Category: First aid blog

A kidney stone is a hard mass developed from crystals that separate from the urine and build up on the inner surfaces of the kidney. Normally, urine contains chemicals that prevent or inhibit the...

What is the thyroid gland? The thyroid gland is a butterfly shaped endocrine gland that is normally located in the lower front of the neck. Thyroid hormones are produced by the thyroid gland. This...

The liver is the largest gland and solid organ in the body, weighing approximately 1.8 kgs in a men and 1.3 kgs in women. It holds about 13 per cent (about one pint or...

Here are some first aid practice questions to test your first aid knowledge! The answers to these questions are at the end of the post. Remember your local first aid practices/policies may be slightly...

Asthma is a condition where there is reversible obstruction of the airways (small tubes in the lungs). Asthma can start at any age but the incidence is highest in children.  There is usually a...

TWELVE FLAPS is a mnemonic / acronym used to remember the assessment of a casualty’s airway and breathing. TWELVE FLAPS is often taught to paramedics and ambulance staff, but may also be taught on some...

Plantar Fasciitis is inflammation of the Plantar Fascia in the foot. In this blog post we discuss plantar fasciitis and some simple first aid steps which you can take. The Plantar Fascia is a...

Hypoxia occurs when there is a lack of oxygen in the blood. In this first aid blog post we discuss the causes of hypoxia which may occur. Hypoxia is important as the brain require...

Trigger finger occurs when the tendons operating the fingers become inflamed and swollen. In this blog post we discuss trigger finger and some simple first aid steps which you can take to help with...

Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA) is a medical emergency which occurs when there is a lack of insulin in the body. Insulin is a hormone which is released by the pancreas which allows our cells to use sugar (glucose)...

The new 2015 CPR Guidelines have been released! CPR guidelines are produced based upon the latest scientific evidence by the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation (ILCOR) Both the European Resuscitation Council and the American...

Osteoarthritis is a degenerative disease which can affect many joints in the body. Osteoarthritis is caused by the breakdown of cartilage in the joint. This causes inflammation resulting in pain, stiffness and loss of function....

Gout is an inflammatory condition affecting joints, commonly in the feet (the big toe being the most common). Attacks of gout can be incredibly painful and debilitating. Gout attacks occur when crystals of uric acid are...

A pulse oximeter is a device used to estimate the amount of oxygen in the body.  Simply put, a pulse oximeter measures how much light haemoglobin absorbs in your blood. It does this using two different...