Ipswich Healthy4Life

DR ABC | CPR

First Aid

Emergency situations can arise in the blink of an eye, and often a treatment delay can result in a life or death situation. When an emergency occurs, you should be able to administer basic first aid and be in control of the emergency unfolding.

First of all, when placed in an emergency situation, no matter if the patient is conscious or not, you should call 000 for assistance. By calling 000, the operator will be able to send an ambulance to your location as well as offer over the phone instructions. An alternative way to call the emergency assistance is by dialling 112 on a mobile. This can be used Australia wide and its main purpose is to provide people in rural areas without phone reception to alert emergency departments of an incident that has occurred. People who have a hearing or speech impairment are able to call emergency services by dialling 106 from a phone line connected to a teletypewriter.

DR ABC

Often remembered as DoctoR ABC, this emergency abbreviation spells out the five steps that should be immediately carried out when a life threatening situation occurs.

Danger –Check the emergency scene for danger to the person injured, yourself and other members of the community. Take time to properly assess whether helping the person is safe and check for things like fallen powerlines, traffic, dangerous chemicals and dangerous objects. If you decide the situation is too dangerous, make sure to call the emergency services (000) and alert them of the situation and danger involved.

Response – Check to see if the casualty is responding to sound and touch. If the scene is determined safe, touch the casualty on the shoulder and ask loudly ‘are you alright?’ Do not shake the person as this can cause damage. If the casualty responds, leave them in the position they have been found, providing they are not at any further risk, and call the emergency services if you deem emergency services are needed. If the casualty does not respond, they are to be considered unconscious. At this point, it is extremely important that emergency services have been informed of the incident.

Airway – Ensure that the casualty’s airway is clear. To do so, place one hand on the forehead whilst placing your other hands fingertips under the point of the chin. Gently tilt back their head to open the airway. Clear the mouth of secretions either by rolling the casualty on their side or manually removing secretions.

Breathing – By keeping the airway open, you are helping the casualty to breathe. Look, listen and feel for normal breathing in a patient. If they do not appear to be breathing after 10 seconds of assessing, CPR is to be administered. Click here to see how to perform CPR.

Compressions – Check for a pulse – if none can be located, commencement of chest compressions is vital. This will help to pump air throughout the casualty’s system. Compressions are explained thoroughly with the information on CPR. Click here to view.

CPR

It is important for everyone to know what CPR is and understand how it is to be performed.

CPR stands for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation. It is the process of compressions teamed with breaths and is performed to attempt to resuscitate a person in which respiration and cardiac output (as determined by a pulse) are not present.

How to perform CPR

Once you have established that the casualty does not have a pulse and is not ably breathing on their own, it is time to perform CPR.

Compressions

1. Turn the casualty on their back carefully. (Although it is important to perform this procedure, you must ensure you take as much care as possible when turning the casualty on to their back as they may have neck and spinal or internal injuries.)
2. Kneel beside the casualty and promptly estimate the middle of the breastbone and ribs.
3. Place the heel of your hand in the middle of the chest. Using your other hand, grasp your wrist and press downwards firmly. Remember to keep your knuckles and fingers off the chest. Your shoulders must be over your hands to ensure maximum efforts towards compression are achieved.

Breathing
1. Hold the casualty’s head in the airway position, slightly tilted and supported by a hand on their forehead and fingertips under their chin.
2. Give two separate breaths by sealing your mouth on the casualty’s mouth and closing off his nose with your cheek. Ensure that each time you take a breath to turn your head to the side.

Combined

Maintain a steady series of 15 compressions at a rate of one per second. Give two breaths to the patient after each cycle of 15 compressions. Continue the cycles, stopping every two minutes to feel for a pulse. If no pulse can be located, continue until emergency services arrive or you can no longer physically continue.

For more information on first aid, visit http://www.stjohn.org.au

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