I do have to agree with Scott that is always a good thing to know. I was always a big fan of “what happened”. If you have a clear understanding of the cause of the injury or illness then you can better treat the situation. The other thing for me is what have they done since they have gotten on the scene. Lay responders can be your worst nightmare or at times your best friend depending on how you handle things.
Sounds like you have some experience here that might be interesting for others to hear about. What time(s) can you remember when the lay responder was “your best friend” because they handled things so well? What’s the best case scenario - other than an off-duty professional responder being there and in action?
The best story that I have for that question occured in North Carolina. We responded to a multiple vehicle accident which was in the middle of the country. It took us 12 mins jsut to get to the scene and when I stepped out of the rig there were two people standing over a person on the ground. When I walked up to the patient I saw this one guy holding her leg with all his might and the other holding her hand. The guy who was holding the leg was putting pressure on a bleed and dong a pretty decent job at it too. He had the bleeding under “control” and when I asked the other guy what he was doing he said trying to keep her awake.
After we dressed and loaded the patient I was talking to the guys and asked were they learned this from and they said the TV show ER. They then told me that when they saw the accident the one would hold pressure and the other would try to keep her calm. Some times we forget just how important it is jsut to talk to people. It trully can be the best medicine. Not to take anything away from the guy holding pressure or anything like that. I hope this helps and I look forward to speaking with you again.
It is amazing to me how much information gets disseminated through television shows. I have read in newspaper articles about how someone tried to help a victim by using some technique seen on television.
In fact, there was a woman who, while working as a playground attendant at an elementary school, tried [albeit unsuccessfully] to save a fourth-grader. She admitted that she lacked specific CPR training and her knowledge of CPR came from watching cable TV.
Brings up a couple of questions: First, should all people who work with infants and children mandatorily be trained in CPR and First Aid?
Second, do television shows and other media outlets have a responsibility to show correct CPR technique? Whenever I’ve seen CPR being performed on TV - the rescuer is pushing on the victim’s chest at a 45 degree angle, rather than in the correct position [the rescuer's shoulders should be directly above their hands].
Why can’t Elmo, and all the rest of the children shows have more facts about what to do during an emergency, Stranger Danger, Who do you call? Playing with your kids and teaching them how to get out of a locked car and opening a window. Making songs that include their address and phone numbers are ways my family has strived to protect our children. The worst is being left in a car. How can that happen? How can a loving mother or father forget?! Just 40 years ago a 10-year old person was influxed with about 10% data to learn. Nowadays the percent is about 400% data that the young mind has to sift through. Parents must be involved. One parent makes it twice as hard to keep children safe and to support them too. What’s the answer family values, Two Grown Parents (a class should be taught in Elementary School on how to be a good adult and provider).
I think there is so much more that could be covered in school - (besides the things you mentioned about safety, how about how to have social relationships, how to do your own finances, why to stay out of debt, etc. - the list goes on) - but we live in a world of limited time and limited resources.
I am sure the teachers of the children out there are frustrated with the lack of resources they have to just teach the basics. Stories abound of teachers having to buy pens and other supplies with their own money, when everyone knows teachers don’t get adequate compensation relative to the importance of their jobs.
Although that’s a bit of a digression - it goes back to teaching the basics. So far we’ve heard that obtaining some medical information about the victim is critical - including current meds, current medical problems, drug allergies, and what happened - as well as trying to help the victim with whatever injury has been sustained.
In relation to Dan’s comments above, I was talking to my mother a few days ago - and she brought up that she learned that the way to control bleeding was to put on a tourniquet. Since the 2005 ECC and First Aid Guidelines were released, the practice has changed. Lay responders are pretty much never supposed to put a tourniquet on. How is one supposed to stay up on this information if they don’t use it every day?
Actually, daycare providers and school employees are required to be first-aid trained and certified when hired. The sad thing is that no one seems to check year after year to make sure they are still up to date! How many people still do the old method of CPR? I would say many. We need to get it out there, that school districts are putting themselves in a potentially bad situation by not seeing to it that employees at each site are current.
I don’t know the details of the boy we recently lost to heart failure at Beckman High School, but one could wonder if the coaches on the field acted fast enough in performing proper life saving procedures, especially the new protocol for CPR.
Medical History, Drug allergies and or Medications the patient/injured party are taking.
I do have to agree with Scott that is always a good thing to know. I was always a big fan of “what happened”. If you have a clear understanding of the cause of the injury or illness then you can better treat the situation. The other thing for me is what have they done since they have gotten on the scene. Lay responders can be your worst nightmare or at times your best friend depending on how you handle things.
Dan,
Sounds like you have some experience here that might be interesting for others to hear about. What time(s) can you remember when the lay responder was “your best friend” because they handled things so well? What’s the best case scenario - other than an off-duty professional responder being there and in action?
Dr. Sharon..
The best story that I have for that question occured in North Carolina. We responded to a multiple vehicle accident which was in the middle of the country. It took us 12 mins jsut to get to the scene and when I stepped out of the rig there were two people standing over a person on the ground. When I walked up to the patient I saw this one guy holding her leg with all his might and the other holding her hand. The guy who was holding the leg was putting pressure on a bleed and dong a pretty decent job at it too. He had the bleeding under “control” and when I asked the other guy what he was doing he said trying to keep her awake.
After we dressed and loaded the patient I was talking to the guys and asked were they learned this from and they said the TV show ER. They then told me that when they saw the accident the one would hold pressure and the other would try to keep her calm. Some times we forget just how important it is jsut to talk to people. It trully can be the best medicine. Not to take anything away from the guy holding pressure or anything like that. I hope this helps and I look forward to speaking with you again.
Dan
It is amazing to me how much information gets disseminated through television shows. I have read in newspaper articles about how someone tried to help a victim by using some technique seen on television.
In fact, there was a woman who, while working as a playground attendant at an elementary school, tried [albeit unsuccessfully] to save a fourth-grader. She admitted that she lacked specific CPR training and her knowledge of CPR came from watching cable TV.
Brings up a couple of questions: First, should all people who work with infants and children mandatorily be trained in CPR and First Aid?
Second, do television shows and other media outlets have a responsibility to show correct CPR technique? Whenever I’ve seen CPR being performed on TV - the rescuer is pushing on the victim’s chest at a 45 degree angle, rather than in the correct position [the rescuer's shoulders should be directly above their hands].
Why can’t Elmo, and all the rest of the children shows have more facts about what to do during an emergency, Stranger Danger, Who do you call? Playing with your kids and teaching them how to get out of a locked car and opening a window. Making songs that include their address and phone numbers are ways my family has strived to protect our children. The worst is being left in a car. How can that happen? How can a loving mother or father forget?! Just 40 years ago a 10-year old person was influxed with about 10% data to learn. Nowadays the percent is about 400% data that the young mind has to sift through. Parents must be involved. One parent makes it twice as hard to keep children safe and to support them too. What’s the answer family values, Two Grown Parents (a class should be taught in Elementary School on how to be a good adult and provider).
I think there is so much more that could be covered in school - (besides the things you mentioned about safety, how about how to have social relationships, how to do your own finances, why to stay out of debt, etc. - the list goes on) - but we live in a world of limited time and limited resources.
I am sure the teachers of the children out there are frustrated with the lack of resources they have to just teach the basics. Stories abound of teachers having to buy pens and other supplies with their own money, when everyone knows teachers don’t get adequate compensation relative to the importance of their jobs.
Although that’s a bit of a digression - it goes back to teaching the basics. So far we’ve heard that obtaining some medical information about the victim is critical - including current meds, current medical problems, drug allergies, and what happened - as well as trying to help the victim with whatever injury has been sustained.
In relation to Dan’s comments above, I was talking to my mother a few days ago - and she brought up that she learned that the way to control bleeding was to put on a tourniquet. Since the 2005 ECC and First Aid Guidelines were released, the practice has changed. Lay responders are pretty much never supposed to put a tourniquet on. How is one supposed to stay up on this information if they don’t use it every day?
Hi Dr. Sharon!! Long time…
Actually, daycare providers and school employees are required to be first-aid trained and certified when hired. The sad thing is that no one seems to check year after year to make sure they are still up to date! How many people still do the old method of CPR? I would say many. We need to get it out there, that school districts are putting themselves in a potentially bad situation by not seeing to it that employees at each site are current.
I don’t know the details of the boy we recently lost to heart failure at Beckman High School, but one could wonder if the coaches on the field acted fast enough in performing proper life saving procedures, especially the new protocol for CPR.
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