Learn First Aid

1. Section One: Introduction

   1. Unit 1: What is First Aid?
   2. Unit 2: Universal precautions and personal safety
   3. Unit 3: How the body works

2. Section Two: Basic Emergency Care

   1. Unit 4: Emergency Scene Management
   2. Unit 5: Casualty management and primary survey
   3. Unit 6: The casualty who is not breathing normally
   4. Unit 7: Choking
   5. Unit 8: Wounds and bleeding
   6. Unit 9: Shock
   7. Unit 10: The recovery position
   8. Unit 11: Head to Toe (secondary) survey
   9. Unit 12: Ongoing casualty care
   10. Unit 13: Moving the casualty

3. Section Three: Accident Care

   1. Unit 14: Near drowning
   2. Unit 15: Burns and scalds
   3. Unit 16: Soft tissue injuries: strains and sprains
   4. Unit 17: Fractures and dislocations
   5. Unit 18: Head and spinal injuries
   6. Unit 19: Eye injuries
   7. Unit 20: Poisoning
   8. Unit 21: Bites and stings

4. Section Four: Medical Emergency Care

   1. Unit 22: Heart attack and angina
   2. Unit 23: Stroke
   3. Unit24: Fainting
   4. Unit 25: Epileptic seizures
   5. Unit26: Fever
   6. Unit 27: Effects of heat and cold
   7. Unit 28: Dehydration
   8. Unit 29: Massive allergic reaction
   9. Unit30: Asthma
   10. Unit 31: Low blood sugar (Hypoglycaemia)
   11. Unit 32: Emergency Childbirth
   12. Unit 33: Common Infectious Diseases
   13. Unit 34: HIV Aids

What is CPR? What are rescue breaths?

At the end of this unit, you should be able to:

1. Recognise signs and symptoms of a casualty who is not breathing normally
2. List reasons why a casualty may have stopped breathing
3. Explain the terms CPR and rescue breaths
4. Demonstrate effective CPR on a mannikin (baby and adult)
5. Explain the differences between baby, child and adult CPR
6. Identify when CPR should be stopped.
7. Identify and explain what can be done to make cross-infection less likely

What is CPR? What are rescue breaths?

As we have seen, our bodies need oxygen to work properly, and we need to get rid of carbon dioxide. Our bodies get the oxygen from the air we breathe - ever time we take a breath, we pull air into our lungs. Fresh air comes as close as possible to the blood, so that the blood can absorb oxygen and release (get rid of) carbon dioxide, which we then breathe out. But our lungs do not take all of the oxygen from the air we breathe in. So the air we breathe out still has quite a lot of oxygen. And our body does not use all the oxygen in our blood. So our blood still has quite a lot of oxygen when it returns to the heart. If someone does not get enough oxygen, damage to the body and its vital organs (such as the heart and the brain) begins. So circulating blood and oxygen in the body is very very important. If someone has stopped breathing, or his or her heart has stopped beating, you can keep the blood, with the oxygen in it (remember that the body does not use all the oxygen in the blood the first time), circulating around the body by giving chest compressions. You can also give the body new oxygen by breathing into his or her lungs yourself (remember that the air you breathe out contains more than enough oxygen). These breaths are called rescue breaths. Giving chest compressions and rescue breaths together is called cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).