Author
Roy Shaw is a Nationally Registered EMT-Paramedic (NREMT-P) and the lead trainer and co-founder of ProTrainings. He spent over a decade on the ambulance before turning his focus to training, and has since trained tens of thousands of healthcare professionals, first responders, and lay rescuers. Roy authored ProTrainings’ CPR, First Aid, ACLS, PALS, and Bloodborne Pathogens curriculum, which is built to follow the same Emergency Cardiovascular Care guidelines (ECC/ILCOR) used by the American Heart Association and American Red Cross.
Roy reviews ProTrainings’ clinical content for accuracy against current ECC/ILCOR guidelines.
Anyone can administer an EpiPen, but for the best results in an emergency, it’s helpful to know how to use one. After all, taking the time to learn how to use an EpiPen can buy precious time for the person suffering from an allergic reaction. Read on to learn how to react when anaphylaxis occurs, how to use an EpiPen, and everything else you should know about this simple, lifesaving tool.
Few bodily functions are as important to a person’s overall well-being as the one that supplies oxygen-rich air for the circulatory system: breathing. But what happens when a person is unable to breathe effectively in an emergency? That’s where rescue breathing comes into play. Read on to learn more about rescue breathing and ventilation rates for adults, children, and infants.
A tourniquet can be a lifesaving tool in your first aid kit or knowledge base. But simply having one on hand may not be enough — you also need to understand how to use a tourniquet, otherwise your efforts may be ineffective at best. Read on to learn when and how to use a tourniquet, as well as what not to do when applying one.
The Heimlich maneuver is a first-aid procedure developed in 1974 by Dr. Henry Heimlich that is used to treat upper airway obstructions caused by a foreign body. Read on to find out what the Heimlich maneuver is and when and how to do the Heimlich maneuver on adults as well as children, infants, and yourself.
However, many childhood accidents, whether at home or at school, aren’t so little. If a child breaks a bone, is bleeding, or has a serious head injury, the prognosis improves if their friends know what to do. Accidents can happen anytime, and children may be put in a situation where they need to respond.
That’s why teaching first aid in schools is so essential. Having a teacher review important first aid concepts and techniques with children could save lives.
Taking a person’s pulse is the most basic of all medical procedures. It consists of checking a person’s heartbeat by feeling their arteries. It is often used to determine a person’s heart rate, which is a key health indicator. It is also used in emergencies to check if a person’s heart is still beating.
Knowing how to check a pulse — whether your own or another person’s — is a skill everyone should have. The following are some basic techniques you can use.
Burns are very common injuries that can vary greatly in terms of severity, size, and cause. Most people have probably heard that burns are classified by degrees of severity, but what’s the difference between 1st, 2nd, and 3rd degree burns, and what kind of treatment does each type need? Read on to learn more about the various types of burns and how to treat them.
This is easy enough to keep track of in practice if you have a friend with a stopwatch with you, but what do you do when you’re actually in an emergency situation? Well, paramedics since time immemorial have used CPR songs to keep them on pace.
What is first aid? Is it the act of stepping in to perform CPR, or does it include bandages and antiseptic? First aid misconceptions and oversimplifications are all too often the perceptions that first aid receives. Read on for the answer to, “What is first aid?” and to learn the types of first aid that exist and why first aid is so important to know.
When disaster strikes, every second matters. If staff members are unsure of how to handle an emergency — be it a medical crisis, a natural disaster, a workplace accident, or something else — a bad situation can quickly become worse. That’s where an emergency response plan comes into play. Read on to learn more about how to create and implement an effective emergency response plan.
You’ve likely seen an automated external defibrillator (AED) used in your favorite medical drama, or maybe you’ve spotted one hanging on the wall of the restaurant you frequent. But have you ever wondered, “What is a defibrillator?” and would you know how to use one in the face of an emergency? Read on to learn the answers to “What is a defibrillator?,” “How does a defibrillator work?,” and “How can CPR and a defibrillator help save a life?”
Injuries from electric shock are common and can range from superficial to severe. In some cases, first aid for an electric shock may only require a bandage or a quick check-up; however, in other cases, the victim may need emergency care. Read on to learn more about common causes of electric shocks, their effect on the body, and how to administer first aid for an electric shock.