CPR and First Aid: Skills You Should Learn To Save Someone’s Life

Unexpected emergencies occur, and what happens in the first few seconds can relate to the difference between life and death. The majority of people rely solely on calling the emergency services. However, not all emergencies can wait for help to arrive. Therefore, everyone should acquire first-aid knowledge and CPR skills. As a refresher CPR applicant for refresher CPR courses, you’ll learn all the required skills to save someone’s life.

Essential Skills Of First Aid

Knowing some basic first aid techniques could make a significant difference in saving someone’s life. In an emergency, it’s crucial to understand how to perform first aid skills. With CPR courses at Perth, you’ll learn more about it. Following are the essential first aid skills:

CPR

CPR is a lifesaver in situations like cardiac arrest. It keeps the person’s blood continuously circulating and oxygenated. CPR course in Perth entails both:

• Chest compressions: These assist in the manual pumping of blood.
• Rescue breathing: involves breathing into the patient’s mouth to maintain oxygenation. 

Performing CPR may not be as simple as it seems, and you risk worsening the situation without CPR training in Perth. The CPR courses in Perth cover all who might need to perform CPR in various settings, such as the community and the workplace.

Heimlich Maneuver

The Heimlich maneuver and CPR share some similarities but have different purposes. When a person is choking on a foreign object, the Heimlich maneuver is used. 

• The Heimlich maneuver entails placing a fist between the patient’s belly button and rib cage while they are standing with your back to them and your arms around them to prevent them from choking.
• Holding them in place will allow you to thrust upward until the object is moved. 
• It is unsuitable for Toddlers.

Toddler Choking First Aid

Having your toddler choke and not knowing what to do can be the worst experience for a parent. Here’s what you can do to help a choking toddler:

• Hold the toddler face down on your forearm, supporting their neck and jaw with your hand.
• With the heel of the other hand, give them a five-finger slap between their shoulder blades to loosen the object. 

If that doesn’t seem to work, then you can try this

• Turn them over and push the breastbone region between the nipples with the other hand while giving them five chest thrusts with two fingers on one hand.
• The goal is to push down and then release until the object moves.

Stopping Serious Bleeding

Some accidents, like ones involving vehicles or machinery, can lead to serious wounds that bleed profusely. Arterial bleeding is a common complication of severe wounds. Bright red, pulsating blood is the hallmark of arterial bleeding. 

Someone must call 911 and take immediate action. Applying pressure to the wound with a sterile bandage, though any article of clothing will do in an emergency, is the most efficient way to stop heavy bleeding.

Managing Shock

In most cases, shock and severe bleeding go hand in hand. Blood pressure decreases due to severe bleeding as less blood circulates throughout the body. Have the patient lie on their back with their feet raised above the heart. If the patient is not breathing, CPR might be necessary. 

Final Words:

Emergencies can be terrifying. Having some fundamental skills can make a huge difference. Even though the tips listed above may be useful in an emergency, receiving professional CPR courses will make you more equipped to handle emergencies. With CPR refresher courses online in Australia, you can learn these skills at your convenience.

At West Coast First Aid Training, the qualified instructors have years of experience working as paramedics, lifeguards, nurses, or other allied healthcare professionals. With their expertise, the CPR courses in Perth provide comprehensive training that exceeds your needs.