Pediatric Choking and Ingestion Guide
How quickly can I return to work after vomiting?
On Friday night I was sick - so sick. Thankfully only vomiting and after 6 hours I had stopped vomiting. I assume I had picked up a bug of some description. I decided to keep myself to myself for the whole weekend as I really didn't want to pass whatever it was on to...
what3words
You may have heard of the what3words app or may have seen television advertisements for it. But what is it and why is it a good idea to have the app installed on your phone? What3words has essentially divided the world into 3 metre x 3 metre squares and each square...
Have you registered your AED on The Circuit?
The Circuit is the national defibrillator network which maps defibrillators across the UK. It allows ambulance services to locate the nearest registered AED when a bystander calls 999 in response to a cardiac arrest. The circuit also sends maintenance reminders to...
National Heart Month
February is National Heart Month and I'm not thinking about Valentine's Day with hearts and flowers either! On average there are 27 sudden out-of-hospital cardiac arrests every week in Northern Ireland and only 2 out of these 27 people survive. Around 80% of these...
Anaphylaxis – what is it?
Anaphylaxis (pronounced ann-fill-axis) is a severe and potentially life-threatening whole-body allergic reaction. Any allergic reaction, including anaphylaxis, occurs when the body's immune system wrongly identifies a food or a substance as a threat. Reactions usually...
Hypertension – what is it?
What is hypertension? Hypertension (high blood pressure) is when the pressure in your blood vessels is too high Blood pressure is written as two numbers e.g. 120/80. The first (systolic) number represents the pressure in the blood vessels when the heart contracts or...
Why is keeping up to date so important?
As a professional trainer, I continually read books and articles and attend workshops, continuing to learn more and more about each subject that I deliver. I recently refreshed my own Mental Health First Aid qualification. Why did I do this? Evolving Research: The...
I only have a couple of employees. I don’t need to worry about First Aid right?
WRONG!!!!! Every week I hear something along the lines of "But we don't need to worry about first aid as there are only 3 of us. You only need to worry when you get to 5 employees" Under the Management of Health and Safety at Work regulations you need to provide...
Can I stock plasters in my workplace first aid kit?
A couple months ago an attendee on a first aid course told me that HSENI said that they couldn't keep plasters in their first aid kit - I was highly dubious. Last week another attendee told me that on their last first aid training the trainer told them they couldn't...
Cough CPR – Truth or Myth?
The "Cough CPR" post is doing the rounds on social media again but is it true or is it a myth? Well, the answer is that it is a myth and it is potentially very dangerous. The post goes something like this... "It's 7.25pm and you are driving home alone. You're tired...
Mini eggs and choking
Easter is fast approaching and it's worth reminding everyone that one of my favourites, mini eggs, should not be given to children under the age of 4 however care should be taken whatever the age of the child. Mini eggs are similar in size and shape to grapes and are...
Why should a business do Mental Health First Aid training?
Mental health first aid training is a great way for businesses to help their employees cope with and manage mental health issues, such as stress, anxiety, and depression. By providing mental health first aid training, businesses can help create a culture of...