Category Archives: Uncategorized

 

Scientists scrutinize first aid for man o’ war ‘jellyfish’ stings

Uncategorized

First aid courses in Australia are still using the technique of vinegar for tropical jellyfish stings, warm water for non tropical and for the blue bottle below warm water also. Until the Australian Resuscitation Council change the rules we will always teach there first aid course procedures. Check out there website in the link above

In recent decades, trusted first aid resources have recommended stings from man o’ war (Physalia species) be treated differently from other jellies. But when researchers at the University of Hawai’i — M?noa (UHM) dug into the scientific literature, they found scant evidence to support such individualized first aid. Adding to a recent push for evidence-based sting treatments, members of the Pacific Cnidaria Research Laboratory (PCRL) at UHM teamed up with colleagues in Ireland to investigate which commonly recommended first aid actions (such as rinsing with seawater) are the most effective for Physalia stings. Their results, published this week in the journal Toxins, defy the recent abandonment of historic advice, and suggest that man o’ war stings are no different than other jellyfish stings; the best first aid is to rinse with vinegar to remove any residual stingers or bits of tentacle left on the skin and then immerse in 45°C (113°F) hot water or apply a hot pack for 45 minutes.

Physalia (Physalia utriculus, also called bluebottles in the Pacific or Physalia physalis, Portuguese man o’ war in the Atlantic) are among the most recognizable stinging jellies with their bright blue tentacles and colorful inflated floating sails. Strandings of bluebottles are common in Hawai’i as the onshore winds push thousands of these small, painful critters onto the beaches. Similar mass strandings are frequent with the Atlantic species too, and have been known to cause hundreds of stings in a single day on beaches from Florida to France.

“Physalia are often listed as exceptions to any blanket first aid recommendations for jellyfish stings,” said Christie Wilcox, lead author of the paper and postdoctoral fellow with PCRL at UHM. But such assertions aren’t based in rigorous research, she said.

“Without solid science to back up medical practices, we have ended up with conflicting official recommendations around the world, leading to confusion and, in many cases, practices that actually worsen stings or even cost lives,” said Angel Yanagihara, senior author, head of the PCRL and assistant research professor at the UHM Pacific Biosciences Research Center (PBRC) and John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM).

A few years ago, Yanagihara set about to scrutinize jellyfish sting treatments properly, and designed a set of experimental assays that allow the researchers to quantify stinging and venom activity in real time. First tested with dangerous box jellyfish, these assays have allowed the PCRL team to determine which commonly recommended practices, such as applying heat, help mitigate box jelly stings, and which, such as applying urine or scraping away tentacles, only make box jelly stings worse. Applying these assays to man o’ war stings was the obvious next step.

So Yanagihara teamed up with Tom Doyle, a jellyfish scientist and lecturer with the National University of Ireland (NUI) Galway. In 2008, Doyle set up the Jellyfish Advisory Group, a collection of medical practitioners and experts that helps advise Irish protocols for sting first-aid and treatment. Together, they proposed a project to the International Fulbright Specialist program and when Yanagihara was awarded a Fulbright Specialist Award, she went to NUI Galway to share newly developed assay techniqes with Doyle and his doctoral student, Jasmine Headlam. Headlam and Doyle performed experiments using the Atlantic man o’ war in parallel with those conducted by Wilcox and Yanagihara in Hawai’i.

The results from opposite sides of the world lined up beautifully: the venom delivered by a man o’ war sting was lessened if the sting site was rinsed with vinegar, regardless of which species of Physalia was used. Even better, if you have it available, was Sting No More® Spray, a combined stinging capsule and venom-inhibiting product developed by Yanagihara with Department of Defense funding. Seawater rinsing, on the other hand, spread stinging capsules over more area and thus made stings, much worse. To treat stings after rinsing away the tentacles, both groups found 45 minutes of 45°C (113°F) heat application effectively inactive already-injected venom, while the application of ice packs made stings worse.

“Given that most recommendations expressly forbid the use of vinegar and recommend seawater rinses, these findings completely upend current protocols,” said Yanagihara.

“This is quite a U-turn for me,” explained Doyle, as he helped write the current Irish protocols almost ten years ago, which unfortunately recommend the worst possible combination of steps: seawater rinsing followed by ice pack treatment. “In the coming weeks, I look forward to meeting with members of the Jellyfish Advisory Group to discuss our new findings and how we can revise the current protocols.”

Back in Hawai’i, Wilcox and Yanagihara have already started studying the next stinging jellies on their list. As they’ve examined two of the three main classes of dangerous stingers, they have their sights set on the last remaining class: true jellyfish (class Schyphozoa). Again collaborating with Headlam and Doyle, they are working on evidence-based first aid measures for lion’s mane (Cyanea capillata), the one of largest jellyfish in the world.

See our website for the best first aid courses in Canberra. www.canberrafirstaid.com

Recent post

 

First Aid Quick Tips

Uncategorized

First Aid Course in Canberra run by Canberra First Aid are the best in town. We specialise in childcare and private business training sessions that provide our groups with the right amount of information and hands on experience in a first aid course. Book now.

During the moments between when an injury occurs and receiving proper urgent care treatment, you can often minimize the severity with some quick first aid tips, as described below.

Note: You should always use your best judgment and seek medical attention for all of these types of injuries when needed.

 

Animal bite

Apply pressure with a clean, dry cloth to help control bleeding.

Don’t remove pressure. If bleeding doesn’t stop, add more clean, dry cloths.

Broken bone

Control bleeding with a sterile bandage or clean cloth until stopped.

Immobilize the injured area using a splint, if available.

Apply ice packs to limit swelling and help relieve pain.

If the person appears to be in shock, have the person lie flat and elevate legs.

Cut or scrape

Apply pressure with a clean cloth or bandage to help control bleeding.

Don’t remove pressure. If bleeding doesn’t stop, add more clean cloths or bandages.

Child with fever

Don’t treat a child’s fever with aspirin.

Use Tylenol® or Motrin® as prescribed based on the child’s weight.

Apply a cold compress to the child’s forehead and dress the child in light, loose-fitting clothes.

Dehydration

Sip small amounts of water.

Drink carbohydrate/electrolyte-containing drinks. Good choices are sports drinks such as Gatorade® or prepared replacement solutions such as Pedialyte®.

Suck on plain ice chips, or popsicles made from juices and/or sports drinks.

Sip through a straw (works well for someone who is recovering from jaw surgery or mouth sores).

Embedded object or foreign body

Don’t try to remove the foreign object.

Carefully wrap gauze or clean clothing around the area to prevent the object from moving.

Apply pressure around the area with a sterile bandage or clean cloth to limit and control bleeding.

Don’t remove pressure. If bleeding continues, add more clean cloths or bandages.

Heat exhaustion

Individual should rest in a cool, shaded area.

Give cool fluids such as sports drinks that will replace lost salt. Salty snacks are appropriate, as tolerated.

Loosen or remove clothing.

Don’t use an alcohol rub.

Don’t give any beverages containing alcohol or caffeine.

Heat stroke

Alert: Unlike heat exhaustion, heat stroke is a medical emergency. You should call an ambulance immediately. Do not attempt to treat a case of heat stroke on your own. You can help while waiting for medical assistance to arrive by doing the following:

Move the person to a cooler environment, or place in a cool bath of water as long as the individual is conscious and can be attended continuously.

Alternatively, moisten the skin with lukewarm water and use a fan to blow cool air across the skin.

Give cool beverages by mouth if the individual can tolerate them.

Knocked-out tooth

Handle the tooth by the top only, avoiding touching the root, and rinse it in a bowl of tap water.

Try to replace the tooth in the socket and bite gently on gauze or a moistened tea bag to keep it in place.

If it doesn’t stay, place it in a bowl of either whole milk, the person’s own saliva, or a warm, mild saltwater solution.

Book a first aid course today at www.canberrafirstaid.com

Recent post

 

Stayin’ Alive: Bee Gees hit free to German first aiders

Uncategorized

 

CPR course are the best way to learn the skill and many training centers will use the Bee Gees song as it is the perfect speed for CPR. You can book in to a cpr course with us at Canberra First Aid fro only $60 and it will take just 2 hours of your time.

  • 12 May 2017
  • From the sectionEurope
Media captionVinnie Jones demonstrates CPR in the British Heart Foundation advert

German schools can now play the Bee Gees hit Stayin’ Alive without charge to help children learn emergency heart massage.

The German music rights body Gema told an MP, Roy Kühne, that the hit could be played during first aid lessons in his town, Clausthal-Zellerfeld.

Gema’s fee waiver is expected to be valid for other schools in Germany too.

The disco rhythm of Stayin’ Alive is good for heart massage, the British Heart Foundation says.

Some other pop hits have also been recommended.

In a letter to Mr Kühne, seen by the BBC, Gema said it understood that the school lessons – for up to 30 students – did not count as public performances, so no royalties had to be paid.

But Stayin’ Alive could only be played licence-free to groups in school buildings during first aid classes, it stressed.

The MP had sought Gema’s permission on behalf of first aid instructors in his region. He is a trained rescue swimmer himself.

German daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung said Yellow Submarine by the Beatles and Madonna’s Like A Prayer were also good for life-saving heart massage. The technique is also known as Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).

With 100-120 beats per minute Highway to Hell, by Australian hard rock band AC/DC, would also qualify – but its title is not life-affirming, the newspaper notes.

The British Heart Foundation used Stayin’ Alive in a video featuring the footballer-turned-actor Vinnie Jones, demonstrating how to help people who had suffered a heart attack.

In the US version of the TV comedy hit The Office, a CPR lesson went awry when Stayin’ Alive was played and the staff decided to have fun.

Recent post

 

Understanding a Heart Attack

Uncategorized

First aid courses in Canberra are a great way to learn about how to help someone having a heart attack. Free CPR face mask and first aid course booklet.

We are also giving our participants a free first aid app that has many benefits so contact us now to book in.

A heart attack is a medical emergency involving a blockage to the blood supply of the heart.

The heart is a muscular pump which requires a constant supply of blood (carrying Oxygen). The blood is supplied by small arteries (known as Coronary Arteries). These blood vessels can become blocked resulting in a section of the heart being starved of oxygen and dying – this is a heart attack.
Pain from a heart attack can occur in the chest but also radiating down the left arm. So why does this occur?
The heart is an organ within your body so does not have a well-defined sense of pain. In contrast, your fingertips are very sensitive and able to pinpoint exactly where pain occurs – think about a papercut or a burn, in this situation you know exactly where the injury is.

Pain from the heart (known as cardiac pain) can occur in several places such as the left arm, jaw and shoulders.
This is because the sensory fibres carrying information about the heart connect into the same part of the spinal cord as the sensory fibres from the left arm and jaw.

The brain is unable to distinguish between information from the heart and the information coming from the arm. Therefore it perceives the pain as occurring in the arm.

Sometimes the pain can also be felt in the right arm, back or abdomen.

In rare situations, a heart attack may not cause any pain at all. These so called ‘Silent Heart Attacks’ are most common in the elderly and people with diabetes.

It is important if you suspect a heart attack to call for emergency medical help as soon as possible. Remember ‘time is muscle’ when dealing with heart attacks, the sooner the victim receives specialist medical help the more heart muscle can be saved.

Book a first aid course today at www.canberrafirstaid.com

 

Recent post

 

Mental health first aid training trending on college campuses

Uncategorized

First aid training both physical and mental are steps for a safe and happy future. Canberra First Aid Training is looking in to starting mental health first aid courses in the future so keep a look out.

Mike Brookbank

4:13 PM, May 10, 2017

Copyright 2017 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

SHOW CAPTION

CLEVELAND – The stress of attending college is taking a toll on the mental health of students. As demand for counseling soars, colleges and universities in Northeast Ohio are trying to tackle the issue in the classroom.

Cleveland State University is just one campus receiving specialized first aid training.

It’s training that helps faculty, staff and students recognize the warning signs of mental illness, as well as how to help those struggling get connected with live-saving resources.

“I don’t really need a counselor because I am not crazy enough,” said Brittany Carbaugh, CSU student. It’s just one of the stigma-building phrases Carbaugh hears quite frequently on the campus of CSU.

“You hear the word ‘crazy’ a lot,” said Carbaugh.

As many of her fellow classmates crack under the pressure of college life, appointments to the counseling center at CSU are up 10% from just the fall semester.

“We had some part-time counselors so we’re not feeling as burned out as we were last semester as a staff,” said Counseling Center Director Katharine Oh.

Disturbing data

  • More than 11 percent of college students have been diagnosed or treated for anxiety in the past year
  • More than 10 percent reported being diagnosed or treated for depression
    More than 40 percent of college students have felt more than an average amount of stress within the past 12 months
  • More than 80 percent of college students felt overwhelmed by all they had to do in the past year
  • 45 percent have felt things were hopeless
  • Almost 73 percent of students living with a mental health condition experienced a mental health crisis on campus

Source: National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)

To help a staff already stretched thin, a growing number of faculty, students and staff at CSU are signing up for mental health first aid training.

“Just like regular first aid, CPR, we want people to be able to feel the same way as helping someone with a mental illness,” said Arnetta Matthews of Recovery Resources.

Recovery Resources is using a $360,000 grant to roll out the training at CSU and seven other local colleges and universities.

“Recognizing signs and symptoms, possible referral sources, how to approach a person exhibiting signs and symptoms,” said Matthews.

Right now, the 8-hour class at CSU is voluntary.

“Our staff and faculty are working so hard, that if there isn’t a legal mandate for it, it can fall to the bottom of the list,” said Oh.

Some people who have been through the training, like Carbaugh, want to make the training a requirement.

“I think we’re moving in that direction. I think it should be. This is on the job training. This needs to be mandatory,” said Carbaugh.

While this potentially life-saving mental health training is happening at colleges and universities, the idea is that our entire community benefits.

Students and staff will carry what they learned off campus and will be better prepared to help in a time of crisis wherever they may be.

Recovery Resources tells News 5 so far they’ve certified 236 people in Mental Health First Aid across Northeast Ohio.

Copyright 2017 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Recent post

 

How do you get out of a sinking car

Uncategorized

 

An interesting article for first aid. Not a common occurrence but to know this information could be important. At Canberra First Aid we run first aid courses to teach people other important skills. Our first aid courses are fast yet effective and our students love them.

In the wake of recent tragic events and serious flooding, this simple information on how to escape from a sinking car could save you or loved ones life when it counts.

Any car accident is frightening, but an accident in which your vehicle is thrown into the water, with you trapped inside, is absolutely terrifying. Such accidents are particularly dangerous due to the risk of drowning. 10 percent of drowning deaths can be attributed to being submerged in a car, and about 400 Americans die from being submerged in a car every year.
However, most deaths are a result of panic, not having a plan and not understanding what is happening to the car in the water. By adopting a brace position to survive the impact, acting decisively when the car ends up in the water, and getting out fast, being trapped in a sinking vehicle is survivable, even if it’s a flooded river.

Here are the steps to survive a car in water.

1. Brace yourself for impact.wheel 1

As soon as you’re aware that you’re going off the road and into a body of water, adopt a brace position. This is done by placing both hands on the steering wheel in the “nine and three” positions. The impact your car makes could set off the airbag system in your vehicle and any other brace position could cause serious injury in such an event. If your hands are located at “ten and two” position when the airbag inflated it could force your hands into your face resulting in serious injury. Remember, an airbag inflates rapidly, within 0.04 seconds upon being triggered. Once this aspect is out of the way, prepare for the next step immediately.
• Remain calm. Panic reduces energy, uses up precious air, and causes you to blank out. Repeat a mantra of what to do to get out (see next step) and stay focused on the situation at hand. Panic can be left for the shore when you reach it.

2. Undo your seat belt.seatbelt 2

The seat belt is the first thing to attend to, yet it often gets forgotten in the panic.

The motto here is: Seat belt; children; window; OUT (S-C-W-O).
• Unbuckle the children, starting with the oldest first (who can then help the others).
• Forget the cell phone call. Your car isn’t going to wait for you to make the call and sadly, people have lost their lives trying this. Get busy getting out.
• There is a counter-theory that suggests the seat belt should be left on. This theory suggests that if you release your seat belt, you may, due to underwater disorientation, end up moving away from the window or door opening due to the ingress of water through the opening.

If you need to push the door open, being anchored by the seat belt might give you additional leverage, versus pushing the door while you’re suspended in the water. Having your seat belt on could also help you maintain your sense of orientation if the car flips upside-down.

On the downside, having your seat belt on can also make it harder to get out quickly and to move out, which is the point of reacting quickly from the start and not waiting in the vehicle. In the video featuring Rick Mercer and Professor Giesbrecht below, they show clearly that it’s important to be able to move around from the start, including if you need to move to the backseat to get out of the car as the engine-heavy front part starts tipping deeper first.

3. Open the window as soon as you hit the water.

Following Professor Giesbrecht’s recommendation, leave the door alone at this stage and concentrate on the window. A car’s electrical system should work for up to three minutes in water. (not that you have three minutes of course), so try the method of opening it electronically first. Many people don’t think about the window as an escape option either because of panic, lack of using the window for exit normally, or because they’re focused on lots of misinformation about doors and sinking. There are several reasons for not bothering with the door according to Professor Giesler. Immediately upon impact, you have only a few seconds in which opening the door of your sinking car is possible, while most of the door is still above water level. Once the car has started to sink, it is not humanly possible to open the door again until the pressure between the inside and the outside of the car has been equalized (leveled); this means that the car cabin has to be filled with water and that’s not really a state you want to be in.

4. Break the window

If you aren’t able to open the window, or it only opens halfway, you’ll need to break it. You will need to use an object or your foot to break the window. You can also take your headrest off and use the metal inserts to break a window. It may feel counter-intuitive to let water into the car, but the sooner it is open, the sooner you will be able to escape directly through the broken window.
• If you have no tools or heavy objects to break the window with, use your feet. If you have high heels, these might work when placed at the center of the window. Otherwise, Professor Giesbrecht advises that you aim to kick near the front of the window or along the hinges (see the demonstration in the video). Be aware that it’s very hard to break a window by kicking, so find these breakpoints. Don’t even try the windshield; it’s made to be unbreakable (safety glass) and even if you did manage to shatter it (unlikely in the time you have), the stickiness of safety glass can make it hard to get through. Side and rear windows are the best options for escape.
• If you have a heavy object, aim for the center of the window. A rock, hammer, steering wheel lock, umbrella, screwdriver, laptop, large camera, etc., might all serve as suitable battering objects. Even the keys might work if you’re strong enough.
• If you’ve already thought ahead, you might have a window breaking tool handy in the car. There are various tools available. Professor Giesbrecht recommends a “center punch”, which is a small tool that could be easily stowed in the driver’s side door or on the dashboard, for fast retrieval. This power punch is usually spring-loaded and can also be found in a hammer shape. Failing that, you could also carry your own small hammer.

5. Escape through the broken window.

Take a deep breath, and swim out through the broken window as soon as you’ve broken it. Water will be gushing into the car at this point, so expect this and use your strength to swim out and up. Professor Giesbrecht’s experiments have shown that it is possible to get out through this torrent (contrary to some theories) and that it’s better to go now than to wait.
• Look to children first. Heave them up toward the surface as best you can. If they cannot swim, see if you can give them something that floats to hold onto, with strict instructions not to let go. An adult may need to go with them immediately if there is nothing to hold onto.
• As you exit the car, do not kick your feet until clear of the car – you could injure other passengers. Use your arms to propel you upward.
• If the car is sinking quickly and you haven’t gotten out yet, keep trying to get out of the window. If there is a child in the car, tell them to breathe normally until the water is up to their chest.
Escape when the car has equalized, If it has reached the dramatic stage where the car cabin has filled with water and it has equalized, you must move quickly and effectively to ensure your survival. It takes 60 to 120 seconds (1 to 2 minutes) for a car to fill up with water usually. While there is still air in the car, take slow, deep breaths and focus on what you’re doing. Unlock your door, either with the power button (if it is still working) or manually. If the doors are stuck (which they probably will be in most cases, with the pressure being massive), hopefully you’ve been busy breaking the window already, as advised in the previous steps.
• Continue to breathe normally until the water is at chest level, then take a deep breath and hold your nose.
• Stay calm. Keep your mouth closed to preserve breath and to prevent water from entering. Swim out through the broken window.
• If exiting via an open door, place your hand on the door latch. If you are unable to see it, use a physical reference by stretching your hand from your hip and feeling along the door until you locate the latch.

6. Swim to the surface as quickly as possible.

Push off the car and swim to the surface. If you don’t know which way to swim, look for light and swim toward it or follow any bubbles you see as they will be going up. Be aware of your surroundings as you swim and surface; you may have to deal with a strong current or obstacles such as rocks, concrete bridge supports, or even passing boats. If it’s very cold water, keep moving and get everyone out as quick as possible, do your best to avoid injuring yourself on obstacles, and use branches, supports, and other items to cling to if you’re injured or exhausted.
7. Seek medical attention as soon as possible.

The adrenaline in your bloodstream after the escape may make you unable to detect any injuries you may have sustained in the accident. Hail passing motorists who can call for help on their phones and provide you with warmth, comfort, and a lift to nearest hospital.

Recent post

 

‘Avocado hand’: The serious injury caused by brunch fruit’s popularity

Uncategorized

First aid training will help you handle any sharp knife wounds. Our first aid training can help you learn all of the vital skills to not only complete some good bandaging for a wound but also help you save a life by learning:

  1. CPR
  2. Asthma management
  3. Anaphylaxis management
  4. Choking procedure

Book in to a first aid training session with us now at www.canberrafirstaid.com 

If you are in Sydney and looking for training we suggest you head to Simple Instruction.

Watch those fingers people!© Annabelle Breakey / Getty Images Watch those fingers people!If your brunch didn’t include avocado in some guise, did you even really brunch?

Smashed on sourdough, sliced between halloumi and poached eggs or even turned into a rose, avocado is one of the most popular brunch foods of the moment.

Our love for the fruit shows no sign of abating, but it turns out it’s causing a new casualty: “avocado hand”.

Due to the soaring popularity of avo, more and more people are accidentally cutting their hands when slicing open the fruit and endeavouring to remove the stone.

According to surgeons, A&E departments have seen increasing numbers of people with the injury.

“Recently the health benefits of avocado have been advocated, with an increase in their popularity – and a consequent increase in related injuries,” David Shewring, vice-president of the British Society for Surgery of the Hand, told The Times.

How much are you paying for the humble avocado?© Zakharova Natalia / iStock How much are you paying for the humble avocado?And the British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons is now calling for safety labels on the fruit, advising people on how to cut them safely.

“Avocado hand” injuries are much worse than just small cuts though, many people have caused themselves serious nerve and tendon injuries which require surgery and can leave you without full use of your hand.

It’s a heavy price to pay for an Instagrammable brunch.

“People do not anticipate that the avocados they buy can be very ripe and there is minimal understanding of how to handle them,” said Simon Eccles, secretary of the association and former president of the plastic surgery section of the Royal Society of Medicine.

“We don’t want to put people off the fruit but I think warning labels are an effective way of dealing with this. It needs to be recognisable. Perhaps we could have a cartoon picture of an avocado with a knife, and a big red cross going through it?”

There are no figures for how widespread a problem avocado hand is, but given the fruit’s global appeal, it’s thought that the injury has affected people around the world.

Back in 2012, Meryl Streep was pictured with a bandaged hand after losing a fight with an avocado, and figures suggest that over 100 people a year give themselves avocado hand in New Zealand.

© Provided by Independent Print LimitedThe problem may not be at endemic levels, but at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in London, Mr Eccles says he treats about four patients a week with avocado hand.

And at St Thomas’s hospital in London, staff have actually become accustomed to the “post-brunch surge” on Saturdays, the Times reports.

Often the injury occurs when the stone inside the avocado is softer than people expect, so they slice right through to their hand holding the fruit.

So how should you cut and de-stone an avocado safely?

Place the fruit flat on a surface, and with one hand on top, gently make incisions around the stone, Jeff Bland, executive chef at the Michelin-starred Balmoral Hotel in Edinburgh, advises.

To remove the stone, Shewring uses the following method: “Wrap the avocado in a towel leaving the pip exposed.

Carefully use the edge of a heavy sharp knife to chop into the summit of the soft pip, so that it is slightly buried. Holding the knife, so that the pip is stabilised, use a towel to twist the pip out.”

It may be a middle-class problem, but avocado hand is not something to be laughed at. Be safe next time you brunch at home.

Recent post

 

Why having a defibrillator could save your business

Uncategorized, , , ,

At Canberra First Aid, our services extend beyond to just teaching first aid courses in Canberra. We pride ourselves on practicing what we preach and that includes supplying first aid and medical equipment to businesses, organisations and work sites.

Having first aid equipment is just as essential as having the knowledge on how to use it which is why we reinforce to our students whom attend our first aid courses, many of which are business owners, the importance of having the most up-to-date first aid equipment on hand.

Having the right first aid equipment can help you as a business owner protect:

  • Staff
  • Clients
  • Tradesmen
  • Contractors

One expense that many businesses are now investing in is defibrillators and with good reason. One Australian dies every 27 minutes from heart disease, which includes heart attacks and unfortunately this figure is continuing to rise.  Having a defibrillator on site can be the difference between life and death. People suffering from cardiac arrest have a very small chance of survival to begin and with a defibrillator you increase the chance of survival by around 60-70%.

If you are interested in having a defibrillator in your workplace or wanting more information on what they actually do, please contact our Canberra First Aid office today.

Recent post

 

‘It gave me a decent belt’: Man uses electric fence to ‘jumpstart’ heart

Uncategorized

 

We have just about heard and seen it all now. We wont teach you this in our CPR course session but we can give you some more conventional techniques. We are offering a great 2 hour CPR course that will give you the skills to complete CPR on a casualty and use a defibrillator.
Yahoo7 News
This could work : Man uses electric fence to jumpstart heart
‘This could work’: Man uses electric fence to jumpstart heart

A New Zealand man has resorted to extreme DIY measures by using an electric fence to jumpstart his heart.

Hamilton resident John Griffin suffers from atrial fibrillation (AF), an irregular heartbeat that can lead to a stroke.

After an irregular heartbeat persisted for more than 20 hours, the 69-year-old knew he needed medical attention, the New Zealand Herald reports.

Mr Griffin admitted he lost his cool with the senior nurse at Waikato Hospital’s Emergency Department who told him he would have to wait another six hours at the hospital after two arduous hours of testing.

“I asked the nurse if I could go home and come back in say three hours but was refused as she said I would be wiped off the list and would have to start again.”

That’s when the retiree opted for a less conventional method to correcting his deadly ailment.

He drove home, walked over to his neighbours electric fence, kicked his boots off and placed the back of his hand, delivering one almighty shock.

“It gave me a decent belt and [my heart] came right.”

Unsurprisingly though, medical experts are not condoning the backyard medical treatment method.

“We should not be recommending people treat themselves in that way,” Heart Foundation medical director Dr Gerry Devlin told the New Zealand Herald.

Recent post

 

First Aid Course News – Girl, 9, injured in kangaroo attack at zoo

Uncategorized

 

First Aid Course in Canberra are easy to find but are they up to the quality you expect? Book in to one of our first aid course and you will see the difference. We provide excellent training, we guarantee it.

Natalie MusumeciNew York Post

TERRIFYING phone footage has captured the moment a kangaroo reached through its wire-fence enclosure at an Alabama zoo and attacked a screaming nine-year-old girl.

In the video, young Cheyenne White can be seen walking closer to the kangaroo at the Harmony Park Safari in Huntsville before the roo suddenly grabs the child through the fence by her hair.

The kangaroo appeared to bite Cheyenne on the head, leaving the girl with 14 stitches, her mother, Jennifer, who took the video, told local news outlets.

“I’m just glad I was there,” an emotional Jennifer told NBC-affiliate WAFF.

The mother, who took Cheyenne and her other three-year-old daughter to the safari – a favourite of theirs – said, “Sometimes you blame yourself, like, why did I take her to the park that day. Why did I take her to see the kangaroo?”

The brave little girl, wearing a bandage around her head, added, “I’m just glad [the kangaroo] got me instead of my baby sister. It would have hurt her even worse.”

Cheyenne said she was excited when her mum took her and her little sister to visit the safari on Saturday.

“I was like, ‘Yay, we’re at the safari zoo!” the girl said. She thought the kangaroo was only “playing” when the animal walked up to the fence.

A safari employee told WAFF that the safari owners did not want to comment on the incident but pointed to signage detailing a state law that says people take some of their own risks when visiting an “agri-tourism business.”

There is other warning signage around the kangaroo enclosure that says, “I bite,” but Jennifer says it’s not enough.

“I don’t want it to happen to somebody else’s kid because they may not be as fortunate as my daughter was,” the mum said.

This article originally appeared on The New York Post.

Recent post