would you know what to do?

[Beth]

hiya all :)

I thought I would be serious for a minute, last Friday a teenage lad had quite a nasty accident on his pedal bike, just outside my house.

the first time in 10 years of living here anything like that has happened so close to home.
Due to the nature of my work I am aware of first aid, what to do etc, in fact just did a top up course last month! very handy

would you know what to do?

please please invest in a first aid book, or go on a course, you could save someones life
I wont be so dramatic, the chap was not a deaths door, and is recovering nicely, lots of cuts, bruises and a broken collar bone.

I have to say it left me quite shaken afterwards, doing a mock accident in a first aid class is nothing like the real thing. there was a lot of blood, and screaming.......

and the reason I am really writing this is there were a lot of people standing around who really didnt know what to do, incuding the first on the scene who tried to get him to stand up....needless to say he went back down very quickly!

if he had been more seriously injured that could of caused more damage to him. luckily he was ok.

also if you ride a bike or know someone that does....please please please invest in a helmet!!

the lad I helped was not wearing one and yes it would of saved him a lot of the injuries her recieved! it amazing how much the head area can bleed!

so get a book, read it, practice bandages on each other, you never know when you might be on the scene.

stay safe everyone :flowers:

(bless him, the nice young man sent me and a neighbour some chocolates for helping!)

[hollygolightly]

Hi Beth :)

I did a first aid course some years ago, I don't know how good I'd be at the scene of an accident. Other than to make sure that someone wasn't moved unless there was a risk to their life if they weren't moved.

I remember seeing someone fall down some steps and crack their head on stone slabs, I have never seen so much blood in my life. It was awful, I sat with the person, lightly held their head in the same position and got someone to call an ambulance. Awful. :(

[Mr Ribbit]

Well done Beth! :flowers:

My word, that's brilliant. He was very 'lucky' to have had an accident near you. Well done.

I keep meaning to learn about first aid. I was one of the 1st to reach an accident once, a van had flipped in the air and was upside down and the car it collided with was in pretty rough shape too.

People stood in shock around the accident with a few people having the presence of mind to call the ambulance and fire brigade. One chap saw me trying to open the door to the car and got a crow bar from his boot. He came back, saw the elderly couple trapped inside and then he froze from shock. I didn't blame him, it was a real emotional shock to see the couple trapped like they were, and in obvious pain and distress as well. It just shows that we never know how we'll react in an emergency.

Although I was actively trying to free the couple, I was panicking to myself in my head because I knew that once I got the door open I wouldn't know what to do next to help the poor elderly couple that were trapped inside. I knew I shouldn't move them so what on earth was I supposed to do!

Luckily the emrgency services arrived immediately so they sorted it all out - but the doubt has never left me. The question 'What if..?' comes back to haunt me now and then. Thanks for your post, I'll make a bee-line for information on first aid now. It's about time I learned how to do things properly - it may save a life one day. :)

mr ribbit

[sapphirelily10]

You're right Beth, although it feels a whole different ball-game than a first-aid course when a potentially serious injury happens in your presence!. I was on a night out a couple of weeks ago when a lad with a head injury from an attack was unconscious in a pool of blood on the street. My companions wanted to leave it and not get involved as an ambulance had been called. However, there was one other person at the scene, and he didn't know what to do. I stayed with the lad, trying to make sure he was still alive, and staunching the blood coming from his head until the ambulance arrived nearly half an hour later. He was unconcious at times, but conscious, restless and fighting to get up at others. Glad I didn't leave, and glad I knew basically what to do - but it was a bit scary, and I was praying for that ambulance to hurry up!

Basic first aid (including knowing what not to do!) comes in handy when you're least expecting it ;)

Well done, Beth :thumbs:

Sapph :D

[Beth]

that must of been frightening Sapphy! :o

did you find out if he was ok afterwards? I bet he was glad you were there!

yes this lad on friday was a bit of a wiggler! trying to get him to stay kinda still and hold his arm, I had to be a bit firm, saying you need to hold this arm like this, and I kept asking him if he was listening to me, he was conscious the whole time, but loud and then quiet, didnt like it when he kept going quiet, so I made him talk to me!

[sapphirelily10]

It was a bit, Beth, especially as I knew he'd been attacked - his friend said so, and then promptly ran off to chase the attackers! Very foolhardy I think :rolleyes:

I didn't get to find out if he was OK as I was in Glasgow, and there're a few hospitals, I think. I hope he was alright tho', he was only about 17 :sad:

I kept talking to him to try and keep him conscious, and try to keep him calm and still - hard work tho' when he kept trying to get up and get away :rolleyes: Not that I think he would have got far :o It isn't so simple when it's not a resucitation doll, is it?? :lol:

It's good to have a bit of knowledge and have a go when no one else is there to help tho' :)

Think we both did quite well anyway!

Sapphy :D

[vernon]

oh sounds like you both had some intense things to deal with there, its lucky for both those ppl that you did have some training, and weren't people who would walk away :)

I did the appointed persons course a year or two ago... it was basically shouting "ANNIE CAN YOU HEAR ME!" and counting... but i'm glad i know some of the very basics.... not sure how i would have coped with those situations... im not the best with blood at times :unsure:

Well done you both deserve a cup of tea!