First Aid...did some today...a question?

[Munter]

I have just ensured my place in heaven.... Well no possibly not I didn't do all that much actually.

Girl in reception at the gym started to collapse so myself and a few other people steped forward and lowered her to the floor.

Now heres my question.

As she had simply passed out I was going to elevate her legs to try and push the blood into her head. The woman at her head wanted her on her side. You dont argue with the person at the head do you really so on her side she went.

Which was the correct option?

[robinhood21]

Knees slightly raised and as far apart as possible!

Sorry.

[odyssey2200]

elivate the legs but keep an eye on the breathing and airway.
If she has difficulty breathing then place in the recovery position.


IIRC

[anonymous-user]

Yep - lay flat and elevate legs. The only time you put a fainter in recovery position is if they vomited!

[mechsympathy]

Munter said:

Which was the correct option?

Kiss of life?





IIRC if there's a risk of vomiting then put her on her side, if not you were probably correct. I assume she survived so you're not about to be sued

[Munter]

mechsympathy said:

Munter said:

Which was the correct option?

Kiss of life?





IIRC if there's a risk of vomiting then put her on her side, if not you were probably correct. I assume she survived so you're not about to be sued

Yeah she came around after a very short period. By then the official first aider(sp) was on hand. But I had to hang around as the girls head was on my towel....which was stinking of my sweat...nice.

[TheEnd]

the other person was suggesting the recovery position, which is a "one size fits all" kinda help, your idea was probably the best solution to fainting.

it all depends on the cause etc.

you now have to tell her she owe her life to you

[rfisher]

No need to elevate the legs - she's on the floor so blood is getting to the brain easily (assuming it's a faint).

More important to protect the airway by placing her in the left lateral position (on her left side, left arm behind, right arm across the chest, left leg behind, right leg bent at the knee). Make sure that the chin is up and out and that breathing is not impaired.

If they don't come round pretty quickly get an ambulance.

[Taita]

Munter said:

mechsympathy said:

Munter said:

Which was the correct option?

Kiss of life?





IIRC if there's a risk of vomiting then put her on her side, if not you were probably correct. I assume she survived so you're not about to be sued

Yeah she came around after a very short period. By then the official first aider(sp) was on hand. But I had to hang around as the girls head was on my towel....which was stinking of my sweat...nice.

You sure it wasn't your towel that knocked her out.

[Munter]

TheEnd said:

the other person was suggesting the recovery position, which is a "one size fits all" kinda help, your idea was probably the best solution to fainting.

it all depends on the cause etc.

you now have to tell her she owe her life to you

Ooops we rolled her the wrong way. Her right arm was at the bottom. Still no harm done this time. Most important thing was to stop her bashing her head on the tiled floor had she collapsed.

[johnfm]

I thought the recovery position (i.e. on her side) also prevents the tongue blocking the airway/being 'swallowed'.

[King Herald]

garyhun said:

Yep - lay flat and elevate legs. The only time you put a fainter in recovery position is if they vomited!

If they vomit, or if you have to leave them alone to go get help.

[Z4monster]

Raise the legs and keep an eye on her breathing. Lift her chin and tilt the head back pulls the tongue from the back of the throat and clears the airway. Unless she recovers within a minute or so then recovery position and ambulance. If she doesn't come around pretty quick then it may not be just a faint. The most important point is protecting her airway.

[Tom55]

hang by ankles from one of the weights machines, pull on pair of bag gloves....

[ali_kat]

Z4monster said:

Raise the legs and keep an eye on her breathing. Lift her chin and tilt the head back pulls the tongue from the back of the throat and clears the airway. Unless she recovers within a minute or so then recovery position and ambulance. If she doesn't come around pretty quick then it may not be just a faint. The most important point is protecting her airway.

As a 'fainter' & first aider

If in doubt, recovery postion on side, lots of causes of collapses, so always better to take no chances.

Well done

[maddog993]

On the basis that it was a non-cardiac simple syncopal episode, you were right mate. Acute treatment - and indeed how we would treat it - is to do just as you had done and elevate the legs and wait for the patient to come round which would likely be facilitated more rapidly for your actions. It's straightforward enough to keep an eye on the airway and breathing as you're doing this - but the recovery position is always a safe option as long as there's no mechanism of injury suggesting c-spine, etc

Edited by maddog993 on Thursday 11th September 22:48

[thehawk]

I thought elevating legs was not recommended, and can even kill in some circumstances (even though my mate was cleared of wrong-doing at the inquest) - maybe a medical professional can confirm?

[maddog993]

thehawk said:

I thought elevating legs was not recommended, and can even kill in some circumstances (even though my mate was cleared of wrong-doing at the inquest) - maybe a medical professional can confirm?

I can't help but feel mildly offended ; I haven't been sued yet by our Professional governing body and funnily enough tend to do it quite frequently; The expedient of raising the legs in simple syncope simply rapidly addresses the (transient) drop in blood pressure to the brain that has caused the faint in the first place.
if you still don't believe me I refer you to the 'National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke' ; http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/syncope/syncope...

ETA Don't really know where you've got the idea that elevating the legs in syncope is dangerous from - let alone what kind of inquest is pointing the finger at your mate for doing so??

Edited by maddog993 on Thursday 11th September 23:16

[Z4monster]

thehawk said:

I thought elevating legs was not recommended, and can even kill in some circumstances (even though my mate was cleared of wrong-doing at the inquest) - maybe a medical professional can confirm?

Having just completed my first aid at work last week, I can categorically state that legs elevated is definitely still advised as a treatment for fainting or shock.

We were told that even a cut to the hand (a deep one not just a paper cut) should be treated by laying the casualty down, elevating the legs and then treating the cut. It helps to slow onset of shock due to bloodloss.

[hope2421]

maddog993 said:

On the basis that it was a non-cardiac simple syncopal episode, you were right mate. Acute treatment - and indeed how we would treat it - is to do just as you had done and elevate the legs and wait for the patient to come round which would likely be facilitated more rapidly for your actions. It's straightforward enough to keep an eye on the airway and breathing as you're doing this - but the recovery position is always a safe option as long as there's no mechanism of injury suggesting c-spine, etc

Edited by maddog993 on Thursday 11th September 22:48

+1