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Common First Aid Mistakes to Avoid

Right off the bat it is impossible not to begin with the biggest first aid mistake any organisation can make and that is a lack of training. No individual can be blamed for a lack of first aid awareness and prowess if they have not been given the opportunity to take part in a relevant training course. There are so many wonderful and diverse first aid training courses on the market both in person and remote (e-learning). Marvel Training, based in Sheffield offer some stellar courses such as the prescient Mental Health First Aid course which teaches delegates to recognise the signs of mental health concerns and how to address them appropriately. Along with the highly popular Level 3 Award in Emergency First Aid at Work this is an in-person course as the subject matters are nuanced or need practical demonstration. Some of the remote courses include Diabetes and Epilepsy Awareness. Insofar as first aid is concerned, there is no substitute for knowledge and skills accrued through training.

Of course, not every situation will occur in the presence of a trained first-aider and so it is important to highlight some common mistakes that can be avoided. Here goes.

Tilting patient’s head backwards when they have a nosebleed

This is a common error. It may seem like the logical thing to do to stop blood from pouring, but with a bit of common sense and the understanding that the nose and throat are of course connected it will be obvious that this can lead to the swallowing of blood. This in turn can induce vomiting, the strain of which can exacerbate the nosebleed. Instead you should have the patient sit upright and pinch the bottom half of their nose with thumb and fingers, while breathing through their mouth until the bleeding subsides.

Giving a pat on the back to a person choking

This is an exceptionally common mistake. Instead of patting them on the back a series of five strokes on the back is more effective. Should this fail then moving on to the Heimlich manoeuvre (five abdominal compressions) should be attempted. These two procedures should be alternated until the object in question is dislodged.

Offering help before assessing the situation

Until you have assessed the situation and have at least a basic understanding as to what has happened and how it can be detrimental to the person to offer assistance. The very first thing you need to do as a first-aider is ascertain what has happened before undertaking any treatment attempt.

CPR mistakes

One of the most important areas of training that a first-aider can complete is in how to handle a CPR-relevant situation. The most common mistake is to embark on CPR before calling 999. Thereafter, those without training will often use inadequate compressions or incorrect hand placement as well as incorrect rescue breaths. In order to provide adequate CPR while waiting for emergency services it is imperative that the first-aider is properly trained.

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