ProTrainings UK Blog

We have added adaptive testing to our courses so that you are asked quiz questions during the course and the final exam uses a pool of questions to ensure all exams are different.  Passing the test is the goal but with our courses you can also view remedial help after to ensure that even the questions you got wrong, you can ensure that you know the answers.  Added to this you still get access to the course for 8 months allowing you to keep up to date with the latest additions.

We will be launching a new course on Anaphylaxis soon aimed at people with Anaphylaxis and people or parents who care for someone with this condition.  Have a look at our youtube site for more information on auto-injectors.  To view one of the videos click the following What are auto-injectors video.

The British Heart Foundation is urging people to forget “mouth-to-mouth” and to concentrate on chest compressions when performing CPR.  ”Hands-only CPR” has previously been supported by the Resuscitation Council (UK).  But it is now being promoted in a new advertising campaign featuring footballer-turned-actor Vinnie Jones.  New polling by the BHF suggests many feel worried about the idea of giving the “kiss of life”.

Watch the video click here This is nothing new in our training and the course is taught the same and full CPR training must still be trained, it is excellent advice to untrained people and as an alternative to full CPR to anyone.  All our courses have always had chest only compression training videos.

The official position of the BHF is now that anyone who does not have CPR training should ignore the kiss of life in favour of hard and fast compressions in the centre of the chest.   A new poll conducted across the UK and involving 2,000 respondents showed nearly half were put off from performing CPR because of a lack of knowledge.

A fifth worried specifically about the thought of the kiss of life or about contracting an infectious disease.  Four in 10 people were worried about being sued if they did something wrong, even though the BHF argues no such case has ever succeeded in Britain.   ”The kiss of life can often be daunting for untrained bystanders who want to help when someone has collapsed with a cardiac arrest,” said Ellen Mason, senior cardiac nurse at the BHF.

She said the kiss of life remained the “gold standard” of CPR, but added if a person had not had training the best option would be to just do chest compressions.

Bee Gees hit  -  The BHF is also suggesting people hum to the Bee Gees hit Stayin’ Alive, to get the tempo of chest compressions right, although others have in recent months questioned whether this is appropriate, suggesting it may lead to compressions which are too shallow.  The new BHF advert features Vinnie Jones in his traditional hardman guise, administering chest compressions to a Bee Gees backbeat after being thrown an unconscious body by his henchmen.

Commenting on the new campaign, he said: “There really shouldn’t be any messing about when it comes to CPR. If you’re worried about the kiss of life just forget it and push hard and fast in the centre of the chest.

“Hands-only CPR should give have-a-go heroes the confidence to step in and help when somebody is in cardiac arrest.”  Ms Mason said everyone should learn what to do: “Thirty thousand people have a cardiac arrest in the UK every single year and half of those are witnessed, but in most cases no-one acts, no-one knows what to do, people panic.  ”If it was us, we would all want our loved ones and ourselves to be saved, wouldn’t we?”

More information http://www.bhf.org.uk/heart-health/life-saving-skills/hands-only-cpr.aspx

We have adapted all our Anaphylaxis courses to include the new Jext Auto Injector. This auto injector is not a “new version of the epi-pen” it is a different brand and has a lot of benefits over other auto injectors.

• Longer shelf life of 2 years
• Better temperature range allowing for a more stable drug
• Needle cover when activated
• Comes in a case to keep safe
• Simply put on the leg then pushed to fire the unit but could be used the same as an epi-pen if by mistake

We have added a Anaphylaxis student manual to the course which is downloaded once you attend your ProTrainings course.  The Jext is not available in all area’s yet but this is expanding rapidly across the country so both systems will be available next year and some retraining will be needed.  On completion of the ProTrainings Anaphylaxis course you will receive a free student manual, login and other features as well as a ProTrainings wall certificate/wallet card.

For more information please email support@protrainings.eu or call 01223 911805

You can follow ProTrainings Europe and Pro Pet First Aid on their own iTunes channels for download as video and audio podcasts.   We will be increasing these over the next few months to include more subjects.

Follow ProTrainings EU at http://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/pro-first-aid-radio-podcasts/id435073858

Follow Pro Pet First Aid at  http://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/pro-pet-first-aid-podcast/id441002834

We now accept credit and debit cards via HSBC gateway if you prefer not to use PayPal.  We can also take payments over the phone or BASCs.  If you are a company and want to set up a free company dashboard, email or call 01223 911805 and we will set this up for you and quote for the courses you need.

More information on our courses visit www.protrainings.eu

We have updated most of the student manuals and added some new ones.  To see the latest manuals for your course logins in and download the book.  As you have access to the  our sites for 8 months you are kept up to date with the latest course material.  For more information on our courses visit www.protrainings.eu or find a local course at www.procourses.co.uk

The problem with Stroke care drugs are that they must be administered within 4 hours and where delays happen in diagnosis  this time can pass causing life changing problems for the patient.  Doctors in the UK are trailing a new drug which is inspired by Vampire Bats.

The Vampire bat’s teeth make a hole where they consume blood and to make this easier their saliva contains a powerful agent to stop the blood clotting as the bat has to consume a minimum of half of it’s body weight in blood every night.

The natural agent in the bat’s saliva is called Desmoteplase which 13,000 times more powerful than the current treatments so allowing the treatment to start with 9 hours by destroying fibrin which is the basic material of the blood clot without causing other problems.  The human trials are being expanded as they are proving to be very successful in reducing or stopping brain damage caused by the clot in the brain.

The problem with any drug is making sure that there is time for it to be delivered and this is an important role of the first aider as they need to act FAST to get help without delay so that treatment can start. Currently a very small percentage of Stoke patients actually arrive at hospital within the current period.  This new drug should increase the number of people who can be treated and avoid life changing affects of Stroke.

The drug work very quickly and results can be seen with in 30 minutes. The trials will take 2-3 years to complete over 11 UK hospitals but high hopes are expected that this will change the way we treat strokes.

Learn more about first aid and strokes at www.protrainings.eu or www.procourses.co.uk

We have updated our procourses website at www.procourses.co.uk to make it easier to navigate and find the course that yo are looking for.  If you have any questions or need lager quotes, call ProTrainings direct on 01223 911805 and we will put you in touch with an instructor in your area.

It’s not always practical to wash your hands. Perhaps you are not near a sink or you just need to wash them frequently. There are several types of gel available, all of which are alcohol based. They come in various sizes, and some actually can clip onto you.

To use the gel, just open the top, squeeze some into your hand, then rub it into your hand, in between your fingers, into your nails, around your thumb, and on the back of your hand. Ensure that all areas of your hands are covered. The gel will dry within a few seconds, and your hands will be clean.

Hand sanitiser can also be found in wall mounted containers. With these, simply push down on the front of the box to release some gel into your hand and rub it in as described earlier.

Another product available is universal wipes. With these, just open the front of the package, pull out the wipe, and wipe your hand in a similar fashion to the gel. You can also wipe down surfaces with the wipes. Once you are finished with a wipe, dispose of it according to your local workplace practices.

You can buy gels from many places from petrol stations to supermarkets and the costs are very low.  It is a good idea to keep a small container of gel in your car as you never know when you may need it.

More information see our infection control course at www.proinfectioncontrol.co.uk