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First Aid Techniques

Wound Care – Part 8 “Ear Injuries”

For the 8th installment of Wound Care we will focus on Ear Injuries and the potential risks that may come with them, Ear injuries may look minor, but there may be some serious complications if they go untreated. Common questions we hear within our first aid course are “What if there’s an odd colored liquid coming from the ear? Should I pull something out of the ear if its lodged in place? Can bugs crawl into my ear while I’m sleeping?” Lets focus on the basics and fill in the questions as we go….

Common Causes:

  • Impact against the ear with any force
  • Cuts or tears
  • Head Injury
  • Loud Noises “Explosions / Gun Shots / Machinery / Tools“
  • Objects or substances in the ear “May be lodged“

Prevention:

  • Wear PPE or Personal Protective Equipment when available
  • During Sports activities wear a helmet if ones is recommended
  • Proper hearing protection is recommended when around loud noises or equipment “Concerts / Lawn Mowers / Chainsaws“

What it Looks Like:

  • Blood or “Other” fluid from with the ear
  • Hearing Problems “ringing in the ear or high pitch squeal“
  • Sudden pain in the ear that may be intense
  • Swelling or deformity

How to Help:

  1. Check the area, once the area is safe, Check the person and ensure the persons ABC’s are present “Airway / Breathing / Circulation” REMEMBER – Wear gloves if available to avoid bodily fluids.
  2. Call 911 if you suspect the injuries could be severe like head neck or spine injuries, if their airway could be blocked or there is an impaled object in or near the ear, or if “the ear is leaking a clear fluid that dabs yellow on tissue” This may be an indicator of internal injury within the head “Seek Medical Attention Immediately” Also seek medical attention immediately if the ear injury is from an “Explosion” or “Diving” injury.
  3. Care for the Ear Injury by:

**Foreign Object / Substance in the Ear with NO head and/or spine injury & the object looks like it can be easily removed**

  •  if you can see the object and it looks easy to remove without causing further damage, remove it by tilting the head to the affected side, then gently tap above the ear to loosen the object.
  • Attempt to grasp the object “Tweezers may be needed” and put it out.

**If the person has a potentially serious head and or spine injury with blood or other fluid is in the ear canal or draining from the ear**

  • Led the ear drain. “DO NOT” apply direct pressure. “DO NOT” move the person if possible
  • Cover the ear “Lightly” with a sterile/clean dressing“
  • Provide Continual Care until EMS personnel arrive.

“Always seek further medical attention with objects that have been Impaled into the Body.”

With any head injury it is always a good idea to seek further medical attention to avoid complications that may include the Head / Neck or Spine.

In any emergency just remember to Protect Yourself!!! Call 911!!! Don’t Waste Time!!!

Swoop into First Aid and give a breath of Life, let first aid training in Edmonton be your Saving Grace.

‪#‎EarInjuries‬ ‪#‎FirstAidTraningCourseEdmonton‬ ‪#‎H2SAlive‬ ‪#‎BasicLifeSupportBLSforHCPs‬ ‪#‎H2SAliveCourseEdmonton‬ #‪#‎BCLSCourseEdmonton‬

First Aid Techniques

Wound Care Part 7 “Eye Injuries”

Eye injuries will be the main focus of our 7th addition to “Wound Care” in this First Aid Blog. As we only have 2 eyes, and the fact that they operate one of our major senses, we should pay careful attention to what we can do as First Aid Attendants in the presence of an Eye Injury. To make things easy, lets break it down into the basics like the other posts so that we can see what we can do, and give us some options. “Remember” eyes are a major organ and should not be treated lightly, “always seek a medical professional if your eyes have been injured, your vision changes or you have trouble focusing.” Any wound near the eye should be treated as an eye injury!

Common Causes:

  • Objects or foreign particles lodged in the eye
  • Impact to the eye by any force or object
  • Radiation
  • Burns / Flash burns
  • Chemical Exposure

Prevention:

  • Wear PPE or Personal Protective Equipment when available
  • During Sports activities wear a face mask or eye protection
  • Rotating tools should be inspected for wear and tear, lose objects may come lose and fly into the eye’s.
  • Always review your MSDS and wear your PPE when working with chemicals.
  • Get trained on all equipment at your place of employment to avoid injuries from misuse.

What it Looks Like:

  • Pain and or irritation in the eye or eyes
  • Redness
  • Unable to open the eye
  • Tears or watering of the eye
  • Problem seeing properly
  • Object lodged in the eye
  • Deformities

How to Help:

  1. Check the area, once the area is safe, Check the person and ensure the persons ABC’s are present “Airway / Breathing / Circulation” REMEMBER  Wear gloves if available to avoid bodily fluids.
  2.  Call 911 if you suspect the injuries could be severe like head neck or spine injuries, if their airway could be blocked or there is an impaled object in or near the eye, or if the eye is out of the socket..
  3. Care for the Eye Injury by:

**Foreign Object / Substance floating in the eye**

  • Try to remove the object floating in the eye by having the person blink several times. As the eye produces tears it may flush the object away.
  • Clean away any dirt around the eye and then gently flush the eye with water, flush “AWAY” from the unaffected eye to avoid contaminating both eyes.
  • If the object remains in the eye even after flushing the eyes seek medical attention right away to avoid further damage.

**Impaled Object in the eye**

  • Get the person to rest as comfortably as possibly
  • Leave the “Impaled Object” in the eye “Never remove an Impaled Object as it can cause more damage in removing it, leave removing of the object to a medical professional to avoid increasing the severity of the injury”
  • Stabilize the object by placing bulky dressings around it being careful not to put pressure on the eye or against the object “Try not to move it as much as possible”
  • Use bandages to keep the dressing in place.
  • “Always seek further medical attention with objects that have been Impaled into the Body.”

Flash Burn:
If the eyes were damaged due to a “Flash Burn” (e.g.. From welding)

  1. Cover the eyes with a cool, wet cloth
  2. Seek further medical attention to avoid long term damage

With any head injury it is always a good idea to seek further medical attention to avoid complications that may include the Head / Neck or Spine.

In any emergency just remember to Protect Yourself!!! Call 911!!! Don’t Waste Time!!!

Swoop into First Aid and give a breath of Life, let first aid training in Edmonton be your Saving Grace.

‪#BasicLifeSupportForHCP #H2SAliveCourseEdmonton #FirstAidTraningEdmonton #EyeInjuries #BCLSCourseEdmonton #BLS

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Wound Care – Part 6 “Knocked-Out Teeth”

There are so many injuries that your body can sustain, prevent and heal, unfortunately Teeth are a unique problem as “Teeth don’t heal themselves“. During our first aid program we have had many questions regarding teeth and how we can preserve, maintain and fix them after they have been damaged. What should I do with a knocked-out tooth? Can the tooth be put back after its been broken or knocked-out? To make things simple, its not always a sure thing “putting the tooth back” sometimes depending on the injury the Dentist will know more, and have a specific plan to repair the damage and minimize risk or long term effects of the injuries. For first aid we will focus on the best way known to help preserve the tooth so that it has a better chance of being put back by a trained Dental Professional.


Common Causes:

  • Any forceful blow or impact that involves the mouth

Prevention:

  • Wear PPE or Personal Protective Equipment when available
  • During Sports activities use a mouth guard or face mask-Always wear a seat belt while in a motorized vehicle
  • Avoid eating or drinking in a moving vehicle if possible

What it Looks Like:

  • Missing tooth “Hole where the tooth should have been“
  • Bleeding from the gums or mouth “Often minimal bleeding“
  • Pain in the mouth
  • Deformed tooth “Piece’s missing“


How to Help:

  1. Check the area, once the area is safe, Check the person and ensure the persons ABC’s are present “Airway / Breathing / Circulation” REMEMBER – Wear gloves if available to avoid bodily fluids.
  2. Call 911 if you suspect the injuries could be severe, if there are airway could be blocked or there is excessive bleeding.
  3. Care for the Knocked-Out tooth by:
  • Control bleeding by having the person bite down on a clean dressing.
  • Carefully pick up the tooth “Or Pieces” by the crown “white part” not by the root.
  • Rinse off the tooth or pieces “gently” with water. DO NOT scrub or remove tissue fragments that may be attached.
  • Put the tooth in “Milk is preferred” or “Calcium Enriched Soy/Almond milk or water” If there is no milk or water wrap the tooth in a clean cloth or gauze with some of the persons own saliva. Seal the the tooth or pieces in a container and label it with date and time “keep it with the person”
  • Seek medical attention “Dentist or Emergency Room Dentist” as soon as possible. Chances for repair of the tooth is the highest in the “First Hour after Damage”

With any head injury it is always a good idea to seek further medical attention to avoid complications that may include the Head / Neck or Spine.


In any emergency just remember to Protect Yourself!!! Call 911!!! Don’t Waste Time!!!


Swoop into First Aid and give a breath of Life, let first aid training in Edmonton be your Saving Grace.


#KnockedOutTooth #FirstAidTrainingCourseEdmonton #H2SAlive #BasicLifeSupportBLSforHCPs #H2SAliveCourseEdmonton #BCLSCourseEdmonton

First Aid Techniques

Wound Care – Part 5 “Nosebleeds”

Nosebleeds have had many wives tales built into them on how to prevent and or stop them. Our First Aid Course focuses on the basics on how to help with any situation including Nosebleeds, remember that many wives tales may actually make the situation worse, so follow the approved medical technique in order to prevent further injuries from this common injury.

Common Causes:

  • Forceful Nose Blowing-High Blood Pressure -Dry weather Conditions -Trauma to the Nose -Bleeding disorders

Prevention:

  • Wear PPE or Personal Protective Equipment when available
  • Use a humidifier if the air indoors is dry
  • Take safety precautions when participating in sports
  • Encourage gentle nose blowing

What it Looks Like:

  • Blood coming from the nose either fast or a slow drip

How to Help:

  1. Check the area, once the area is safe, Check the person and ensure the persons ABC’s are present “Airway / Breathing / Circulation” REMEMBER – Wear gloves if available to avoid bodily fluids.”
  2. Call 911 if you suspect the injuries could be severe or if there are objects lodged in the nostril, the bleeding continues for more than 15 minutes or if the Nosebleed was caused by a medical condition or head injury.
  3. Care for the Nosebleed by:
  • Have the person sit and lean slightly forward while pinching the nostrils for 10 to 15 minutes.
  • Once the bleeding is controlled, tell the person to avoid rubbing, blowing or picking the nose “This may cause the nose to bleed again”
  • If the person loses consciousness, place them in the recovery position to allow the blood to drain.
  • If the Nosebleed was caused by a severe head injury, do not pinch the nose.

“If the bleed was caused by an object in the nose and the object is easy to grasp, gently pull it out. If the person’s head comes forward as you gently pull then stop, the person needs further medical attention. Don’t feel around inside the nostril with your finger if you can not see the object, this may push it further in, seek medical attention.”

In any emergency just remember to Protect Yourself!!! Call 911!!! Don’t Waste Time!!!

Swoop into First Aid and give a breath of Life, let first aid training in Edmonton be your Saving Grace.

‪#‎Nosebleeds ‪#‎FirstAidTrainingCourseEdmonton‬ ‪#‎BasicLifeSupportBLSforHCP‬ ‪#‎H2SAliveCourseEdmonton‬ ‪#‎BCLScourseEdmonton‬

First Aid Techniques

Wound Care – Part 4 “Impaled Objects”

With our fourth look into Wound Care will mainly focus on Impaled Objects and what we can do to help someone experiencing this type of emergency. If the “Object” that created the injury is stuck within the wound it is called an “Impaled Object“. This can be very painful, lead to blood loss, internal damage / bleeding, infection and many other complications. With an “Embedded or Impaled Object NEVER remove the object” leave the object in place for medical professionals to remove to reduce further injury. For this post lets utilize the information we have gained in previous clips to assess, evaluate and control the hazards and injuries associated with Impaled Objects.


Common Causes:

  • Injuries from pointed objects like nails, glass, pens or needles.
  • Unsafe play habits with long or pointed objects

Prevention:–

  • Wear PPE or Personal Protective Equipment when available
  • Stay away from unfamiliar or wild animals
  • Implement safe play habits with children and adults to avoid injuries such as “running with scissors“
  • Wear Proper footwear outdoors at work or at play
  • Nails sticking out from boards should be removed and sweep up broken glass either inside or outside “Animals and Children can easily be exposed to sharp objects hidden in grass“

What it Looks Like:

  • An object sticking out of the body.
  • Bleeding, depending on the size of the object and depth of penetration.
  • Pain
  • Shock

How to Help:

  1. Check the area, once the area is safe, Check the person and ensure the persons ABC’s are present “Airway / Breathing / Circulation” REMEMBER – Wear gloves if available to avoid bodily fluids.
  2. Call 911 if you suspect the injuries could be severe or if there object is large, the person is impaled “Onto” the object, is in the chest, head or neck.
  3.  Care for the Impaled Object by:–**LEAVE THE OBJECT IN** it may be acting like a plug and preventing the victim from severe blood loss. 
  4. Stabilize the object by putting bulky dressings around the object to prop it in its original position “Try not to move the object as much as possible” IF THERE IS AN ENTRANCE THERE MAY BE AN EXIT, check for an exit wound and stabilize like the first.
  5. Use long bandages or tape to keep the dressings in place securing the Object & dressings.
  6. With an Impaled Object it is important that the person “ALWAYS” seeks further medical attention and avoids removing the object themselves. The object should be removed by properly trained medical personnel.

As you can see the treatments for an Impaled object and a Puncture Wound are very similar.


In any emergency just remember to Protect Yourself!!! Call 911!!! Don’t Waste Time!!!


Swoop into First Aid and give a breath of Life, let first aid training in Edmonton be your Saving Grace.


‪#‎ImpaledObject ‬ #‎FirstAidTrainingCourse‬Edmonton #‎BasicLifeSupportBLSforHCP‬ ‪#‎H2SAliveCourseEdmonton‬ ‪#‎BCLScours‬Edmonton

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Wound Care – Part 3 “Puncture Wounds”

 Our third look into Wound Care will mainly focus on Puncture wounds and what we can do to help someone experiencing this type of emergency. Puncture wounds happen “all the time” and can easily be defined as “when something pointed creates a hole in the skin” or when an embedded object within the skin has been removed. This can be very painful, lead to blood loss, internal damage, infection and many other complications. With an “Embedded or Impaled Object NEVER remove the object” leave the object in place for medical professionals to remove to reduce further injury. For this post lets utilize the information we have gained in previous clips to assess, evaluate and control the hazards and injuries associated with Puncture Wounds.


Common Causes:

  • Injuries from pointed objects like nails, glass, pens or needles.
  • Animal Bites “Fangs or pointed teeth may cause puncture wounds“
  • Unsafe play habits with long or pointed objects

Prevention:–

  • Wear PPE or Personal Protective Equipment when available
  • Stay away from unfamiliar or wild animals
  • Implement safe play habits with children and adults to avoid injuries such as “running with scissors”
  • Wear Proper footwear outdoors at work or at play
  • Nails sticking out from boards should be removed and sweep up broken glass either inside or outside “Animals and Children can easily be exposed to sharp objects hidden in grass“

What it Looks Like:

    • A hole in the skin where the object penetrated or went through.
    • Possible Bruising around a wound with a depressed pointed center.
    • Bleeding, depending on the size of the object and depth of penetration.

How to Help:

  1. Check the area, once the area is safe, Check the person and ensure the persons ABC’s are present “Airway / Breathing / Circulation” REMEMBER – Wear gloves if available to avoid bodily fluids.
  2. Call 911 if you suspect the injuries could be severe or if there is “Animal Attack“.
  3. Care for the Puncture Wound by:
  • If the wound is bleeding place “Direct Pressure on the wound with “dressings“ until the bleeding stops“
  • After the bleeding stops and there is no risk of further opening the wound “rinse with cool clean water for roughly 5 minutes” add soap if the person is comfortable to do so *Avoid fragrant soaps or soaps with grit*
  • Antibiotic ointments or creams may be applied once the bleeding has stopped. Follow the directions recommended by a pharmacists and check the “5 Rights of Medications” **Always ask the person if they have allergies or sensitivity to antibiotics such as penicillin, if so Do NOT apply the ointment**

In any emergency just remember to Protect Yourself!!! Call 911!!! Don’t Waste Time!!!


Swoop into First Aid and give a breath of Life, let first aid training in Edmonton be your Saving Grace.


‪#PunctureWound #FirstAidTrainingCourse #BasicLifeSupportBLSforHCP #H2SAliveCourse #BCLScours

Uncategorized

Wound Care – Part 2 “Cuts & Scrapes”

 For our second part of Wound Care lets focus on one of the most common injuries we sustain on a daily basis, whether it be from a paper cut, road rash or even snipping with a bread knife wounds happen almost every day. Lets look at how we can help someone with a cut “a wound where the skin has been split open or torn away with either jagged or smooth edges“, or a scrape “a wound where the skin has been rubbed or scraped away“.

Common Causes:

  • Dull knives or improper safety technique during cutting
  • Falling or impacting on an abrasive surface
  • Contact with dull, abrasive or sharp object with force enough to rub or scrape the skin away.

What to Look for: 

  • Skin pealed away
  • Bleeding
  • Pain & Tenderness
  • Raised or swollen area with potentially broken skin

How to Help:

  1. Check the area, once the area is safe, Check the person and ensure the persons ABC’s are present “Airway / Breathing / Circulation“
  2.  Call 911 if you suspect the injuries could be severe.
  3.  Care for the scrape or cut by: -*REMEMBER* Put your gloves on if there is bodily fluids.
  • Wash the wound with soap & clean cool water. 
  • If possible rinse the wound with cool clean running water for up to five minutes to help reduce infection & bleeding. Once the wound is clean and if bleeding persists apply “Direct Pressure” on the wound until the bleeding stops, if the blood soaks through the dressing ADD more dressings on top
  • Do not remove blood soaked bandages as they are already assisting in clotting the wound. If bleeding persists seek further medical attention. 
  • Antibiotic ointments or creams may be applied once the bleeding has stopped. Follow the directions recommended by a pharmacists and check the “5 Rights of Medications“ **Always ask the person if they have allergies or sensitivity to antibiotics such as penicillin, if so “Do NOT apply the ointment**
  • Cover the wound with a non-stick sterile dressing if available or bandage.

If there is substantial amount of dirt or contaminant’s within the wound, the injured person should seek further medical attention to avoid the risk of infection.


Stitches:

  • Any wound that needs “Stitches” should be assessed and stitched by a trained medical professional as soon as possible “Golden Hour Rule” wounds should be assessed and stitched within an hour if possible to avoid complications, stitches help speed healing, reduce chance of infection and leave a less noticeable scar.

A wound may need to be stitched if:

  • The wound is more than 2 1/2 cm or 1inch long
  • Edges of the wound do not fall together
  • The wound is near a joint or on the hands or feet
  • The wound is on the face

In any emergency just remember to Protect Yourself!!! Call 911!!! Don’t Waste Time!!!


Swoop into First Aid and give a breath of Life, let first aid training in Edmonton be your Saving Grace.


‪#FirstAidTraningCourse‬ ‪#BasicLifeSupportBLSforHCP‬ ‪#H2SAliveCourse‬ #BCLScourse

First Aid Techniques

Wound Care – Part 1 “Bruises”

Cuts, nicks, gashes, bashes, bruises and burns are very common injuries and there are many ways that they can happen. For this post lets focus on the basics of how to treat both minor and major wounds, we’ll provide simple steps to help guide you through treating most wounds that can happen in every day life. To begin lets go through some basic terms that you can run into like dressings or bandages and some some strait forward prevention ideas to help avoid injuries.

Dressings or Bandages
Dressings are pads or any material you can place on an open wound to help absorb blood and other bodily fluids to help prevent infection as well as build clots. Bandages are materials you can use to secure, wrap or cover a dressing. Combined they are used to control bleeding, apply pressure, provide support and to protect a wound from dirt or infection. Never remove a blood soaked bandage, always add more to boost the bloods ability to create clots, dressings in contact with the would should remain in place until further medical care arrives or is needed.

How Tight should a Bandage be?
Bandages put on too tightly have the potential to “Stop Blood Flow” this is a negative outcome and should be avoided as the limb below the bandage may become cold, numb or begin to turn blur or paler than normal “If this happens loosen the bandage”. “Apply Even Moderate Pressure” that does not prevent circulation. “Never apply a tourniquet without proper knowledge, training and guidance”

Prevention of Injuries Include:

  • Developing safe play habits with both adults and children to prevent injuries “ie: running with sharp objects“
  • PPE or Personal Protective Equipment such as helmets, knee pads, elbow pads and eye protection should be used when called for during sports activities such as skateboarding, biking, skating etc..
  • Follow safety procedures at work or play.

Bruises & How to help:
Bruises are a discolored area of the skin that is created when blood and other fluids seep into nearby tissues. Most commonly caused by sudden impacts, blows or force against the tissue.
What bruises looks like:

  • Discolored tissue “purple, black, brown / yellow, red, or blue areas“
  • Swelling
  • Pain or tenderness

What to do:

  1. Check the area, once the area is safe, Check the person and ensure the persons ABC’s are present “Airway / Breathing / Circulation“
  2. Call 911 if you suspect the injuries could be severe.
  3. Care for the Bruise by:
  • Place a piece of cloth or fabric over the bruise
  • Cool the area to reduce pain, inflammation & swelling by placing an ice pack or cooling pad over the fabric covered bruise.
  • Continue to cool the wound for 20 of each hour for as long as needed to reduce pain. “Always keep the cloth between the ice and skin”

4) If the person experiences severe pain, cannot move the body part without pain, if you suspect internal bleeding or if the force causing the injury was enough to cause severe damage or bleeding “Call 911, get an AED, have the person rest & wait for medical aid”

In any emergency just remember to Protect Yourself!!! Call 911!!! Don’t Waste Time!!!

Swoop into First Aid and give a breath of Life, let first aid training in Edmonton be your Saving Grace.

‪#‎FirstAidTraningCourse‬ ‪#‎BasicLifeSupportBLSforHCP‬ ‪#‎H2SAliveCourse‬

First Aid Techniques

Things to Keep in Mind During CPR

In our previous posts “CPR & how to perform Parts 1 too 3” we described how to perform CPR “Cardio Pulminary Resuscitation” on all age groups, but what if the victim was “Pregnant? You had a broken arm? they begin to Vomit? Have a broken Jaw? or have a Stoma? We can’t prepare you for every outcome that you might encounter so we’ll do our best to help you with the big ones that we run into. Lets look at them one by one and give you options to help improve our chances of survival.


Vomiting:Vomiting can occur from just about anything, but most commonly during CPR its a build up of too much Air in the stomach, when the unconscious person vomits there is a risk that the vomit may enter the lungs, this is called “Aspiration“. To avoid Aspiration give breaths only until the chest starts to rise, once the chest rises stop.

What to Do:

  1. Turn the persons head & body together as one “H.A.IN.E.S Technique” onto the persons side.”Let the vomit drain out”
  2. Quickly wipe the persons mouth clean
  3. Roll the person onto their back once again and continue CPR

Mouth to Nose / Stoma Breathing:There are many reasons why you may not be able to seal your mouth well over the other persons mouth to give rescue breaths. Injured mouth or jaw, mouth shut too tight, your mouth is to small, or blood coming from their mouth, in any case there is a simple step to remedy the situation.

What to Do:

  1. Block the mouth to stop air from escaping & seal your mouth around the persons nose, give a breath to make the chest rise.
  2. If the victim has a “Stoma” it is the same technique but this time block “Both the Nose & Mouth” and give a breath through the Stoma

One Handed Compression’s: Some rescuers might be injured themselves “Broken arm / Wrist” or may have other medical conditions that prevent them from doing a proper two handed compression technique “Arthritis, lack of upper body strength” for these reasons you can still do CPR by using One hand.

What to Do:

  1. Place the heel of one hand in the middle of the persons chest
  2. Grasp the wrist of the hand on the chest or place your free hand behind your back
  3. Begin compression’s pushing Hard & Fast
  4. Keep your compression arm as strait as possible to keep position.

CPR for a Pregnant Woman: CPR for a pregnant woman is identical to any form of CPR with placing one or two hands in the center of the chest pushing hard & fast giving 30 compression’s & 2 breaths. If you have a soft object that you can place under the woman’s “Right Hip” Raise the hip about 3-4 inches or 7-10 cm’s, “Do Not interrupt CPR to find an object” just continue CPR as you normally would.
In any emergency just remember to Protect Yourself!!! Call 911!!! Don’t Waste Time!!!
Swoop into First Aid and give a breath of Life, let first aid training in Edmonton be your Saving Grace.


#FirstAidTraningCourse #BasicLifeSupportBLSforHCP #H2SAliveCourse

First Aid Techniques

A.E.D’s “Automatic, External, Defibrillators” & What to Do

As technology in the medical industry increases we begin to see more and more devices, apps, services and tools used to help save lives during emergencies. The AED has been an invaluable tool in today’s emergency scene’s as it has the unique ability to “Reset” a heart with an abnormal rhythm. There are also a few Hollywood myths about AED’s that we should clear up so that using them becomes a little less scary, just remember “Its not like you see in TV, most of what you see on TV during an Emergency is dramatized to the highest form“.
To clear up a couple questions we get from our students, lets focus on what the AED is supposed to do. AED’s are designed to “Reset” a heart rhythm that is beating abnormally in 2 ways, 1 the heart is quivering like a bowl of jello “Fibrillation” and 2 beating wildly out of control “Tachycardia“. These are the 2 main problematic abnormal rhythms that the AED is designed to look for. Once it finds them it will deliver a “Small” amount of “Amperage” through the chest & Heart causing the heart muscle to contract suddenly. The electrical charge that passes through the heart muscle is designed to work with the heart muscle and “Reset” the rhythm. This may work the first time the victim is shocked or it may take several shocks, the key is to listen to the AED as it will “Talk to you“ and guide you through what it wants.

  • The amount of electricity that passes through the heart will be “Small” so will it blow you across the room if your accidentally touching the victim? “NO” The electricity does have the ability to reset a heart so….. “try not to touch them & STAY CLEAR!“
  • Will the victim spasm wildly? “NO” the amount of electricity is “small” so you may only see a pectoral flex or slight quiver of their muscles. If they don’t spasm that is normal as many people don’t.
  • Is there a recording device monitoring what I say hidden on the inside? “NO” the Public AED device is designed specifically to analyze the heart rhythm, there is no known recording device hidden on the public models. The “Medical AED’s” have a memory card to keep track of what the heart was doing during the emergency for Cardiologists to look over later for irregularities in the heart muscle.

HOW TO USE AN A.E.D “Automatic External Defibrillator”:

  1. Open the Case
  2. Turn on the AED
  3. Listen & Do what it tells you to do “Follow the Diagrams”

***When the AED Prompts you to give a shock, Stand Clear and say LOUDLY “I’m Clear, Your Clear, Everybody’s Clear!” Make sure no one is touching the victim and press the SHOCK button to deliver the shock***

  • Continue CPR if the AED tells you too:

Things to consider:

  • DON’T STOP CPR while the AED is being put on, you want to continue to pump blood and oxygen to the body, the AED will tell you when to stop. 
  • Use the Age appropriate pads for the person you are using the AED on. Adults have larger pads and children have smaller pads. There are normally “NO” infant pads in public AED kits. For infants use the Child pads and place the pads according to the Diagram. **If you don’t have the appropriate age group pad use what you have “Keep the heart /Center of the chest in between the pads” and deliver the shock as advised** “Any shock is better than no shock!!“
  • Remove any clothing, hair or objects in the way of the pads like jewellery or medical patches. AED kits are normally stocked with a single disposable razor for chest hair if needed.Things like Pacemakers and Piercings you “Can Not” remove so put at least 1 inch distance between the object and the pad.

In any emergency just remember too:

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


Swoop in and give a breath of life, let first aid training in Edmonton be your Saving Grace!