First Aid News - May 2007

Bystanders at Accidents Can Save Lives if First Aid Trained
An Australian study has called for greater first aid training after statistics were studied on the effects of no first aid being performed by bystanders after an accident. A significant finding of life-saving potential has led to the call for more training.

The study looked at 112 fatal accidents and concluded that 5 of them were preventable, mainly if the victims' airways had been kept open. Some deaths were the result of bleeding. These conditions could be dealt with by basic first aid training and lives may not have been lost.

When a victim is unconscious, their airways can become blocked. A first aider can help to get the breathing going again or to administer mouth to mouth care that will artifically get oxygen back into the system when combined with chest compressions. Once breathing is established, the patient can be placed in the recovery position where they are safer from possible consequential events such as vomiting and choking.

To review ASTS's first aid training programmes, please click here - First Aid Training.