ProTrainings UK Blog

Do you have any medical or accident stories to share?  We are looking for stories of how you cope with medical conditions or accidents and how you have adapted to injury to inspire and teach others. Also do you have any questions that we can feature on this blog and our other sites?

You can email to keith@protrainings.eu them, post to our Facebook or add to this blog. Any stories welcome on any subject would be ideal.  We do not need to quote your name or details.

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

Up to 24,000 deaths from diabetes could be avoided in England each year, if patients and doctors better managed the condition, a report concludes.  The first-ever audit of patient deaths from the condition said basic health checks, a good diet and regular medication could prevent most of them.

Diabetes UK said it was vital the 2.3 million sufferers had top quality care.  The Department of Health in England said shocking variations in care and an unacceptable death toll were evident.  About a third of people in the UK affected do not realise they have the condition.  It means their bodies cannot use glucose properly. If they do not manage it, they can develop potentially fatal complications like heart or kidney failure.

The report, by the NHS Information Centre, compared information about people with diabetes in England with data from death records.  We will be holding the NHS to account wherever it fails to deliver high-quality diabetes care” Barbara YoungDiabetes UK Chief Executive.  Around 70-75,000 diabetic patients die every year.

The study estimated that a third of them were dying from causes that could be avoided if their condition were better managed.  That includes basic health checks from doctors, and patients taking medication and keeping to a healthy diet.  For patients with Type 1, the risk of dying was 2.6 times higher than it was for the general population.  With Type 2, the risk was 1.6 times higher.

But in younger age groups, the risk was far greater. Women between the ages of 15 and 34 with diabetes were nine times more likely to die than other women of the same age.  Men in the same age group were four times more likely to die if they had the condition.  It is the first time there has been such a comprehensive assessment of the number of affected people dying.

The National Diabetes Information Service said the number of people with the condition was rising, so if nothing was done, the number of deaths would also increase.

Full story at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-16147731

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

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

This story reported on the BBC shows how following correct procedures can lead to an excellent recovery:

An elderly American man has survived being impaled through the eye socket by a pair of pruning shears.

Leroy Luetscher, from Green Valley in the state of Arizona, had just finished trimming plants in his back garden when he fell face-first onto his shears, sending one of the handles through his right eye socket and halfway into his head.

He was rushed to hospital, where a team of surgeons discovered the shears’ handle had gone 6in (15cm) into Mr Luetscher’s head.

The 86-year-old has made a remarkable recovery from the incident on 30 July – he still has slight swelling in his eyelids and minor double vision, but is otherwise fine.

Full story and video http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-14727604

ProCourses from ProTrainings Europe is a perfect way of finding a course local to you.

We have a national network of instructors who can offer courses certified through ProTrainings locally.  If you need help in finding a national training solution call us on 01223 911805 and we will find the best solution for your needs locally or email support@protrainings.eu

There have been new guidance on first aid kits in the workplace and these are the new BSi Standard kits.  They are available in small, medium, large and travel sizes and they are available online.  There are various reasons for the changes below:

When will the new BSi standard come into force?

BSi kits are effective from 30th June 2011, with a transitional introduction period until 31st December 2011.

The old standard

This standard replaces the BHTA-HSE kits 10, 20 and 50, that are currently universally used
in the UK, and are based on the HSE guidelines. The Current BHTA standard was published
in 1997, and is long overdue a review. The BHTA standard will be withdrawn from 31st December 2011.

What the law says

The Health and Safety (First Aid) regulations 1981 states:

“An employer shall provide or ensure that there are provided such equipment and facilities as
are adequate and appropriate in the circumstances for enabling first aid to be rendered to his
employees if the are injured or become ill at work”

The new BSi first aid kits are now the only safe and clear way for an employer to meet their obligations…

The HSE position

The Health and Safety Executive have been closely involved in the creation of this standard,
being members of the BSi standards committee. The current guidelines contained in
document L74 from the HSE are met and exceeded by the new BSi standard.

Why did we need a new standard?

Despite many EU states having a national standard for workplace first aid kits, until now,
the UK did not. The BHTA guidelines, established in 1997 were in need of revision because
training protocols have changed, there are heightened concerns with infection control, and
new technology is now available at affordable prices.

There were only one pair of gloves in a 10 person kit – yet 33 dressings.
There were 4 triangular bandages – even though the training protocols no longer indicate
their use for immobilisation of lower limb fractures.
Burns gel dressings are extensively used in first aid – now very available and affordable.

The new kits have good quantities of plasters and wipes, a common criticism of the old ones.

New Contents Explained

GLOVES - More quantity reflecting the need, and Nitrile type in line with NHS and St. John Ambulance guidelines. Plasters Sensible quantities, reflecting consumer demand.

WIPES - Increased quantities, reflecting consumer demand. New specification is sterile and now must meet the European CE marking rules.

MEDIUM AND LARGE DRESSINGS - Fewer quantities, reflecting consumer demand.

TRIANGULAR BANDAGES - Quantities are reduced reflecting the change in training first aid protocol, where immobilisation of lower limbs using triangular bandages is no longer indicated.

FINGER DRESSINGS - A smaller finger dressing is introduced specifically for finger injuries that are too large for first aid plasters, dressing complete with an easy-fix adhesive tab.

BURNS GEL DRESSING - Every employer with as much as a kettle, must have a risk from burns. A modern burns gel dressing is added to meet this risk, together with a conforming bandage to attach and retain it.

ADHESIVE TAPE - Many first aiders prefer not to use safety pins, where additional injury could potentially be caused, adhesive tape is an easy and inexpensive way to secure dressings and bandages. Safety pins are retained, allowing users a choice of application.

SHEARS - Clothing around wound sites needs to be removed to allow first aid treatment. Shears, capable of cutting fabric and leather enable this removal.

FOIL EMERGENCY BLANKET - Clinical shock presents one of the most serious life threatening risks to a casualty, treatment includes keeping the casualty warm. The introduction of the foil survival blanket enables this.

MOUTH TO MOUTH RESUSCITATION DEVICE - The introduction of a mouth to mouth resuscitation device, incorporating a one way valve, protects the first aider from infection from body fluid pathogens.

EYE WASH - Incorporated into the travel kit since fixed eye wash stations are unlikely to be available. The environment of a travelling worker is unpredictable and could include a risk to eyes.

FIRST AID GUIDANCE LEAFLET  - Conforming to the latest HSE guidance.

To Buy these kit click here

We have added a series of cat care videos to our Pro Pet First Aid course.  We have covered subjects like choosing cats and kittens, toilet training, breeding, feeding and other cat care subjects.  These videos are available FREE to all pet first aid students new and old. As with all our courses you have access to the site for 8 months so you can see all new videos as they are added.

If you would like to know more about Pet First Aid or to become an instructor in pet first aid please email support@protrainings.eu or call 01223 911805

To the family of an elderly person, nothing is more important than the care and treatment of their loved one. That is why ProTrainings provides training and service specifically built for the care industry. Our tools allow administrators to focus on their core objective of providing quality care to their residents while ensuring the highest training standards for care takers.

Training doesn’t have to be boring and it absolutely must be quality. ProTrainings makes this happen for each and every student by providing customized, relevant and consistent training courses. Each course is made up of small 2 to 3 minute videos segments, each covering a specific topic. After completing a few segments, a student will be asked questions to ensure they understand the information just covered. Once through the training, the student will be able to take the final test. Once the test is completed with a passing score, the course will be marked as complete.

Certificates can be printed off after each course, and students will have access to the site for 8 months to see new videos and refresh on their skills. Students all receive free weekly video emails to keep skills fresh, a free PDF student manual, and free reminders when requalifying is due. If a practical part is also required, this can be carried out by one of our national approved instructors.

Mandatory Five

These are the most commonly requested training courses for the care industry. Depending on your needs, these courses are available as a bundle or “a la carte.” Company administrators have full control through an interactive company dashboard, and we have many time-saving features like bulk student uploads and options to link in with your computer systems. Contact us is you would like a bespoke course for your company.

Find out more at  www.protrainings.eu/care