Just took a class for first aid. One of the many more to come I guess. Nothing like being a professional student. Maybe by the time I'm finished with all these classes it'll be time to retire. The class was pretty good. The last time I took one was about twelve years ago so I must say things have changed. Got to use one of those new AED defibrillators. Wow are they amazing now. They're basically idiot proof that is until they make better idiots. You open it up and it tells you exactly what to do.
Over eighteen years I think I've had to give first aid about six times. Mostly for lacerations but nothing really major. And here's a bit of advice: If your having a medical emergency unless you're having major chest pains or your arm is detached from your body have a friend or relative drive you to the clinic or hospital. EMS are being overwhelmed with what they call asprin and band aid calls - non serious injuries that don't require their attention. It's really doing a number on our emergency personnel.
Now if there was just some work to put all this great knowledge to work.
So until then
Keep your drums upright
8 comments:
But the Heimlich is useful. Actually performed it successfully once.
When I was a kid (according to the family legend archive dipped into too many times during family dinners) - I asked my dad what was "First Aid". He explained. I contemplated for a moment and then asked him what came next - "Second Aid"?
A builder I was doing some finish carpentry for came on the jobsite one day with one of those earlier portable defibrillators. He was a member of the local fire department, affectionately named, "The Shapleigh Cellar Savers". They had had been issued some defibrillators to carry in their personal vehicles. Not 10 minutes after he got there, he used it to revive one of the painters who had a heart attack and fell off a ladder. The guy lived because of that gadget.
They say there's an 80 to 90% success rate with the defib as opposed to a 10% rate with just CPR.
I do not know where you get them but your cat's are great. Now that you are all trained up I hope they give you a hand finding suitable employment. Good luck!
Now if I said I'd prefer the cat would you be offended...;-)
To the average person, "emergency" is a highly subjective, perfectly elastic term. Meaning, if the average person is cut, burned, bruised, broken, bilious, barfing, etc., to them, it's an emergency. Similarly, a whole lot of people assisting someone who's got a problem want to be sure they're doing everything possible for that person. So, they call an ambulance for someone experiencing acid reflux, the vapors or some such.
Meanwhile, somewhere, a very stoic, strong-and-silent type passes his chest and arm pain off as indigestion, and drives off in rush-hour traffic, possibly not making it home alive.
No amount of education is sufficient to completely overcome human nature.
Presumably YOUR first aid courses include coping with hazmat reactions (acids, poisons, etc) ?
Do tell :-)
Been a while since I performed any real first aid. When I was trucking and going over the Forth of July pass east bound into northern Idaho a two men in a pickup towing another pickup lost control and rolled both units.
I was the first one there, one man was okay, just shook up and couldn't use his head for crap. The other one had a real nasty gash on the back of his head that was bleeding pretty badly so I used my hand as a compress until others showed up and someone came up with an ice pack.
I went that way a few days later so stopped at the hospital in Kellogg to see how he was doing and he was doing fine and going home the next day.
I've never had to help anyone with a heart attack or such, and my first aid training is pretty damn old now.
Post a Comment