Critical Response Management

[criticalresponsemgmt]

The Essence of a Family First Aid Kit

There are as many kinds of families as there are snowflakes on a winter’s day, and each is just as unique. When it’s time to assemble a first aid kit, however, they all need the same basic items. The exception to that are prescription drugs that family members need.

Some families consist of just one person in a household, then there are couples, young, old and everything in between. Having a first aid kit in the home is very important for these people, in case of an occasional injury, illness or run-in with an allergen.

Then there are the families with children. They are the ones who are most likely to use a first aid kit on a regular basis. Whether there is only one child or the house is bursting at the seams with them, skinned knees, bumped heads, twisted ankles and other assorted injuries can be an almost daily occurrence, sometimes several times a day.

In the summer, along with injuries, there are numerous bugs to contend with, from wasps to ticks, along with poison ivy, poison oak, thorns and briars. Sunburn can be another reason to reach for the first aid kit.

We’ve all been on the road enjoying a family vacation or stuck in a motel room on a business trip when suddenly a stomach virus or the food we had for dinner brings on a bad case of diarrhea. Opening your suitcase to find a first aid kit containing Pepto Bismol can mean the difference between a good night’s sleep and an all nighter in the bathroom.

In my opinion, a first aid kit should contain all the necessary supplies in case of illness as well as injury. When everything is in one container, it’s easy to take along the items you might need on a trip. Just take along the whole kit and you’ll be as prepared as possible for the unexpected.

The items to be included in a first aid kit in order to really be prepared are:

- Band-aids - Antibiotic ointment - Antiseptic spray - Gauze squares - Gauze roll - Medical tape - Antihistamine capsules - Tylenol - Motrin - Ace bandages - Aloe vera gel - Pepto Bismol - Any prescription meds that are taken by family members - Portable cold packs - Calamine lotion

Learn more about being prepared for any emergency with the help of Critical Response Management.

[criticalresponsemgmt]

First Aid Advice: Keep an AED Machine on Hand

If you have ever witnessed someone going into cardiac arrest and not be able to do anything, you will understand the importance of having knowledge and equipment close by to provide much needed life saving procedures. It doesn’t take a genius to realize that if someone is going into cardiac arrest, unless they happen to be in the hospital at the time, their chances of survival are not the best, especially since it can take anywhere from 7 to 15 minutes for an EMS to arrive with lifesaving equipment.

It is called an AED machine, or an Automated External Defibrillator and it is designed to check the patient’s heart rhythm. This device has the capability to send an electric shock to the patient if and when they experience a sudden cardiac arrest (SCA). The problem with an SCA is that they arrive with almost no warning and in a matter of minutes the whole thing can be over, in fact, in many cases by the time the EMS arrives, the patient has already passed.

An individual who experiences high levels of stress should consider themselves as prime candidates for SCA and if they have a less than perfect diet the chances of them experiencing such an event will only increase by that much more. One location where stress levels are usually high is on the job, especially in an office environment where the candidate does not have a lot of opportunity to walk about and stretch their legs.

Patients who are candidates for SCA may not necessarily know what they should be looking for, however, if they have a history of sudden fainting spells, chest pains that can range from mild to severe, or shortness of breath, it is a good idea to let a doctor take a look at them. While these symptoms may not necessarily confirm that the patient has cardiac problems, they should be warning signs that something is amiss.

There are many instances where lives were saved in the office because the owners had the good sense to keep at least one of these AED machines on hand. Every office has a first aid kit, so they should take it one step further, remember that the life you save could be your own – criticalresponsestore.com

[criticalresponsemgmt]

Automated External Defibrillator (AED) – The Heart Rescuer

An AED, or Automated External Defibrillator, is a device used to diagnose cardiac arrhythmia in a person and treat them with defibrillation, or a life-save shock. This, ideally, returns the heart and cardiovascular system to a more optimum state.

When a person suffers from cardiac arrest, their heart is no longer functioning normally. The heart experiences uncoordinated electrical activity which causes it to beat irregularly. This can lead to a variety of problems, such as a permanent state of cardiac arrest, brain damage due to lack of oxygenated blood, and, finally, death. For each minute that they go without treatment, their chances of survival drop 7-10%. (1) That can be a 50% drop in survival chances after only 5 minutes.

With an AED, the user attaches adhesive electrodes to the victim’s chest. This allows the device to monitor the victim's heart rate and determine if a shock is required. It then notifies the user and, if necessary, the user administers the shock through the device. The electricity travels through the victim's chest wall to their heart, and, if successfully, optimal heart rhythm is restored.

Today, many AEDs are portable and can be placed in public areas so that people can respond quickly to cardiac emergencies. They are designed to be user-friendly and can be operated by any trained non-medical professional, or, if the situation demands it, by someone only passingly familiar with the technology. AED training in Westminster is important when setting up the device, however, the current generation of devices are designed to be as accurate and user friendly as possible. Technology allows them to be read cardiac arrhythmia around 90% of the time, and correctly recommend electrical shock 99% percent of the time. This is higher then the statistics for emergency medical professionals not using AEDs. (2)

AEDs, like any life-saving technology, are not 100% effective. However, combined with other techniques such as CPR, AED use increases the likelihood of survival greatly. Combined with the fact that the units are decreasing in cost every year, they are becoming a safety necessity for the workplace, public areas, and more.

AED training in Maryland - check out Critical Response Management for all of your first aid and medical training.