, it is vital that parents and caregivers of small children know exactly what to do when a child is choking and how to do it. First response medical training is recommended, but if you cannot attend a training session nearby, you will want to read over this guide, so you are always prepared.

Call An Ambulance

The first thing you should do is call for emergency assistance, because regardless of the situation, you’ll want help on the way as soon as possible. If you are unable to remove the obstruction it may just save the child’s life to have them there a few seconds earlier. In the best case scenario ask someone nearby to call, so you can focus on the child.

Now you need to ascertain if the child has a fully or partially blocked airway. If the child is old enough to talk ask them if they are choking or not. If they are able to respond at all, this means that they likely have a partially blocked airway. If you determine that the airway is partially blocked, stay with the child and keep telling him or her to cough with the aim of dislodging the object. Make sure you stay with them.

The Abodminal thrusts Manoeuvre

Someone that is fully obstructed will not be able to make any sound at all. For a child that is not yet speaking the absence of any sound or crying is an indication that they are choking. If you determine that they are choking you need to call an ambulance unless you have already done this. Do not try to drive them on your own; instead you need to start the Abdominal thrusts manoeuvre.

If the child is older than one year of age you can use the Abodminal thrusts manoeuvre to clear the airway.

To do this, lean the person forward in front of you. Place your arms around the child and then make a fist. Grab your fist with the other hand and position the ball of fist right under the ribs. Then pull upwards abruptly. Continue to repeat the process until the airway is clear, or emergency help arrives.

If the child is less than one year of age they are not a suitable candidate for abdominal thrusts. Instead, the infant should be placed over the knee; five back blows should be given, and then five chest thrusts. While doing this keep the infant’s head angled downwards, so that gravity will help dislodge the object. Also make sure the infant’s head is supported at all times. If the infant turns blue or loses consciousness, then CPR should be started until help arrives.