Just been on a first aid refresher course as I need to refresh my first aid skills after 3 years. It's the first time I've been with the CI. It was quite an interesting experience and finally after all these years I was able to discern the different sounds that those with laboured breathing sound like - asthmatic attack, heart attack, hyperventilating, lung damage and chest injuries. I didn't know that those with chest/lung injuries make a sucking sound when the person tries to breathe and the only way to stop it sucking was to slap on a clean plastic card i.e. credit card over the chest hole and seal it.
Also when I was doing some CPR, I've always heard the thumping of the chest as I was doing chest compressions but not the breathing part where the air is exhaled out. Normally I'd feel it on my cheek in between breaths. But now I CAN hear it - wheeeezzzee as the chest deflates. The other first aiders had some trouble sealing the mouths when giving the breath of life - you could hear the air escaping... I was absolutely flabbergasted to hear that. I hope to pass the exam later on today as it's only a two day refresher course. Some things have changed since the last refresher, some made a lot more sense than last time. And am pleased at how things have progressed since the last one and the onus on saving a patient's life is much greater than before.
update - good news - I'm re-certified again for another 3 years. The written exam and the assessments went very well and the other colleagues equally did well. I thought I'd stuff it up with my speech impediment that normally carries with the deafness, but no, my role playing patient understood every word I said including the assessor. The tutor who taught the refresher has personally confided in me that it was the first time that he's ever seen a deaf person doing the refresher first aid course. There were others doing it for the first time but never took the refresher. I simply said that's up to the individual and how they felt about it and as to whether to continue with it. Mind you first aid carries quite a responsibility as one is responsible for preserving life not making it worse. I have always done first aid ever since I did it at Brownies right through till now. I've lost count of how many refreshers I've been through but I did notice that certain things change through time due to health and safety and politics. It was interesting enough and was nice to update my knowledge of first aid.
Also when I was doing some CPR, I've always heard the thumping of the chest as I was doing chest compressions but not the breathing part where the air is exhaled out. Normally I'd feel it on my cheek in between breaths. But now I CAN hear it - wheeeezzzee as the chest deflates. The other first aiders had some trouble sealing the mouths when giving the breath of life - you could hear the air escaping... I was absolutely flabbergasted to hear that. I hope to pass the exam later on today as it's only a two day refresher course. Some things have changed since the last refresher, some made a lot more sense than last time. And am pleased at how things have progressed since the last one and the onus on saving a patient's life is much greater than before.
update - good news - I'm re-certified again for another 3 years. The written exam and the assessments went very well and the other colleagues equally did well. I thought I'd stuff it up with my speech impediment that normally carries with the deafness, but no, my role playing patient understood every word I said including the assessor. The tutor who taught the refresher has personally confided in me that it was the first time that he's ever seen a deaf person doing the refresher first aid course. There were others doing it for the first time but never took the refresher. I simply said that's up to the individual and how they felt about it and as to whether to continue with it. Mind you first aid carries quite a responsibility as one is responsible for preserving life not making it worse. I have always done first aid ever since I did it at Brownies right through till now. I've lost count of how many refreshers I've been through but I did notice that certain things change through time due to health and safety and politics. It was interesting enough and was nice to update my knowledge of first aid.