Experience in basic first aid skills popularization training

The core value of ordinary people learning basic first aid is never to become professional rescuers, but to help those whose lives could have been saved to hold on for ten more minutes before the golden rescue window when professional first aid forces arrive.

I used to have the same idea as many others. I felt that first aid was a matter for doctors, and it would be useless for ordinary people to learn it. Either I was afraid that my hands would be clumsy and I would do something wrong and it would be a disservice, or I was afraid that I would be responsible for someone else. It was not until the simulated scenario drill on the second day of the training that I realized how wrong my previous thinking was. At that time, the scene was set to "a passerby fell to the ground due to a heart attack on the side of the road." When I rushed forward, my first reaction was to reach out and pinch the simulator. As soon as my hand touched the simulator's nose, I was grabbed by the coach. There is still a lot of popular science on the Internet saying that pinching the philtrum is the first rescue method after fainting. This statement is not completely wrong: if the patient only suffers from hypoglycemia, transient syncope, and has not completely lost consciousness, stimulation of the philtrum can indeed help to wake up. However, if the carotid artery pulse cannot be felt and there is no spontaneous breathing, pinching the philtrum is not only useless, but will crowd out the heart. The golden time for chest compressions. The current international mainstream AHA first aid guide and the domestic Red Cross training standards put chest compressions after cardiac arrest as the first priority. This is supported by clear data: standard chest compressions should be started within 4 minutes after cardiac arrest, and the survival rate can reach 50%. If rescue is performed after more than 10 minutes, the survival rate is almost 0.

To be honest, I used to watch short videos and watch other people do chest compressions. I thought it was just a few presses on the chest. Only when I started doing it did I realize how tiring it is: the heel of your palms should be placed at the midpoint of the line connecting the two nipples. Keep your arms straight and use the weight of your upper body to press down. The depth should be 5-6. Centimeter, it needs to be pressed 100-120 times per minute. I pressed it for less than 30 seconds, and my arms were shaking so much that I could hardly lift them. The 180-pound young man who was training with me that day gritted his teeth and pressed for 3 minutes. He was so sweaty that he couldn't even speak. I've heard someone say before that "ordinary people don't have the strength to press, so all they learn is in vain." The training instructor told the truth: Even if you don't press deeply enough and the frequency isn't accurate, it's still better than standing by and waiting for an ambulance. As long as you dare to press, you're giving the patient time.

I also specifically asked about the responsibility issue that everyone is most concerned about. Indeed, I have seen news that a rescuer broke his ribs and his family claimed compensation, which made me murmur. The community lawyer who participated in the training specially explained to us the "good person clause" of the Civil Code: If the recipient is harmed due to voluntary emergency rescue behavior, the rescuer shall not bear civil liability. As for what many people say, "You need a first aid certificate to save people," this is actually a misunderstanding: the first aid certificate only proves that you have received standardized training, and is not a necessary condition for rescue. As long as you are rescuing in good faith, you will not be held responsible even if you do not have a certificate.

The person sitting next to me in the training that day was 62-year-old Aunt Zhang. She memorized notes more carefully than anyone else. During the bandaging practice, she repeatedly came up to the coach and asked if she was right. During the break, she told me that her husband had a heart attack and fell to the ground at home the year before last. She was so panicked that she could only cry and couldn't even dial 120. It had been almost 20 minutes since the ambulance arrived. Although he was rescued, half of his body was paralyzed due to lack of oxygen for too long. Now it is difficult to even get out of bed. She came to study this time because she was afraid that something would happen again in the future and she would not have to watch. My nose felt a little sore after hearing this. I always felt that "first aid is something far away from me" before. It turns out that when I really encounter it, the few things I know are the life-saving straw for my family.

Oh, by the way, I have seen AEDs hanging on the wall in shopping malls and subway stations before, and I always felt that they were "high-tech" that can only be touched by professionals. I dismantled one at the training site for us to practice, and I realized that this thing is not that complicated at all: tear off the package and press the switch, and it will give you step-by-step voice prompts to apply the electrodes, do not touch the patient, and prepare for defibrillation. Even if it is your first time, you can follow the prompts and you will not go wrong. I came back and tried it specifically. If I search for "AED" on the commonly used map software, I can see where the nearest device is. I turned around and told everyone at home about this little knowledge.

I even made a joke when I was taking the trauma bandaging test at the end. The simulation scenario was "My arm was cut by glass and he was bleeding profusely." I was afraid that the bleeding was not tight enough, so I wrapped it around and around. The instructor came over and pinched the fingertips of the simulator, and gave me a direct failure: "You have cut off the peripheral circulation. If you wrap it for another half an hour, your arm will be useless." I learned that the tighter the hemostatic bandage is, the better. After bandaging the limbs, you should touch your fingertips or toes. If they feel cold or numb, you should loosen them a little. You should also loosen them for 1-2 minutes every 40 minutes to avoid ischemia and necrosis of the limbs.

After the training, I received a first-aid training certificate, and bought a palm-sized portable first-aid kit online to put in my commuter bag. It contained elastic bandages, iodophor cotton pads, hemostatic powder, and a card with the key points of chest compression that I printed myself. I dare not say that I will be able to save people next time I encounter trouble, but at least I won’t be like before, just standing by and taking out my phone to take videos, or randomly pinching people and doing nothing to help. To be honest, it is best not to use this skill in your life, but if you know it, it is better than just staring when you need to use it.