Monday 10 February 2014

First Aid Manual - be prepared with this household essential book

In my life BC, I worked for ten years in the Rail Industry.  It gave me some amazing experiences (not all good!) and I learnt some invaluable life skills through the weird and wonderful day-to-day job and the training courses I attended.  But by far the skill I am most grateful for was my First Aid knowledge.

I attended a four-day First Aid at Work course and it was run by a pair of maverick instructors who'd worked both in field hospitals for the armed forces and as paramedics in inner city London.  This meant they had extensive experience of some of the most horrific injuries; a fantastic knowledge of how to work in challenging conditions and an impressive background of improvising with limited kit.

They talked about how to deal with a casualty with a stab wound to the chest and how to sustain life using a crisp packet or plastic bag if their lung was punctured.  They described performing a tracheotomy with a biro, and how the tragic loss of Damiola Taylor may have been prevented if someone had taken their shoe off and pressed their foot into his groin to stem the blood flow from his femoral artery.

This was the kind of training course that stays with you forever.

Yes, techniques and advice about first aid changes over time - notably the introduction of compression-only CRP (we all remember the Vinnie Jones advert don't we - no kissing!); and the new guidelines on  how to deal with infant choking - an infant should now be treated on a first aider’s leg instead of along an arm.

Application of certain techniques is different for babies and children than for adults, so when Ruby was born I went on a specific paediatric first aid course - I strongly recommend it to all parents.



In addition to attending some practical training, I also recommend the new 10th Edition of the best-selling First Aid Manual just published by DK.

Its is the only up-to-date, illustrated guide on the market that covers every aspect of first aid. Endorsed and authorised by the UK’s three leading first aid societies: St John Ambulance, St Andrew’s First Aid and The British Red Cross, this comprehensive guide is the official training manual used in first aid training and is still the only guide written and endorsed by all three voluntary organisations. 

Given I have had some experience with administering First Aid, and have had some training, I can't really say how confident I'd feel using this as a manual without any background knowledge.  But, the way that it's laid out, does make it incredibly useful to refer to quickly, and there's caution boxes and instructions on when to dial 999 shown in red to make them quicker to find in an emergency.

I managed to get to the ripe old age of 35 without ever needing to go to Accident and Emergency, but suddenly, once kids come along I seem to find myself there more and more frequently. Suddenly innocuous household objects become potential killers and there are hidden dangers everywhere.

This book covers every possible scenario from house fires to drowning to electrocution.  It covers minor first aid issues that as a parent you're likely to face fairly often like cuts; bruises; head knocks; nosebleeds; scalds; stings and things stuck up noses!  It details what to do in more extreme life-threatening situations like choking; heart attacks, anaphylactic shock and road traffic accidents.  It has specific instruction where techniques differ for children and even has some specifics on first aid for pregnant women.

This is an excellent manual, full of detailed illustrations, photographs and diagrams.  The instruction are clear and simple to understand and the comprehensive index makes the relevant page easy and quick to find.

It's a book that I'm going to keep in the kitchen, that way I'll always know where it is in an emergency and I can flick through it and refresh myself each time I'm waiting for something to cook in the oven!

The 10th Edition First Aid Manual is published by Dorling Kindersley and is on sale now at £13.99.  Every home should have a copy of this book in my opinion.

Disclosure: 

I am a member of the Netmums Blogging Network, a unique community of parent bloggers from around the UK who have been handpicked by the Netmums team to review products and brands on their behalf. I have been paid expenses and supplied with a product sample for this review but retain all editorial control. All my Netmums Reviews will display the Netmums logo within the post.

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14 comments:

  1. Firstly, I am impressed that you went on a course when Ruby was born! Secondly, this book does indeed sound impressive. I think part of the trick would be to get people to actually read it before some of the emergencies, but it's fantastic to have a reference anyway. My husband is an ITU dr who regularly teaches Advanced Trauma Life Support training to other Drs so I must admit I've been a bit slow in getting myself trained. I'm still relying on the ancient knowledge I learned as a teen when I trained to be a lifeguard. But over the years I have thought how good it would be for me to have some training--and as you point out, at the least I should update the bits I remember!

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  2. I think it's so important for parents to know basic first aid - if nothing else, so they don't panic in an emergency!

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  3. Aaargh you are quite right, we need this!

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  4. I believe that all parents should be given access to regular first aid courses, having said that, I did one about three years ago and I'm not sure that I even remember the basics now.

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  5. What a fantastic review!

    I've been meaning to attend a course forever it seems, but have one circled in my diary in the next few months. Couldn't agree more, we all need a good foundation of knowledge for first aid when we have kids, it's frankly terrifying how keen they apparently are to maim themselves!

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  6. I did my first aid course at the Girl Guides - I had to give a rubber dummy the kiss of life and I hope I don't have to do it in real life ever but it is invaluable knowledge.
    Great book that could come in very handy

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  7. Hello,
    It is a nice post. There should be a first aid process available for an emergency treatment in all business sector, Schools, Colleges etc..

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  8. I love the DO books as they are always easy to read and informative. This looks like a book every home needs, thanks for sharing!

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  9. It is so true. And I think no one realize how important it is until they go to a First Aid Training. Actually I was freaked out by how many things I don’t know or only think I know but it is not right

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  10. As a minimum, a low-risk workplace such as a small office should have a first-aid box and a person appointed to take charge of first-aid arrangements, such as calling the emergency services if necessary. Employers must provide information about first-aid arrangements to their employees.

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  11. 12 Must have Contents Of An Equipped First Aid Box brought to you by first aid course Brisbane


    1. Bandages
    This is used to secure dressings made to the wound.

    2. Soap
    Used in cleaning wounds and washing out foreign bodies.

    3. Antiseptic wipes or sprays
    This is used for reducing the risk of infection in abrasions or other wounds.

    4. Scissors
    This is used in cutting materials for dressing or flesh itself.

    5. Alcohol Pads
    This is used for sanitizing equipments or broken skin.

    6. Thermometer
    This is used in measuring the body temperature of the affected individual.
    7. Cotton wool
    This is used In applying medications and cleaning of wounds.

    8. Aspirin
    Primarily used for pains and also serves as an antiplatelet.

    9. Painkillers
    This is used to reduce pains and some include paracetamol, panadol.
    10. Hydrogen peroxide

    Basic First Aid Course Treatment Procedures For Cosmetologists

    Treatment for Burns

    Burns could result when the cosmetologist or their clients mishandles a hot equipment such as the blow dryer.
    The seriousness of the burn depends on the amount of burnt surface area, body part burnt and age of the victim.

    Applying First Aid Treatment To Burns

    • Use a wet soft cloth to cool the area.
    • Continue with cooling the affected area to relieve the burning sensation.
    • Remove any tightening material, most importantly those around the burnt area.

    Once the burning sensation is relieved, clean up the burnt area with cotton wool soaked with aspirin.
    • Then continue with dressing up the burnt area...

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  12. Do you have a first-aid kit at home? If so, when’s the last time you checked on the contents and made sure you have what you need? If you’re not sure, you’ll want to listen to the latest episode of our Get Ready Report podcast series and find out what it takes to have a useful kit, brought to you by first aid course brisbane

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  13. This is very educational content and written well for a change. It's nice to see that some people still understand how to write a quality post!
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  14. Nice article. First aid is really important especially for children. We may never know when will emergency comes that is why it is always better to be prepared. click here tolearn more

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