My unusual First Aid course experience

[colic2bullsgirlore]

I was going to post this on another thread but it appears to have taken a deviation.

I must admit I think of the incident almost everytime first aid courses  are mentioned but rarely speak or write about it.

How about this for a poignant first aid course story

Basically the first aid course was being held at the local surf club.

About half of us were SC members.

There was no patrol on duty at the time.

From memory it was a Saturday

We had different theories in the morning including dummy CPR training and for some advanced resuscsitation techniques using

oxy-viva equipment.

At lunchtime a few went home or to the shops while most stayed at the beach.

A youth entered the water at about 12.10. at 12.16 he was observed floating face down in waist deep water.

By 12.18 he was on the beach, had been assessed as no pulse no breathing and CPR, first mouth to mouth then oxy-viva

treatment was commenced.

"D" the  course instructor at the time was an Ambulance intensive care paramedic and realized almost immediately that the youth

had probably had an asthma attack and his airway was in distress and he introduced a Cannula.

By 12.24 the Ambulance had arrived and rescuscitation continued on the beach and enroute to hospital in the Ambulance.

The youth was pronounced dead on arrival at hospital about  2 hours later.

The importance of First Aid was made blatantly obvious to me when I reaccredited on that day the 8th November 2003 although

the efforts in the end proved fruitless I have reaccredited every 3 years since. I kept this letter as a reminder of why.

Dated 13/11/2003

Dear students, I would like to tke this oppportunity to thank and congatulate all those who attended the first aid course on the 8th November 2003.

We all have our own way of remembering the tragic event that transpired during this course and the manner in which it affected us all.

Firstly I remain available to assist anyone in regards to this event and am able to offer counselling if required either by having a 'chat' or professionally through the surf club councillors.

Secondly "J" and I were impressed with the manner in which all students conducted themselves during the afternoon CPR session and exam in what must have been a difficult time for some.

Whilst the events at lunch were tragic, they were I feel an invaluable insight into the realities of first aid in general and will hopefully give an appreciation of the "have a go" principle I conveyed so heavily during the course.

Whilst we are all thinking of the family of the young man I felt it was prudent to thank you all for your compassion, understanding and efforts during what was an experience we will all remember

yours in 1st aid

"D"

Having assisted in initial caregiving of the youth the afternoon CPR test was also quite a "life" mettle test.

[polksaladallie · Accepted solution]

A difficult lesson for you Colic.  Anything is better than nothing when someone is in trouble.

Good on you for keeping up your skills.

[colic2bullsgirlore]

Normally would'nt  glorify it however odds on he is reading or will revisit

Re the trolls post : "so basically what you are saying is it (first aid) made no difference because he still died"

Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value.

Albert Einstein

I  have a 50% success rate re resuscitation having had the need to administer it once " successfully" prior to 2003.

The smell and taste of the combination of bile, Scotch and salt water regurgitated upon success was but a bittersweet reward.

If I had the misfortune to be required to perform res/CPR in the future 100 times and I was only "successful" one of those times

those statistics would not stop me from rendering First Aid the 101st  nor would I consider those figures a failure.

As an aside "D" left the ambulance service just after the incident. He was tired of pulling locals out of mangled car wrecks on the

Pacific Death highway and sometimes not  "succeeding" (using the trolls definition) in administering First Aid.

The incident had pushed him over the brink.

He went back to Uni and is now an Application Specialist firstnet, advanced application nurse and an Emergency nursing unit manager.

Yet still he does not always "succeed" but it's not nor ever will it ever be from the lack of trying.

"Every adversity, every failure, every heartache carries with it the seed of an equal or greater benefit."

Napoleon Hill

[*stuff*books*]

First aid is a valuable asset that anyone can get and it's proved it's worth in many cases.

When I worked I had my first aid accreditation for the majority of that period and I am fortunate that I've never had to use it for

resuscitation,(injuries and having to send someone to hospital for appendicitis where the only things I had to use it for).

Until my own injury where I mangled my hand in a high speed wood planner incident.

Knowing first aid allowed me to stay calm and know what to do,(by removing the left hand glove and applying it with pressure to stem

the bleeding,turning of the machine and getting someone to take me to the hospital).

It's also helped when my daughter came of her horse in our paddock and landed in a depression,(my OH told her to get up and I

told her to stay there as she complained about her back being sore).

Ended up calling an ambulance and put shade over her till they arrived,(she broke her back,so it could have being very serious if

she had moved).

Knowing how to check for breaks,concussion and other things has helped with family members,friends and on the sporting 

field,(so it's a very handy asset and well worth doing the course IMHO),.

[aps1080]

"an appreciation of the "have a go" principle I conveyed so heavily during the course."

I like that principle.

In any case, you might not be able to get the heart started but the professionals might be able to.

I was always told to keep going if you can until the professionals can take over, then let them make the call.