The important thing to remember about First Aid is no pills, potions and lotions, and nothing invasive to the patient. If the patient has an enhaler or an epi-pen you can give it to them, but they have to administer it themselves.
Yes, I know. However, as a First Aider at a residental event, one's responsibilities extend a little further than that - not only does one do 'proper first aid', but one also adminsters the girls' medication and occassionally other items we have parental admission to give ie. paracetamol. There's very little 'real' first aid - just bumps/grazes/cuts to deal with. There's a lot more headaches/homesickness etc that require lots of TLC and not a lot else (though I will give girls who have headaches for a significant period of time paracetamol)
If I was faced with a casulty suffering anaphlytic shock, incapable of administering the adrenaline themselves I would certainly give it to them. The rules might say otherwise, but I'm prepared to take my chances with them in order to save someone's life. With an asthma inhaler/angina medication, I'd be more cautious, because AIUI you have to be able to time your breathing with pressing the inhaler, so having someone else doing that probably won't help.
The interesting thing that I learnt at my FAAT refresher course is that on the subject of CPR is that it has been found that there is virtually no likelihood that anyone will ever start breathing/become concious as a result of administering CPR - which is why the mobile defibulators are being pushed into communities and work places because that (or paramedics and hospitals) are the only thing to bring them round).
Yep - I knew that. It was being said the last time I did first aid (in 2002 - before the mobile devices were introduced) to make sure that once people start CPR they know it's not going to magically bring someone back to life and that they've got to carry on until medical help arrives. I'd like to be trained in how to use one of those mobile devices.
Re Live8 - I don't think *anyone* is actually better informed as a result of the weekend's concerts. I don't think all those who want to campaign for change in Africa want to speak with one voice - they've all got slightly different aims/ideas. What worries me is that the G8 leaders will decide to 'Drop the Debt' and propose a modest aid package and everyone will think that that is sufficient to 'solve' the problems in Africa and the continent will be forgotten for another twenty years...
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Yes, I know. However, as a First Aider at a residental event, one's responsibilities extend a little further than that - not only does one do 'proper first aid', but one also adminsters the girls' medication and occassionally other items we have parental admission to give ie. paracetamol. There's very little 'real' first aid - just bumps/grazes/cuts to deal with. There's a lot more headaches/homesickness etc that require lots of TLC and not a lot else (though I will give girls who have headaches for a significant period of time paracetamol)
If I was faced with a casulty suffering anaphlytic shock, incapable of administering the adrenaline themselves I would certainly give it to them. The rules might say otherwise, but I'm prepared to take my chances with them in order to save someone's life. With an asthma inhaler/angina medication, I'd be more cautious, because AIUI you have to be able to time your breathing with pressing the inhaler, so having someone else doing that probably won't help.
The interesting thing that I learnt at my FAAT refresher course is that on the subject of CPR is that it has been found that there is virtually no likelihood that anyone will ever start breathing/become concious as a result of administering CPR - which is why the mobile defibulators are being pushed into communities and work places because that (or paramedics and hospitals) are the only thing to bring them round).
Yep - I knew that. It was being said the last time I did first aid (in 2002 - before the mobile devices were introduced) to make sure that once people start CPR they know it's not going to magically bring someone back to life and that they've got to carry on until medical help arrives. I'd like to be trained in how to use one of those mobile devices.
Re Live8 - I don't think *anyone* is actually better informed as a result of the weekend's concerts. I don't think all those who want to campaign for change in Africa want to speak with one voice - they've all got slightly different aims/ideas. What worries me is that the G8 leaders will decide to 'Drop the Debt' and propose a modest aid package and everyone will think that that is sufficient to 'solve' the problems in Africa and the continent will be forgotten for another twenty years...