The Importance of Resuscitation

For many of us, it feels like the world has been put on hold during COVID-19. With the extra time we are spending at home, increasing numbers of people are learning a new skill - like picking up an instrument or teaching themselves how to paint.
But there is one skill that might just be the most important of all - knowing how to help in an emergency situation. Knowing first aid and CPR gives you a set of skills that is critical in many emergency situations, not just aquatic emergencies. 

According to the Royal Life Saving Society (Australia), in most drowning or near-drowning events, a family member is usually the first on the scene. Knowing what to do in an emergency situation and responding quickly is paramount to increasing a patient's chance of survival. Many children have their parents to thank for saving their lives, as they knew how to perform CPR.

Approximately 60% of injuries requiring first aid treatment occur in the home, meaning that it is likely to be your own family who require your help in an emergency situation.
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Learning First Aid and CPR normally requires a face-to-face course, however due to COVID-19 many are now being taught remotely. Some companies are offering courses entirely online, some are  mostly online with just the practical component face-to-face, and others are allowing the theory to be completed online now with the practical component to be completed once restrictions ease. There are many organisations who teach these life saving skills - check out the links below for more information:

• Royal Life Saving NSW (entirely online)
• St John Ambulance NSW (online with practical component face-to-face, or delay your practical component for up to 3 months)
• Red Cross Australia (online with practical component face-to-face)

To download and print a copy of a CPR chart, free of charge, visit NSW Ambulance. The information provided in the chart is not intended as a substitute for completing a First Aid or CPR course.

DRS ABCD

​(This information is not intended to substitute the lifesaving skills learnt through participating in a First Aid or CPR course. Col Jones Hurstville urges all our parents and carers to enrol in a course today.)
 
Danger - Check for danger
Response - Is the patient unresponsive?
Send for help - Shout for help, call 000 for an ambulance, and ask for a defibrillator if there is one available
Airway - Check airway is open and unobstructed
Breathing - Look, listen and feel for breathing
CPR - Start CPR (30 compressions : 2 breaths)
Defibrillator - Attach a defibrillator as soon as it is available