February 17, 2013, by Ollie

YOU! Could save somebody!

A few days ago I was asked to summarise my blogging content for a short piece in the staff magazine. I was a bit stumped at first – what have my blogs been about… I tend to just sit down and summarise my week. Well this realisation prompted me to do something a little different. It’s still first year and university related however!

On Saturday I took part in a First Aid for Sport course. The course was delivered by a man named Jon who was a paramedic who has worked here in Nottingham and as a medic in the RAF – so it was fascinating learning from a man with such experience. The First Aid course covered Basic Life Support, Sporting injuries in the sense of fractures, break, sprains & dislocations and what to do in cases of unconsciousness and also head/spine injuries. During the course we also discussed the importance of being First Aid trained in the sense of you now have the power to save someone’s life.

 

One of the stories we were told however was a very sad one. Jon told us that during his career – 6 times he had been called to cases where students had died because they had been left unattended after vomitting due to alcohol consumption and ultimately gone on to drown in their own vomit.

This was a startling and saddening.

During the course we were told, that the knowledge of the recovery position and First Aid means we have the power to save people, the smallest thing you can do, could be the difference between life and death! I urge everyone to look up Youtube videos about First Aid techniques.

This leads me to telling you all why I did the First Aid course. Next month I have my lifeguarding retake. I have been a qualified lifeguard for nearly two years now. I enjoy working as a lifeguard, I miss my colleagues from where I worked and but besides from being a means of income and widening of my social circle, two things students need to do but most importantly given me the confidence to be able to help other people in need of First Aid. Hopefully with my knowledge being refreshed through this course I’ll be able to sail through my retake and carry on being able to offer my services.

Being First Aid trained and knowing what could have been done to save people who die from vomitting in their sleep/whilst unconscious is what pained me the most when I heard the story. It is so simple to save someone!

Only last night I was walking with a friend back from a party, stumbling ourselves due to alcohol, we passed two cars parked on the path. We walked over and saw a young person with her friends who was obviously feeling worse for wear. My friend did the honours and put the person into a recovery position, remembering to tilt the headback to keep that airway open. Tilting the head also means if the person is sick it will drain out the mouth due to gravity. From there, she’d be okay until further help came. Another point I’d like to mention is whilst unconscious, the casualty doesn’t need to be comfortable. They need to be kept alive. Get them against the wall so that they can’t roll over. The simplest knowledge of first aid can save lives, next time you go out, you could end up doing something incredible for a friend in need. So get informed!

 

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