What are the different types of splint?
The objective of splinting is to prevent motion in broken bone ends. Splinting is an effective first aid treatment for fractures. The nerves that cause the most pain in a fractured extremity lie in...
Category: First aid blog
What is Neurogenic Shock?
Injury to the cervical or thoracic spinal cord can produce neurogenic shock. Neurogenic shock results from the malfunction of the autonomic nervous system in regulating blood vessel tone and cardiac output. Classically, neurogenic shock...
Common Limitations and Problems with Pulse Oximetry
A pulse oximeter is a noninvasive photoelectric device that measures the arterial oxygen saturation and pulse rate in the peripheral circulation. It consists of a portable monitor and sensing probe that clips onto the...
What is Cardiac Tamponade?
Cardiac tamponade (or “pericardial tamponade”) occurs when blood fills the ‘potential’ space between the heart and the pericardium, squeezing the heart and preventing the heart from filling with blood. The pericardium is a tough...
Anatomy and Physiology (A&P) of the Upper Airway
The airway begins at the tip of the nose and the lips and ends at the alveolocapillary membrane, through which gas exchange takes place between the air sacs of the lung (the alveoli) and...
How to Make Slings for Arm Injuries
Slings can be used to immobilize a variety of upper limb and arm injuries. Generally, the most effective sling is made with a triangular bandage. Most first aid kits will contain triangular bandages. Although...
Primary vs Secondary Brain Injuries
Head injuries are either open or closed. depending on whether the object responsible for the injury compromised the skull and exposed the brain. Brain injury can also be divided into two components, primary and...
What are the Warning Signs of Hypoglycemia?
Diabetes is a condition which is caused by an imbalance of sugar (glucose) in the blood. Diabetic emergencies can appear in two forms hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) and hyperglycemia (hyperglycemia). What is Hypoglycemia? Hypoglycemia...
What is the difference between a heart attack and heart failure?
A heart attack occurs when a coronary artery is suddenly blocked by a blood clot and heart muscle is damaged due to a lack of oxygen. Also known as a myocardial infarction (MI), a...
First Aid for a Suspected Stroke (Brain Attack)
A stroke is a brain attack which occurs when brain cells become starved oxygen due to an interruption in blood supplying the brain. A stroke, like a heart attack, requires urgent time-critical medical attention....
What is Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA)?
Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) is the unexpected collapse of a patient whose heart has stopped pumping due to an electrical malfunction of the heart. Sudden Cardiac Arrest is not a heart attack, although a...
How to Recognize a Fracture (Broken Bone)
There are around 206 bones in the adult human skeleton. Bones are also integral to the body’s strength. Some bones have a protective function (skull), some a supporting function (pelvis), while others are for...
First Aid for Sprains and Strains
Sprains and strains are common soft tissue injuries. Most of us will experience a strain or a sprain at some point. In this first aid blog post we’ll take a closer look at the...
What does AMEGA stand for in first aid?
AMEGA is a first aid acronym used to help remember the key steps when dealing with an incident or emergency situation. First aiders and first responders may be the first to arrive at the...
