So last weekend we did 7 ish hours of first aid, tge next level up from EFA. We have another day soon where we have to do the second part, and i had a talk with our padre on the content. Someone from another squadron will be coming to assess us on our knowledge. Is there anything anybody knows about any extras, whats there maybe, or general tips to help me pass
Thanks in advance x
Youth First Aid assessments consist of 3 scenarios:
- Unresponsive Breathing Casualty
- Unresponsive Not-breathing Casualty
- Major Bleeding
I’d expect you’ll have had plenty of time to practice all three already, but if not I’m sure you’ll get chance to before assessments.
Make a point of making it clear what you’re doing (e.g say you’re phoning for an ambulance, or count to 10 outloud while checking if the casualty is breathing).
3 Likes
Remember the first rule, ask out loud am I safe to approach the casualty? If the assessor says nothing examine the scene carefully before you approach.
2 Likes
Dont forget to put on your gloves/PPE!
4 Likes
In real life there will never be an assessor.
Always examine the scene first!
9 Likes
At the Advanced Life Support course, the first question is always am I safe to approach the victim?
And secondly catastrophic haemorrhage takes presidence over ABC as it is now taught CABC.
2 Likes
Staff first aid training advice: remember to loudly exclaim that “if you are injured its a lot of paperwork but if you die its just a tick in a box” while approaching the casualty
{To cover all doubt, this is a joke}
Edit: and also exactly what i said during my assesment xD
1 Like
Or if they are screaming their head off they can breathe, look for the quiet casualty, either they are bleeding out or they have the potential of airway obstruction from whatever causes?
You’ve never worked in an intensive care unit have you, that’s our sort of humour, the blacker the better, keeps you sane.
1 Like
In this case there is. Theyll be taking down notes and examining us and theyre from a different squadron
What does the first C stand for? Thanks
Catastrophic haemorrhage, if someone is extremally bleeding out by the time you have checked their airway and breathing they may well have died from blood loss. This includes amputations and sharp implement injuries. One of the favourite places in gang violence to stab someone is in the legs. Lacerate a femoral artery and you will bleed out in less than 2 minutes. You survive low oxygen levels far longer before brain damage sets in.
Not knowing your age I would seriously hesitate to recommend a trauma presentation given by a MERT medical officer regarding her experiences in Afghanistan and the reasons for the changes. It is a very graphic video but it is part of the reasons why tourniquets have come back into civilian and military clinical prehospital practice along with a lot of other developments.
I directed IIRC @Giminion ro it and can vouch for its nature.
1 Like
You did indeed and yes I can.
1 Like
To add if you have very little blood your oxygen carrying capacity to the brain is very much reduced also to the kidneys and heart itself, the latter is just as important in the older age groups as the blood flow to the heart muscle may already be reduced by heart disease.
So in these cases apply pressure by hand which actually quite uncomfortable for the rescuer either at the site or if necessary on a major pulse point or a tourniquet. Applied properly they can be life savers and remember you can improvise and note the times.
And most importantly I’d they have stopped breathing or gone into cardiac arrest you can do no harm by attempting to help them, yea a fair percentage of time you may fail but you have done your best to help them survive.
Some of the swamp dwellers in this world have tried to sue rescuers and I the UK have all failed.,
1 Like
And that is why I hesitate to post or pm a link.
2 Likes
Stick your hand in wiggle it about and sit on them to apply pressure. Noted 
As crude as it sounds yes, a pad and kneel on a leg or arm either at the site or a pulse point above the injury. , hopefully you have a plastic bag etc to protect yourself. If they are conscious they will scream like hell, just shows their airway is intact.
If there is something sticking out leave it there as it maybe like the little Dutch boy and the dyke, and it all comes pouring out if you remove it.
I know one surgeon who did this on his consultants instructions, he was OK, but his boss was awarded a short sharp one directional testicle removal by the Consultant Cardiac Anaesthetist who dragged the remains of his chestnuts out of the fire during emergency cardiac surgery.
Able to PM me a link to this video?
1 Like
Whilst I completely agree with CABC being the correct sequence I’d avoid using it during a YFA assessment.
Unfortunately it’s not in the course content from St John for delivering the course… Massive bug bear of mine 
I failed my AFA assessment for doing CABC instead of the ABC method taught… Tried to argue that as a S/Paramedic I done it because that’s we’re taught so it’s the way I so it, it’s engrained into my head 
and that it’s the right way but they weren’t having it
4 Likes
Then they need to be updated as they are WRONG. My last ALS course two years ago it was CABC.
PM inbound.
Yup… The excuse I got when I mentioned it was that it was too advanced to teach in the courses. We’re supposed to be teaching them life saving skills, lets do it properly.
If i’m teaching EFA at Sqn I’ll always make a point of teaching CABC with basic methods of stopping/controlling bleeding prior to moving onto ABC, with a side note of dont mention this or do it during your assessments if you move onto YFA or AFA.
Hopefully with the Introduction of the new Catostrophic Bleed module into AFA we’ll see a change in thinking 
1 Like