Monthly Archives: January 2019

First Aid Techniques

Angina VS Heart Attack:

Angina VS Heart Attack:

When we teach about “Cardiovascular Disease” or CVD for short we notice that many people are a little unclear as to the difference between a Heart Attack or Angina. Can a Heart attack kill you? Can Angina be life threatening? Can Angina become a heart attack? What are the symptoms for Angina or a Heart Attack? We will do our best to explain the differences and what to look for to help you understand the potential deadly emergency when dealing with Angina & Heart Attack scenarios.

ANGINA

Angina has been termed as “chest pain or pressure that comes and goes” however it can be much more than that. Also the signs and symptoms of Angina mimic the signs and symptoms of a Heart Attack almost perfectly with only a few subtle differences. The main causes of Angina are also similar to that of a Heart Attack stemming from problems like Cardiovascular Disease, heart disorders or Anemia. The easiest way to explain what Angina is is to picture a clear tube in your mind that lets blood flow through it perfectly, now pinch the tube slightly so that the flow of blood is restricted. If this was within your heart the muscle that has the restricted flow of blood would starve for Blood & Oxygen causing symptoms that mimic that of a heart attack “Angina“. The symptoms however would go away once the demand for Blood & Oxygen has been reduced or assisted with medications. Often Angina will go away with rest in about 10 minutes and or medication assistance

HEART ATTACK

Heart Attacks happen when the heart or specific muscle tissue within the heart can’t get enough Oxygenated Blood. This can lead to the death of the heart muscle and tissue leading to a life threatening emergency, as we all know any body part that can not get enough Blood & Oxygen will eventually die. Using the same description of a plastic tube with blood flowing through it in your mind, now pinch the tube completely off so that no blood can pass through it, the blockage stops the flow of Oxygen rich blood to the heart leading to the eventual death of the tissue termed as a “Heart Attack”

As you can see the difference between Angina and a Heart Attack isn’t much more than an Artery “tube” being restricted and an Artery “tube” being blocked. Angina for many people is your “Wake Up Call” as your body is now telling you that there are some risk factors that you need to take care of before Angina “BECOMES” a Heart Attack.

Symptoms of a Heart Attack & Angina:

-Squeezing Chest Pain -Problems Breathing -Abdominal or lower back pain “More common in women” – Cold sweaty skin -Bluish or paler than normal skin tone -Nausea & Vomiting -“Denial” -Jaw Pain -Left Arm / Shoulder Pain -Feeling of Heart Burn.

Risk Factors:

-Smoking -High Blood Pressure -Poor Diet “Processed Foods” -High Cholesterol -Obesity -Lack of regular Exercise -High Stress -Gender -Heredity -Age.

How to Help:

  1. 1) Have the Person rest in a comfortable position and try not to move as much as possible.
  2. 2) Call 911 “You can not tell the difference between a heart attack or angina” angina will be short lived about 10 minutes, a heart attack will not. Don’t Waste time trying to figure it out “better safe than sorry“.
  3. 3) Keep the person calm, assist with any medications if they have them and wait for an ambulance or the symptoms to subside.

Weather your daily life or habits fall under some of the risk factors or all of them you should notice that many of these are easily fixed with some changes in personal outlook and removing of bad habits. Everyone want’s to live a long and healthy life, once you know the risks you can take charge of your own life and do what you can to avoid your body failing on you.

We never know what can happen, its always good to be prepared and have the knowledge we need to help those who need it.

“This material is for information purposes only and is taken from The Canadian Red Cross / Alberta Heart & Stroke Foundation & Alberta Health Services. This information should not be used in place of medical, Technical advice, instructor, and/or treatment. If you have questions, speak to your local Physician or Safety Training Facility.”

Just Remember:

Protect Yourself!!! Call 911!!! Don’t Waste Time!!!

Learn First Aid Today & Save a Life Tomorrow with Saving Grace Medical Academy Ltd.

#FirstAidCourseEdmonton #FirstAidAndBasicLifeSupport #BasicLifeSupport #BLS #BLSforHCP #BCLS #BCLSCourseEdmonton #ACLS #AdvancedCardiovascularLifeSupport #MFR #EmergencyMedicalResponder #ITLS #Stroke #Angina #HeartAttack #Anurism

First Aid Techniques

Prevention of Emergencies like Stroke, Heart Attack or Angina:

Prevention of Emergencies like Stroke, Heart Attack or Angina:
 
Circulation emergencies like Heart Attacks, Strokes, Angina or even TIA’s “Trans Ischemic Attack’s might seem to the person experiencing the effects like a sudden event, although the truth is that cardiovascular disease actually develops after a prolonged period of time. Many would feel that the age groups associated with such medical emergencies would only appear in the 40+ age range, when in fact it can begin as early as in your teens.
 
Prevention methods for these types of emergencies are well known in many groups, and everyone has a theory on how to maintain a healthy lifestyle. For this prevention method we will refer to the basics like Nutrition, Weight Control, Exercise, Stress Control & Breaking Unhealthy Habits.
 
PREVENTION of CVD “Cardiovascular Disease”
 
Lets start with “Weight Control”, Body fat in an excessive amounts can lead to heart disease, diabetes, gallbladder disease & high blood pressure. As we all know loosing body fat is “NOT EASY”, as your body balances between how much you eat & how many calories you use through out the day, this balance can be tilted in the wrong direction “thus gaining body fat”. There are also other factors like thyroid problems as well as Hormonal changes that need the help of a physician. If your thinking about taking on the challenge of losing body fat there are some easy steps to help.
 
1) Get your Body fat % analyzed by a Professional to see that there is a problem.
 
2) “Portion Sizes” Starving yourself will “NOT” work, your body will only hoard the calories to sustain itself. However if you eat like your growing then you will. Remember your stomach should be about the size of your fist, that means you should eat that as a proportionate size per meal.
 
3) “Exercise” As more and more technology makes our life simpler we see less and less people being active other than with their “thumbs”. Exercise has been something that people have been prompted to do ever sense grade school, and for good reasons. Exercise helps you by keeping your cardiovascular system fit and even burns off excessive calories, this helps you:
-Cope with stress -Improves self-esteem
-burns body fat -Improves sleep quality
-Improves immune system
-Fights Depression
 
4) “Nutrition” if your body is a biological machine than what fuels you chose to put into the machine may either make it run better, or worse. Try starting off with a balanced diet, human’s are “Omnivorous” and choosing just one food group rather than all may cause long term damage to your body like iron deficiencies, diabetes, immune system defectiveness, and many other ailments that have been medically documented to appear in the absence of a balanced diet between “all” food groups. for further information check the Canadian Food Guide to give you an idea of a balanced diet. Also remember to stay hydrated, your body is mostly fluids and that amount should be kept up with water intake of about 8 cups of water a day, add more if you attend vigorous activities.
 
5 “Stress” A normal part of life, however learning to cope with stress may not be easy. Do your best to reduce stress to keep your body healthy, a slogan to remember is “A Healthy mind leads to a Healthy Body” Or visa-versa depending on your goals.
 
We never know what can happen, its always good to be prepared and have the knowledge we need to help those who need it.
 
“This material is for information purposes only and is taken from The Canadian Red Cross / Alberta Heart & Stroke Foundation & Alberta Health Services. This information should not be used in place of medical, Technical advice, instructor, and/or treatment. If you have questions, speak to your local Physician or Safety Training Facility.”
 
Just Remember:
Protect Yourself!!! Call 911!!! Don’t Waste Time!!!
 
Learn First Aid Today & Save a Life Tomorrow with Saving Grace Medical Academy Ltd.
 
#FirstAidCourseEdmonton #FirstAidAndBasicLifeSupport #BasicLifeSupport #BLS #BLSforHCP #BCLS #BCLSCourseEdmonton #ACLS #AdvancedCardiovascularLifeSupport #MFR #EmergencyMedicalResponder #ITLS #Stroke #Angina #HeartAttack #Anurism
Uncategorized

Basic Life Support Provider CPR “AKA” Health Care Provider Level CPR

Health Care Provider Level CPR “AKA” Basic Life Support Provider BLS

Over the years of helping students get the training they need for the employment they require, we have had countless questions on whether or not someone needs the Health Care Provider level CPR also known as Basic Life Support Provider or the general public version of CPR. We understand the confusion as many societies offer their own version of the HCP Health Care Provider CPR course. The final decision on what course a student needs is what their governing society accepts.

The general public version of CPR-C helps anyone wishing to learn the benefit of life saving skills on all age groups and helps to prepare to help in life threatening emergencies while you wait for Emergency Professionals to arrive.

Some different characteristics of Basic Life Support Provider CPR or Health Care Provider level CPR are the Program is broken down into different sections that show: Compression’s, Breaths, Bag Valve Mask Techniques, teamwork and the difference between Adult, Child and Infant in dealing with Airway obstructions while addressing the Medical Professional’s skills and knowledge.

As a comprehensive Video Based Program that sets the standards on all CPR skills for Health Care Providers. Basic Life Support Provider previously known as BLS for HCP CPR & AED and before that BCLS for HCP’s CPR & AED challenges medical professional students on their knowledge and skills on Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation. As of November 2017 new standards and skills have been available for all Health Care Professionals to with the most up to date techniques and training information.

This year the life saving medication assistance of Naloxone has been added, also known as Narcan (an anti opiate medication used to help those in danger of overdose). The benefit of high quality team work in performing CPR and in the use of AEDs “automatic external defibrillators.” The 2015 version of Basic Life Support Provider focuses on honing the art of Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation on all age groups.

In Alberta, Canada the governing body Alberta Health Services along with Covenant Health and Canada Health have set the standard and requested that all Medical Professionals have the Exact Same Training. This means they prefer all students and employees to have the same high quality standard of training and skills to achieve the highest quality of resuscitation during a life threatening event. “If ALL health care Professionals have the exact same training the chance of resuscitation go up”

Alberta Health Services, Covenant Health, and Canada Health Recommend, Prefer and Request that all Medical Personnel have their Health Care Provider Level CPR known as Basic Life Support Provider training through the Alberta Heart & Stroke Foundation to keep continuity.

Alberta Health Services is setting a standard for all Health Care Professionals, doctors, nurses, paramedics, massage therapists, dentists, pharmacists, nurses aids, nurses attendants, and all personnel working in medical facilities to have Basic Life Support Provider CPR or BLS CPR, previously known as Basic Life Support BLS for Health Care Provider HCP CPR. This will ensure that no matter your job title you have the skills to help during an emergency.

This excellent program is set on a Video Format and takes roughly 4 hours to complete. This new BLS Basic LIfe Support Provider program through The Heart & Stroke Foundation has attempted to set the standard that every school and every student gets the exact same high quality training.

Basic Life Support Provider or BLS previously known as Basic Life Support for Health Care Providers HCP CPR has been shown to provide exactly what Alberta Health Services and many other Health Service Canada centers require and now demand their staff have as training.

Our Basic Life Support Program is run through our Edmonton Location with many time slots to chose from. As Alberta Health Services also recommends that due to liability, if your BLS CPR or Basic Life Support for Health Care Provider certificate expires you should not be allowed to work until it is reactivated. For this reason Saving Grace Medical has extended our BLS program course dates as of October 1st to “Monday Through Saturday” and even on Sundays upon request for groups. There will be more Basic Life Support Provider CPR/AED Level C courses available for our students.

 We never know what can happen, its always good to be prepared and have the knowledge we need to help those who need it.

“This material is for information purposes only and is taken from The Canadian Red Cross / Alberta Heart & Stroke Foundation & Alberta Health Services. This information should not be used in place of medical, Technical advice, instructor, and/or treatment. If you have questions, speak to your local Physician or Safety Training Facility.”

Just Remember:

Protect Yourself!!! Call 911!!! Don’t Waste Time!!!

Learn First Aid Today & Save a Life Tomorrow with Saving Grace Medical Academy Ltd.

#FirstAidCourseEdmonton #FirstAidAndBasicLifeSupport #BasicLifeSupport #BLS #BLSforHCP #BCLS #BCLSCourseEdmonton #ACLS #AdvancedCardiovascularLifeSupport #MFR #EmergencyMedicalResponder #ITLS

First Aid Techniques

Allergic Reactions, What to Look For & How to Help:

Allergic Reactions, What to Look For & How to Help
 
What is an allergic reaction? How can I help someone having an allergic reaction? What does an allergic reaction look like? Can an allergy be fatal? What does an extreme allergy or Anaphylaxis look like? What causes allergies? These are some of the questions that we have received within our first aid courses, to begin an allergic reaction is an immune response causing hypersensitivity to substances that either contact or enter the body.
 
Substances causing the allergy are called allergens, these can be almost anything from bee venom, pollen, pet dander, shell fish and many other substances. When your body comes into contact with an allergen it reacts as if the substance was a pathogen or harmful substance. This causes the body to have an immune response and release histamines, histamines are involved with the body’s immune response causing tissue inflammation or swelling at the sight of contact with the allergen. Depending on where the body begins to swell this can range from a slight irritation to extremes that may be life threatening “Anaphylaxis”.
 
Depending on the person’s sensitivity to the substance their body’s immune response “Allergy” may be slow to react or almost instantaneous. The severity of the reaction depends on each individuals immune system and sensitivity.
 
How to Spot an Allergy Mild or Severe “Anaphylaxis”
-Mild-
-Itchy skin with raised areas, Hives or even a Rash
-Tightness in the throat or chest
-Dizziness , weakness or confusion
-Severe “Anaphylaxis-
-Swelling of the face, lips, neck, ears or hands, if the tongue or throat swell this may block the airway “Dangerous”
-Redness of the skin that may be raised with a rash, hives or blotchy.
-Weakness or dizziness with nausea or vomiting
-breathing difficulties, wheezing or coughing
 
How to Help:
-If the scene is safe to do so “Check” the victim and make sure they are breathing.
-If the victim’s allergy is severe “Anaphylaxis” or has trouble breathing and loses consciousness have someone “Call 911” and make sure emergency response is on the way.
-Offer comfort warmth & reassurance as anxiety can make symptoms worse.
-if the reaction is extreme with swelling or difficulty breathing & the victim “Has an Epi-Pen” or epinephrine auto-injector help the person use it. “Make sure to follow the 5 rights of medication assistance” and assist “Don’t Give” the victims medication.
-Always refer the victim to an emergency facility if the allergic reaction is severe “Anaphylaxis” and seek medical attention. Symptoms may return even after using an Epi-Pen within as little as 15 minutes.
 
To Assist with an Epinephrine Auto-Injector
1) Check the 5 Rights of Medication before assisting
2) Help the victim remove the safety cap “Blue to the sky”
3) Tell the person to firmly place the injector tip “Orange against the Thigh” hard enough to hear or feel the needle release. “Click” and hold for 10 seconds.
4) Remove the Auto-Injector
5) Keep the Auto-Injector with the victim for proper disposal at the hospital.
 
If you have an allergy, read ingredients or labels carefully and always be sure to ask when you are eating out about what is in the food. Avoid allergens and be sure to check with your physician about childhood allergies.
 
We never know what can happen, its always good to be prepared and have the knowledge we need to help those who need it.
 
“This material is for information purposes only and is taken from The Canadian Red Cross / Alberta Heart & Stroke Foundation & Alberta Health Services. This information should not be used in place of medical, Technical advice, instructor, and/or treatment. If you have questions, speak to your local Physician or Safety Training Facility.”
 
Just Remember:
Protect Yourself!!! Call 911!!! Don’t Waste Time!!!
 
Learn First Aid Today & Save a Life Tomorrow with Saving Grace Medical Academy Ltd.
 
#FirstAidCourseEdmonton #FirstAidAndBasicLifeSupport #BasicLifeSupport #BLS #BLSforHCP #BCLS #BCLSCourseEdmonton #ACLS #AdvancedCardiovascularLifeSupport #MFR #EmergencyMedicalResponder #ITLS #AllergicReactions #WhatIsAnAllergy #EpiPen #Anaphylaxis
First Aid Techniques

Assisting With Medications During First Aid:

Assisting With Medications During First Aid

Should I give a medication to someone who asks for it? Should I help a person to take their medications? Should I keep extra medications in my first aid kit just in case? These questions are some of the more prominent questions we are asked in class as we instruct First Aid students on how to help with Medications during a First Aid situation.

To shed some light on Medication use in First Aid scenarios & according to the Alberta Occupational Health & Safety regulations First Aid attendants have very specific guidelines on what they can and should not do with Medications in First Aid.

To make this easy “In Alberta” First Aiders are “NOT Allowed” to diagnose, prescribe or administer “Give” any medication. However they are allowed to “Assist“ individuals with their “own” prescribed medication if the casualty identifies the medication on their own & is able to take it without assistance.

What does this mean about giving medications in an emergency? Simply put “you CAN Assist” but “you can NOT Give”. The victim must take the medications on their own and be of sound enough mind to understand the risks. This includes all over the counter medications and above counter medications.

To Assist With Medications:

  • -The ill or injured person must be conscious and able to understand the risks involved with taking a medication & be able to take it themselves “Self Administration“
  • -The First Aiders Assistance should be limited to preparing the medication for the victim, this is restricted to but includes oral & auto-injected medications.
  • -The victim should be certain that nothing will interfere or react negatively with the medication and should follow the written instructions on the label / device.
  • -The Five Rights of Medications are met:
  1. 1) Right Person – If it is a prescribed medication the names match the person taking it on the label.
  2. 2) Right Medication – Use the appropriate medication for the situation “Read the Label“
  3. 3) Right Amount – Follow directions on the bottle / device or package on how much the victim should receive
  4. 4) Right Time – Help the victim “Before they hit the Floor“, the victim must be conscious and able to understand how to use medications.
  5. 5) Right Method – There are only 4 ways a medication can get into your body “Injected / Inhaled / Ingested or Absorbed” Read the Label and follow the Directions carefully.

For medications in first aid kits just remember that medications are subject to the individual’s needs. This means that stocking a first aid kit with medications is not advised as each person has different requirements on medications and they should only take those that are prescribed for themselves or have the medication on them.

We never know what can happen, its always good to be prepared and have the knowledge we need to help those who need it.

“This material is for information purposes only and is taken from The Canadian Red Cross / Alberta Heart & Stroke Foundation & Alberta Health Services. This information should not be used in place of medical, Technical advice, instructor, and/or treatment. If you have questions, speak to your local Physician or Safety Training Facility.”

Just Remember:

Protect Yourself!!! Call 911!!! Don’t Waste Time!!!

Learn First Aid Today & Save a Life Tomorrow with Saving Grace Medical Academy Ltd.

#FirstAidCourseEdmonton #FirstAidAndBasicLifeSupport #BasicLifeSupport #BLS #BLSforHCP #BCLS #BCLSCourseEdmonton #ACLS #AdvancedCardiovascularLifeSupport #MFR #EmergencyMedicalResponder #ITLS #MedicationAdministration #AssistingWithMedications #CanIgiveMedication