A lot of people think they only need to know first aid if they work in a high-risk industry, but basic first aid skills can be useful in so many life situations.
In this quick blog, we’ll uncover 9 common injuries and emergencies that can occur just about anywhere, anytime.
We sincerely hope you never encounter any of these situations during your lifetime. But if you think you might remember that first aid skills also include the confidence and situational awareness required to recognise and respond to someone in need.
Choking happens when a foreign body blocks the airway in the throat, and the person cannot breathe. We adults often think of choking hazards as chicken bones or eating your food too quick, but every year small children choke to death on buttons, hair ties, coins, and cheap toys.
Learning how to recognise and respond to a choking emergency is one of the first things you’ll learn in your first aid course, and one of the most useful.
Most adults can remove an obstruction by coughing but children and elderly people require assistance. And if the casualty stops breathing, being able to correctly apply CPR may just save their life.
Allergies manifest in many ways. Some people break out in rashes and itchy hives, while others have difficulty breathing and require emergency first aid.
A basic first aid course will teach you the signs, symptoms, and management of allergic reactions including anaphylaxis.
Almost 40,000 people are hospitalised after road crashes each year in Australia. Knowing how to provide comfort and first aid to a victim may be the difference between life and death.
While a basic first aid course doesn’t specifically cover road crash responses, in the real world you may be called to render first aid for cardiac arrest, fractures, burns, or shock.
Australia is home to the most venomous snakes in the world, and if you’ve been watching the news lately, you’ll have seen many stories of deadly snakes in backyards, bathrooms, and bedrooms.
According to the Royal Flying Doctor Service, most of the 3,000+ snakebites that occur every year in Australia happen (not in the bush) but near buildings and homes.
First aid for snakebite is simple but very effective, and you’ll learn how to do it properly in your first aid course.
Breaking your arm or ankle can happen just about anywhere and good first aid will reduce pain, bleeding, and tissue damage around the bone.
Applying correct first aid to a fracture immediately after injury also reduces the likelihood of immediate and ongoing complications.
During your first aid course, you’ll actually be treating fractures and applying splints and bandages.
A cardiac arrest occurs when the heart stops beating, and if not treated, death can occur with 10 minutes.
Learning to respond to cardiac arrest and perform CPR is at the foundation of any first aid training course as more than 20,000 Australians suffer a cardiac arrest (outside hospital) each year.
Drowning deaths in Australia increased by 20% during 2021, with a huge increase in the deaths of children under 4 years old.
Your first aid course will teach you how to respond to a drowning incident, and perform CPR on adults, children, and babies.
It is important to know that both adults and children who are in the early stages of drowning rarely call out for help and can die within minutes.
The human body is an electrical conductor. If any part of the body comes into contact with a live wire (or another electric current), electricity will quickly flow through the body — burning and damaging the skin, internal organs, and heart.
Learning how to safely approach a victim and deliver proper first aid is critical as you can easily become electrocuted yourself.
Did you know that every year more than 50,000 Australians are admitted to the hospital after a burn? Burns can occur from the most common household items — hot coffee, hair straightening irons, fireplaces, heaters, and hot water are just a few examples.
Apart from being horrifically painful, burns often leave the victim with lifelong scars and chronic pain.
Learning to recognise and treat the three types of burns is an important part of your first aid training and might just prevent someone you love from suffering a lifelong injury.
Medical emergencies happen to everyday people, every day. If you’re located in NSW and would like to gain the first aid skills you need to respond to any of the 9 situations we’ve discussed in this blog, get in contact with us today. We run first aid and CPR courses at our Parramatta training rooms every week.
Better Health Vic
St John’s Ambulance
Australian government road safety statistics, Dept of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, and Communications
LifeVac Australia
Victor Chang Institute
