Basic First Aid and training in general
Posted by sovereignsekte@reddit | preppers | View on Reddit | 28 comments
So I've been thinking that I have a lot of "stuff" and basically no training/ education. Today i signed for a class on Basic First Aid. Has anyone else found this useful in the real world? Care to share some experiences?
adavis463@reddit
that sort of training is almost guaranteed to be useful. Here's some examples from my own experience.
I've been FA/CPR/AED trained for about 20 years, since Boy Scouts. I worked for a few years as a manager at a big car rental location. While there, my training came in handy three times.
First instance: one of my people was feeling light-headed and dizzy. It was hot outside, so I sat her down in a car with AC to check on her. Her speech seemed a little off, so I had her place her palms against mine and push. She couldn't push with her left hand at all. I called 911 and later found out she was having a stroke.
Second instance: I was called to check on an older employee (60s) who had tripped in the parking lot. He seemed OK, so after a few minutes he started walking inside on his own to take a break. He tripped over the curb on the way there and landed on his face. Broken nose, blood in his eye, etc. I was able to stop the bleeding before paramedics got there. He was OK, just off that day.
Third instance: a customer dropped while standing in line. I got there in about 30 seconds. He had no pulse and was not breathing. I had one employee call 911, another get all the other customers out of the room, and another wait at the entrance so they could send the paramedics/EMTs to the right place. I did CPR for several minutes until they got there and took over. He didn't make it.
My point is, these are extremely useful skills. My training might have saved one of my people from long-term damage from a stroke. On the other hand, these skills are limited. I did everything I could for the customer who died, but he was probably dead before he hit the floor. That's hard to accept sometimes.
Even when just prepping for Tuesday, it's important to recognize that some Tuesdays are really shitty and be ready for them.
KadRendar@reddit
I attempted to save a man who's heart had stopped at a rest stop. The other person rendering aid and I were unsuccessful, but we were the only ones of group of bystanders who jumped to render aid thanks to getting training. Untrained people can be coached through CPR, but the training really helped me quickly move past the shock and act.
Friendly_Swan8614@reddit
The training also helps to teach how to delegate and get specific people to call 911 or whatever you need them to do. Otherwise they often just freeze. I'm sorry you went through that experience, but I appreciate you doing your best to help that man.
Friendly_Swan8614@reddit
I used to coach gymnastics so I've regrettably had to deal with a couple broken arms. Keeping all the other kids calm and that one kid still was probably the hardest thing about it. When I did my course (which had to be high level given my field) they also made us do an exercise where you put gloves on and they cover them with shave cream, and you have to take the gloves off without getting any of the cream on your skin, which was a really cool way to teach that and even if they don't do it in your class I highly recommend learning it on your own cuz, why not. I still use my training now sometimes working in a restaurant but it's mostly burn management and minor/moderate cuts. Nobody's seriously mangled themselves with a knife yet, and I'd really rather never have to deal with that. If that ever happens it'll probably be back to just trying to keep everyone organized and calm while we await help.
sovereignsekte@reddit (OP)
Great stuff in here. Im thinking I definitely made a good decision signing up. Thanks everyone!
nakedonmygoat@reddit
Basic first aid is a great place to start. Others have already given excellent suggestions for next steps after that, so I won't repeat the obvious.
But if time and money permit, I also recommend a solid anatomy & physiology class. A community college might offer it. No matter what you're prepping for, a good understanding of how the body works is hugely valuable, even if your anticipated scenario never comes. If your urine is orange or brown, do you know the different reasons that might be? If your ear is congested for a week, do you know if it's viral (take a decongestant) or bacterial and needs medical attention? If you stub your pinky toe and it has all the signs of a nondisplaced fracture, are you going to go to a doctor and pay copays or will you just buddy tape it?
Such a class also teaches you doctor lingo. Not only does that get me respect from my own doctor, but when my husband was hospitalized and his doctors were struggling to explain things, I could just say, "I speak doctor. Explain it like you would to another doctor and if I don't understand, I'll let you know." Then I'd translate back to English to confirm. Between that and knowing how to read and understand blood work, I knew my husband's long term prognosis months before his doctors 'fessed up.
So even if doomsday or Tuesday never happens, OP, understanding how the body works will help you in all kinds of ways, not to mention that you'll have the tools to evaluate questionable health scams. And if doomsday does come, you'll have some good ideas what to do if you encounter a situation you haven't specifically trained for.
Ok-Goal4296@reddit
Absolutely useful, knowing what to do in the first few minutes can make a HUGE difference. I've used it for everything from cuts and burns to helping someone having a seizure. Good call, definitely worth the time.
Discopline1@reddit
Yes! Basic first aid has helped me many times with my injury prone self and also just makes me feel more at ease knowing I could perform CPR in emergencies
Ampallang80@reddit
In the 90s my mom and brother took EMT certification courses at the community college. It’s a good next step past the basics
Country_bloke100@reddit
It's mandatory for my job to hold level 2 first aid and cor certificates.
First aid must be renewed every 3 years. CPR must be renewed every year.
First aid has come in handy with small injuries.
Never had to do CPR in real life. And CPR only sustains life, its useless if there's no paramedics coming, or at least a defib machine around.
Longjumping-Army-172@reddit
I worked on an ambulance for 15 years. Useful? It saves lives.
AlternativeAthlete99@reddit
Yes! I actually as crazy as it sounds was at a stop sign, someone ran through the stop sign and hit a motorcyclist, and his leg actually was amputated on impact. First aid training actually helped me know what to do and what not to do in that situation. I know this is like a freak accident that most people will never experience, but I also thought i’d never see something like that, so it was actually a really helpful class and certification to have in that moment till paramedics arrived.
DirectorBiggs@reddit
Everyone should get Stop the Bleed trained and equipped
https://www.stopthebleed.org/find-a-course/
ArtisticDegree3915@reddit
Oddly enough, not really any stories.
My background is Eagle Scout, BSA Lifeguard at a camp two summers, Red Cross CPR certified. That was 30 years ago. And I basically almost never had to use any of it.
But I am absolutely thinking about taking some new classes because I could use some refreshers for sure.
I'm going to add this little edit in here. As I'm writing this, down further, I'm going to talk about keeping a neck immobilized. I will say that the most emphasis on keeping a spine immobilized that I've had, was from lifeguard training. Maybe we did that and some of the stuff like the first aid in merit badge back then. I don't remember. But I certainly do remember doing drills in the water as a lifeguard. And that's where we would simulate one of our co-workers being unconscious in the water. And then we would use a backboard and life preservers too immobilize their spine and get them out of the water.
I've pulled people out of wrecked cars at least four times. But I guess most fortunately there was not severe bleeding at any of them. I think all three of the severe ones that are coming to mind, I simply kept the person/people calm until paramedics and police showed up. I could tell they were in shock. So it was just a matter of keeping them calm. One of them was slightly injured but not enough to do much about. He had his daughter with him. So it was keeping his daughter calm too.
In these cases I just calmly talked to them. I get them to talk back. I asked them their name. I might ask them something like where are they from? Or what are they doing right now. These kind of things.
I witnessed a pedestrian get hit by a car one time. I went over and checked for a pulse on her neck. She was adult age, maybe 40ish. She had her boyfriend there. He was freaking out. So I kept him calm because I knew we needed to keep her immobilized since she had a pulse and was breathing. And she was barely able to verbally respond. More like grunts than speaking. But given all that, she didn't need to be rolled over. So I had to keep her boyfriend calm and keep the crowd back. I would have gladly ceded the scene to a nurse or a doctor but none were there. And so it was basically just keeping that situation the way it was until the fire department showed up.
The last one that just crept in was I was working at a bar. And technically I was off duty and hanging out. There was an incident with some out-of-towners. They got thrown out of the bar. And then one of them decided to punch the large window. It cut his arm really bad. The bartender chase them down about a block at the street. My cell phone another guy went up there because there was about five or six of the out-of-towners with just the one bartender at this point. When I got to that point, I saw the guys arm punch the window. The cut was probably on the inside of his forearm. It was spurting like 2 ft and I imagine that's as his heart was beating. So pretty severe. But he wasn't passing out or anything. I took off my t-shirt and gave it to one of his friends and told them to put pressure on it because he was going to bleed out. Then the cops and the fire department showed up and handled it. Somewhere along the way the bartender and the cops convinced this out of town group if they didn't pay $1,000 for the window, they were going to jail. I don't remember exactly how much the replacement actually was, but our boss was pleased. Because it did not cost her $1,000.
At that same bar, a friend of mine was working one night when a regular customer passed out the bathroom. Collapsed is a better word. He had a heart attack. This bartender was able to do CPR until the fire department/paramedics showed up. This is something that I figured was the case and I asked my friend about. Anyone who's going to do CPR needs to be prepared for this. If you take a class they should tell you about this. It's highly likely that the person you're performing CPR on will throw up on you. You're going to have to know how to clear their mouth. This is not just some exercise. It happens. And I asked my friend, he said yes. So what happens is you're pulling air inadvertently into their stomach and then that's going to force them to regurgitate.
That customer did make it to the hospital but passed away about 24 hours later unfortunately.
RiffRaff028@reddit
I'm a First Aid/CPR/AED instructor and have been first aid certified for most of my adult life. I have used my first aid training on multiple occasions. I have to perform CPR only once. I look at being trained in this skill the same as carrying a weapon for self-defense. Better to have it and never need it than the other way around.
For preppers, I recommend Wilderness First Aid training. Standard first aid and CPR is designed for extremely short-term use; the five to ten minutes it takes for paramedics to reach you. Wilderness First Aid training goes into more long-term first aid techniques for situations when it might take hours or even days for emergency responders to arrive. In a SHTF scenario, this is the training you need. Emergency responders are probably not going to show up at all.
Outspoken_Idiot@reddit
Always sign up for training no matter the subject, knowledge is power when it comes to prepping.
You will find a provider and method of instruction that suits you and will advance with them.
There are plenty of "Basic" courses out there that will tell you to call an ambulance and wait, and there are others that will explain how to monitor vital signs and even a few that will explain when those vital signs mean SHTF and it's time to stabilize and move casualties.
It's a stepping stone process and the first step you take will be in the right direction, if you think the training is poor look around but keep learning and hope that it's a skill that is never needed.
Ok_Cardiologist_3835@reddit
The family did Stop the Bleed a couple years ago. I've never needed it, but I take the train into the city daily so I carry a tourniquet, packing gauze and chest seals in one pocket of my backpack just in case.
TheCuriousBread@reddit
First aid is a starting point. However if someone needs CPR in a SHTF scenario and there's no medical facility. That person has VERY grim prognosis.
Spiley_spile@reddit
Even in a non-SHTF scenario.. However, my CPR instructor shared a personal story. He had a heart attack while riding his bike. A couole who recently got certified in CPR took turns giving chest compressions for 20 minutes, until an ambulance arrived. He was purple in the face from lack of oxygen. But he survived because, despite his low odds, they didnt give up. CPR saves close to 100,000 lives per year in the US. (I may have misremembered the number. This was a couole years ago. But it was an inspiring nunber.) Even with bad odds, the number of lives that end up saved adds up.
TheCuriousBread@reddit
You may not wanna hear this but I'm a licensed medical first responder, the standard protocol is if we don't see return of spontaneous rescucitation, we are stopping CPR after 20 minutes. There are worse fates than death. Sometimes after a certain point, you DON'T want us to bring you back. We can pull you from the grips of death, but sometimes you may not come back in one piece.
Spiley_spile@reddit
Ive seen some grislythings, so Im not shocked.
Having said that, Im still required to stay within the scope of my training, which is a different level to yours. In a non-wilderness scenario, Im required to continue CPR until exhausted, the scene becomes unsafe to continue, or until I transfer patient to someone with higher training. In a wilderness situation, I can stop after 30 minutes (outside of those considerations) if a patient has not drowned and is not hypothermic (iirc). If a person has drowned, their chances of resussitation are higher than a person who has not drown, even after a significant amount of time has passed.
Writing this out has been a good realization that I need to refresh on the reading because Ive forgotten the times for drownding and hypothermia. Thanks!
Sharp-Tax-26827@reddit
Here's my experience from the military.
In any really fucked up scenario your last thoughts are about medical training let alone administer it.
You have to put a lot of hour into practicing daily for a long period of time until it becomes muscle memory.
You have to maintain that regimen too or else you will forget.
Any knowledge you would gain would knowledge that would extend someone's life.
If emergency services are still available its useful but if you're really in trouble then it's not.
jadedunionoperator@reddit
Slashed my arm down to the fat layer in three pieces doing demo alone, self heimlich from a grape eaten while laying down, and feel great moaning CPR as well as wound packing. Started taking classes as a lifeguard and have since done 4 total over 7 years
Spiley_spile@reddit
I started with basic first aid, cpr, aed. Then added stop the bleed, wilderness first aid, mental health first aid, and community medic with an added street medic module.
I was able to use these skills to save someone's life last year who had overdose, gone blue in the face, and began having a seizure from lack of oxygen. This year I splinted my own finger after a bad fall until I could get to urgent care. I helped patch up and provide emotional support to someone who got attacked. I encouraged another person on the bus to seek care for an infected finger. And I recently provided myself first aid on the train after a long day of volunteering outdoors, followed by a sweltering train ride home lead to heat exhaustion.
Every bit of medical training you can get is better than no training. Look for skill shares and volunteer opportunities that provide you with free or discounted training. Keep your cirtifications up to date. Medical skills rust if not refreshed.
Thank you for getting the first aid training! You are helping to increase not only your own survival chances, but those around you as well. Even if all you have is first aid training, it helps.
TankHendricks@reddit
Basic FA CPR AED is a must have for family and friends. If you want to kick it up a notch, take a Wilderness FA class. Stop the Bleed classes are usually free. These classes typically offer child and infant CPR as well. Narcan, EpiPen and choking relief are everyday issues in certain areas. Save a life! Someone might save yours.
Chief7064@reddit
I had annual first aid training for many years as a job requirement and still consider it a weak spot because I never had to apply the most critical life-saving measures. With that said, absolutely get the training and refreshers. The more you train the more you can count on the training kicking in under stress.
TheRealBunkerJohn@reddit
Knowledge is power. Basic first aid/CPR/Stop the Bleed is a great place to start! Personally, I went with Wilderness First Responder training as a higher level bit of training. But sounds like you're starting with a solid foundation.
gadget850@reddit
I've been training in first aid for 50 years and have dealt with minor cuts, blisters, and a fishhook. I'm not really praying for a chance to use a tourniquet but I am ready,