Rescue First Aid Course

[Andy T]

Hey all,

I've decided that after years of hemming and hawing that I'm going to give my First Class a go in the next year or so:eek: . However, I have a few SDCs to finish off to fulfil all the criteria. One of these is the Rescue First Aid Course.

Are there any branches thinking of running one in the next few months that might have a place going? I'm pretty much willing to fly over from Dublin to anywhere in the UK.

Thanks.

Andrew Thomson

[Ben Panter]

Hi Andy,

I'm not sure that you need it! This is taken from my FCD pack, admittedly a few years out of date:

Pre-requisites
100 dives since qualifying as an Advanced Diver
Attendance at BSAC Chartwork and Position Fixing Course or equivalent
Attendance at an ERD Course or equivalent experience at depth
Hold the BSAC Diver Rescue Specialist
Hold the BSAC Diver Cox’n qualification or equivalent


The ERD is no longer required, and from The Rescue Specialist (http://www.bsac.org/page/335/diver-rescue-specialist.htm) page you would need:

Lifesaver Award, Advanced Lifesaver Award, Practical Rescue Management, First Aid for Divers and Oxygen Administration Award

There's an area of the forum for FCD preps - Click on the 'user cp' option in the blue bar above, and then go to 'Group Memberships' and ask to join.

cheers,

Ben

[TerryH]

Just to add to that many of us have PADI certs as well.
You get Lifesaver with PADI Rescue and PRM with PADI Divemaster.

[JimW]

Rescue specialist awards (http://www.bsac.org/page/257/sdc---specialist-awards.htm)

[Andy T]

Thanks for the responses all. I was convicnced I needed it for the Rescue Specialist.

WOuld still like to do it anyway so if anyone is running it, please let me know.

Andy

[JamesW]

I still think that this course should be binned, why do we as divers need to know about the Bag & Mask and Intubation.
Are the regional coaches paramedic trainers or advance life support trainers if not they should not be teaching this course.
The instructor outlines are out of date as well.
I would also like to know if I attended this course will BSAC 3rd party insurance allow me to tube (Intubate) someone on a dive.
If it does best I find my old medic'a bag out I have an laryngoscope and the blades some were.
Thanks

[Chris aka divingchef]

I still think that this course should be binned, why do we as divers need to know about the Bag & Mask and Intubation.
.
Thanks

Hi James

Out of intrest, FEDAS still teach this at **diver as SDC and mandatory for deep diver.
Itīs also mandatory for instuctors.

Chris

[JamesW]

Hi James

Out of intrest, FEDAS still teach this at **diver as SDC and mandatory for deep diver.
Itīs also mandatory for instuctors.

Chris


Hi Chris maybe but over here if you start pushing ET tubes down someone and you cause Laryngospasm ect and it closes the airway you are in trouble and you could knock and chip the teeth you can cause so much damage.

The bag and mask for resus is good if you can use it right.
I am sorry to say that a one day course is too short.
The Jaw Thrust has gone as well, its all done with the Chin lift now.
Thanks
James

[Odin]

This course does NOT teach Intubation.
I was on a pilot course for this SDC. I stressed then that the insertion of a Gudal airway is NOT Intubation.
Unfortunately the powers that be insist on keeping this wrong terminology in.
Bag/Valve/Mask is good and easy to teach.
If you can use a pocket mask you can use a Bag/valve/mask.

My own O2 kit has this as the primary means of giving O2 to a casualty.
You can obtain 95% O2. Inhalation/Exhalation Resistance is minimal.
If the brown stuff hits the fan you can bag the casualty and administer a far higher % of O2 than blowing into a pocket mask connected to O2.

The RFA course is very much a practical course, and introduces Neck Splints as well as Airway adjuncts.

Much more worthwhile and branch friendly than an AED course (IMHO)

Paul

[IainC]

This course does NOT teach Intubation.
I was on a pilot course for this SDC. I stressed then that the insertion of a Gudal airway is NOT Intubation.


It is a while since I did this course, but I felt I learned some useful stuff form it.

However I do remember that the instructor (John Dunwell, who is a parmedic) said after demonstrating the gudel airway that 'we would be a liability trying to do this any later than tomorrow' as the skill needed constant practise. I don't think he thought it was much help.

Iain C.

[Bryan Harrison]

I did the course back in February.

We were told that you could only put in the Guedel airway on an unconscious patient who was unlikely to regain consciousness. It would maintain an open airway without us having to keep checking neck extension on a pitching/rolling rib.

It is a purely personal opinion, but I would rather try everything to save a friend/Club member and know I did all I could than to just stand around and let them die.

I know a little knowledge is a dangerous thing and I think that regular refresher courses - in Club or SDC - would be a good idea.

[JamesW]

I know a little knowledge is a dangerous thing and I think that regular refresher courses - in Club or SDC - would be a good idea.

I agree with you Bryan if you want to keep these skills upto date then have a refresher every 12 months.

[Ron Evans]

Guedal airways are not complicated pieces of kit: you can get a set of them for a few pounds. If the chosen one is too small it will not work - that should be obvious, as the airway will remain obstructed ('snoring' indicates an obstructed airway). Too big might make the patient 'gag', as a warning of vomiting. I can't think of anything else that you could do that might be wrong.

A lightly unconscious patient will push them back out again, and you will not be able to keep it in. The response the patient makes to the airway insertion is a guide to the degree of unconsciousness (try putting one in your own mouth!), but acceptance of an airway is not a guide to prognosis - you should not take patient's acceptance of the airway as indicating that the unconsciousness will not recover.

Practicising their insertion once a year is a good plan - you should be able to insert a Guedel airway on your Resusci-Annie whenever it comes out for BLS teaching.

[Craig]

The last time I spoke to an instructor about the RFA course they said that the re-write had the Guedal Airways and neck bracing removed.

I got the impression that course had been remodelled to remove the above and include other more likely events such as fits / heart attacks etc.

I've no idea when the re written course is coming out, although I've been hearing about it for well over a year.

I agree with others that practise is the key. I practise as often as I can but would not like to have to be the one doing it for real.