Would you know what to do?

Norman_Conquest

Norman_Conquest

Well-known member
A footballer was given CPR by a teammate after she became unresponsive after a clash of heads. I was wondering how many of us would know what to do if we found ourselves in this position. I would like to think I would know what to do and have completed plenty of First Aid courses but would be happier for someone else to take the lead.

www.gazettelive.co.uk

Footballer given CPR by teammate after horror head clash

An air ambulance, two emergency ambulance crews, and a clinical team leader were sent to the Skelton playing field
www.gazettelive.co.uk www.gazettelive.co.uk
 
I've done my First Aid at work and also my FA First Aid course. I would give CPR, but like you, would be happier to assist someone else than be the person taking the lead if someone else was willing. Although I've done the courses, it has been almost 2 years since I did my First Aid at work when I actually did the CPR exercise and the FA First Aid course is an online course with no practical element at all.
 
My first aid qualification has long since expired. I did once perform CPR on a fella in Stockwell until an ambulance arrived. I have no idea if he survived as the girl who made the 999 call went in the ambulance with him. We didn't exchange numbers. So now, if I'm feeling down, I tell myself about the eastern European bloke whose life I saved and I immediately feel better.
 
Fully trained First Aider in the past so i'd know what to do, but given my qualification has long expired I'd look for someone with a current qualification to do it.

In an emergency situation though, sure.
 
I did a first aid course with work on a Saturday, and was the first person on the scene of a motorbike crash on the Sunday. Unfortunately my course was Pediatric First Aid and the poor bloke wasn't choking on a grape, but it still helped.

Long overdue a refresh, so I might try and do an adult course next.
 
It's one of those things where a little knowledge is a dangerous thing. I trained as a medical assistant in the army and spent time working in medical centres but the course was over 20 years ago. I'd feel confident doing COR but would rather a trained professional took over ASAP.

I remember a guy passing out on the platform of the Metro years ago and some lass checking for a radial pulse, luckily she found one or thought she had, I took over his care until the paramedics arrived then hopped back on the Metro so I could catch my flight but I always thought about what might have happened if she'd started CPR because she hadn't found a radial pulse, probably would have been fine and she clearly meant well but she didn't know her ABC.
 
Like everyone else. I've done courses. Renew every couple of years. But the thought of ever having to use it ... brrrrrrrrr.
 
I'd know what to do, but my girlfriend does it for a living and always tells me that although it's better than nothing, it's rare it works - 5-10% chance outside of hospital or 20% chance in hospital and it's not like it is on TV, expect ribs to crack!

Still, given the alternative is death, you'd want that chance.

Just grim as it usually works on tv and the person is up and about quickly 😂
 
I have previous first certificates. I would like to think I’d just get on with it as best I could rather than be hoping someone else would step in. It is one of those things that until you are confronted you can never be sure how you’d react, but doing nothing or panicking wouldn’t be an option. How I’d manage and feel afterwards is anyones guess, but It would be pretty bad if I hadn’t tried or failed despite trying, which of course is unpredictable.
 
Merrykoala said:
I always thought about what might have happened if she'd started CPR because she hadn't found a radial pulse, probably would have been fine and she clearly meant well but she didn't know her ABC.
Click to expand...
I listened to a podcast on CPR recently. One expert talked about this, and actually suggested people should just start CPR immediately without doing any checks. His view was that the seconds you save could make a real difference to outcomes (particularly if you're keeping blood flowing to the brain), and you're unlikely to cause meaningful damage doing CPR on someone who doesn't need it.

ETA: I think it was the episode of Criminal:

thisiscriminal.com

Episode 223: The Unknown Woman (6.16.23)

When a toymaker and a doctor teamed up to make the world’s first CPR doll, they decided to make the doll’s face look like one specific woman – a woman who they thought had drowned.
thisiscriminal.com thisiscriminal.com
 
clay said:
I listened to a podcast on CPR recently. One expert talked about this, and actually suggested people should just start CPR immediately without doing any checks. His view was that the seconds you save could make a real difference to outcomes (particularly if you're keeping blood flowing to the brain), and you're unlikely to cause meaningful damage doing CPR on someone who doesn't need it.

ETA: I think it was the episode of Criminal:

thisiscriminal.com

Episode 223: The Unknown Woman (6.16.23)

When a toymaker and a doctor teamed up to make the world’s first CPR doll, they decided to make the doll’s face look like one specific woman – a woman who they thought had drowned.
thisiscriminal.com thisiscriminal.com
Click to expand...
Again, long time since I did my training but the recurring approach across all first aid training was the ABC, Airway, Breathing, Circulation.

The guy who collapsed on the Metro platform was either badly drunk or a diabetic, didn't smell of booze but I made sure his airway was clear, that he was breathing and that he had a carotid pulse and no major bleeds from anywhere. Tried to wake him up then put him in the recovery position with the help of the lady and a member of the station staff and just kept checking his obs until the ambulance got there.

It was the first time I'd dealt with a real unconscious patient and I was bricking it a bit, I should have really tried to wake him before sticking my fingers down his throat but there you go.
 
One reason to keep up to date is that the advice changes over time.

If you did first aid 20 years ago, you'd have been taught how to use a tourniquet. Then they decided that they generally do more harm than good, and stopped teaching to use them. Then we had a handful of terror attacks where people had limbs blown off, and suddenly tourniquets we're back on the syllabus.

Another interesting one is the recovery position. Lots of courses don't teach it any more. It used to be important when you had to leave an injured person to get help, but that doesn't happen when everyone has a phone with them all the time, so it's better to teach people not to move the patient unless absolutely necessary.
 
My first aid courses are probably time expired, but I’d still dive in - what you’re taught cant change that much and any thing has to be better than nothing.
 
If you haven’t done it, you’d be amazed how much the ribs creak and crack. It’s knackering if you have to do it for a while. Did it on a bloke who’d decided to take an overdose in his car outside the hotel. Dragged him out, semi conscious ( him not me) he was none responsive, was sure he’d stopped breathing so we started it.
Ambulance ETA was fuckin miles off, so dragged him into the van and shot up to a &e on blue lights. Mate drove, I did CPR, **** poor because the van was all over the place. Got him to hospital, he lived, they usually don’t!
The reason I tell this story is because of what happened next. We get a complaint from the hotel because we’d left his car parked outside the hotel with doors open, which was the real reason they complained, then said some bull **** about medication being left all over, which was lies!!
 
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