FOREWORD This publication is one of a number of workbooks produced by The Australian Medical Association (WA) Inc as a resource for the health sector. It is utilised within AMA Recruitment and Training and Health Training. Australia (HTA) at Nedlands as a training resource and within the workplace as a support guide. The development of this workbook was undertaken by trainers and developers within AMA and HTA, who have both industry knowledge and specific expertise in the course content and in curriculum development. Although every effort has been made to present reliable and accurate information, the AMA will assume no responsibility for outcomes and actions resulting from the application of the information presented in this workbook. Users are encouraged to confirm application on conjunction with protocols within their specific work environment. This book is copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study, research, criticism or review, as permitted under the Copyright Act, no part may be reproduced by any process without written permission. Please forward all enquiries to: The Manager Vocational Education and Training AMA Training Services Australian Medical Association (WA) Inc PO Box 133 NEDLANDS WA 6909 Telephone: (08) 9273 3033 Facsimile: (08) 9273 3045
CONTENTS Page 24 HOUR EMERGENCY NUMBERS... 5 AMA FIRST AID... 6 Course Overview... 6 What is First Aid... 7 Benefits of First Aid... 7 Aims of First Aid... 8 Legal Responsibilities... 9 Occupational Health and Safety... 10 First Aid Hygiene and Infection Control... 13 Australian Resuscitation Council... 14 Basic Life Support... 15 Procedure for Opening Airway... 19 Procedure for CPR and Rescue Breathing... 23 Procedure for Recovery Position... 26 Chain of Survival... 27 Secondary Survey... 28 FIRST AID AND THE RESPIRATORY SYSTEM... 29 Respiratory System... 29 Airway Obstruction... 30 Asthma... 31 Drowning... 31 Hyperventilation... 31 FIRST AID AND THE CIRCULATORY SYSTEM... 33 Circulatory System... 33 Heart... 34 Angina... 34 Heart Attack... 35 Cardiac Arrest... 36 FIRST AID AND THE NERVOUS SYSTEM... 37 Nervous System... 37 Seizure... 38 Head Trauma... 39 Stroke... 41 Fainting... 42 FIRST AID AND DIABETES... 43 High Blood Sugar... 43 Low Blood Sugar... 44 FIRST AID FOR SHOCK AND ALLERGIC REACTIONS... 45 Shock... 45 Allergic Reaction... 46 Anaphylaxis... 46 FIRST AID FOR BLEEDING AND INJURIES... 48 Bleeding... 48 Internal Bleeding... 48 External Bleeding... 50 Amputation... 51 3
CONTENTS Page Crush Injuries... 51 Blunt or Penetrating Abdominal Injury... 52 Evisceration... 53 Blood Nose... 53 Loss of Tooth... 54 Eye Injuries... 55 Minor foreign objects... 55 Major foreign objects... 55 Ear Injuries... 56 FIRST AID FOR THE MUSCULOSKELETAL SYSTEM... 57 Fractures... 58 Spinal Injuries... 59 Dislocation... 60 Strains and Sprains... 60 FIRST AID FOR BURNS INJURIES... 62 Burns... 62 First Aid Management for Burns... 64 Chemical burns to the eye... 65 FIRST AID FOR ENVIRONMENTAL INJURIES... 66 Heat Exhaustion... 66 Heat Stroke... 67 Hypothermia... 68 FIRST AID FOR POISONS DRUGS AND ALCOHOL... 69 Signs Symptoms and Management... 70 Inhaled... 70 Injected... 70 Ingested... 70 Absorbed... 70 Drug and Alcohol Overdose... 71 FIRST AID FOR ENVENOMATION BITES AND STINGS... 72 Snake... 72 Spider... 73 Insects... 76 Marine Creatures... 77 Box jellyfish... 77 Bluebottle jellyfish... 78 Cone shell... 79 Blue-ringed octopus... 80 Fish stings... 81 AMA FIRST AID KIT... 82 BIBLIOGRAPHY... 83 4
AMA FIRST AID Basic Life Support DANGERS Identify, assess and minimize danger or hazard to yourself, the casualty and others. RESPONSIVE send Send for help. AIRWAY Open airway. Check for casualty response by calling to them loudly. Gently squeeze the adult casualty on the shoulders. Identify yourself. Instruct the casualty to squeeze your hand or open their eyes. If casualty is breathing place in the recovery position. BREATHING Look, listen and feel for breathing. CPR (Cardiopulmonary resuscitation) Commence CPR. - 30 chest compressions followed by 2 breaths. If unwilling/unable to perform rescue breaths continue chest compressions. DEFIBRILLATION If still not breathing, attach defibrillator immediately (if available). ARC Flow Chart, Basic Life Support, December 2010 15
AMA FIRST AID Chain of Survival For there to be a chance of success in resuscitation attempt the chain of survival needs to be followed. There is no point in waiting for help to arrive before attempting resuscitation as the brain will die in 3-4 minutes without an effective supply of oxygen. Early access: The exact location of the emergency. Use your street directory location if known. The nature of the emergency. The number of people injured. Your name and the telephone number you are calling from. Be the last to hang up. Early CPR: Understand the basic function and relationship between the respiratory and circulatory systems. Develop skills in recognising the non-breathing and pulse less persons. To ventilate a patient to maintain life. To develop the skills required to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Early defibrillation: To restart the heart. Early advanced life support: Advanced life support is those skills which are used by paramedics, doctors and nurses. These skills include intubation (the passing of a tube down a person s throat to extend the airway to protect it in the unconscious). The administration of drugs. The placement of tube in a chest to prevent the lungs from collapsing after major Victorian Centre for Early Defibrillation www.vced.org.au/pages/chain.htm#defib chest trauma etc. 27
FIRST AID AND THE NERVOUS SYSTEM Nervous System The nervous system is considered in two main parts, the central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system. The central nervous system comprises the brain and spine. This is the control centre for all functions of the body and is the most complex of all body systems. The brain regulates all body functions, including the respiratory and cardiovascular systems. Surrounding the brain and spinal cord is a clear to straw coloured fluid called cerebrospinal fluid. The motor and sensory nerves, which involve movement, are known as the peripheral nervous system and these function as directed by the brain. Some peripheral nerves function without conscious thought and these are known as autonomic nerves. Breathing is a function that is attributable to these nerves. 37