Course coverage

 

Understanding how to manage casualties with life-threatening injuries or illnesses is vital for all care providers from first aiders to registered healthcare professionals. The primary objective of this course is to enable you to quickly identify the risk posed to life and inform your decision making in terms of the casualty’s management needs so that you can act swiftly and confidently to maintain life in the critical moments before the arrival of definitive pre-hospital care.

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The first thing you will learn is about the first responder’s scope of practice and what responsibilities you have when carrying out emergency care, including how to manage the scene and those in attendance at the incident to keep yourself, bystanders, and casualties safe from a variety of potential hazards and risks.

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You will explore the processes and procedures that the first responder is responsible for following the management of the casualty. You will also learn about the principles of assessing casualties as the first responder, including how and why assessment is applied in a hierarchical nature in order to guide your decision making, and about the key principles of providing basic life support to adults, children, infants and special casualties such as pregnant women and neck breathers.

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You will also learn about the techniques used to clear, open, maintain and manage the airway of casualties with a reduced level of consciousness as well as 

how to recognise and manage situations where certain factors may preclude the provision of life support. You will explore the provision of supplementary oxygen, including the correct dosage and methods of delivery for a range of casualties.

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You will develop your understanding of how to recognise casualties suffering from catastrophic haemorrhages and how to manage these using tourniquets. Finally, you will explore how to manage choking casualties as a result of both mild and severe obstructions.

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During the course you will develop your knowledge and understanding in a theoretical context and you will also, in a simulated environment, practically explore the principles and techniques used by the first responder to assess casualties and provide initial emergency care. This will enable you to develop specific skills and also empower you with ability to competently manage incidents involving a wide range of casualties who require primary and continuing assessment, basic life support and other aspects of emergency care.

 

Casualties that the first responder is likely to encounter include those who have suffered traumatic injuries. From casualties who have fallen from a height to those suffering from burns, the first responder needs to be able to assess, recognise and manage the casualty suffering a traumatic injury or illness effectively before handing over to definitive pre-hospital care providers.

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During this course you will learn how to recognise and manage the trauma casualty who may have suffered thermal injuries, exposure, drowning, musculoskeletal injuries, head injuries, spinal injuries, or chest injuries. You will learn how to recognise and manage a casualty suffering with hypovolaemic shock, the different types of bleeding and how to manage these casualties.

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You will also develop an understanding of how to apply correct manual handling techniques to prevent injury to yourself and the casualty, as well as how to package your casualty appropriately ready for transfer.

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You will not only develop your knowledge and understanding in a theoretical context but also, in simulated environments, where you will practically explore the principles and techniques used by the first responder to recognise and manage casualties with trauma-related injuries or conditions. This will begin to prepare you for the real world in which your ability to manage incidents involving casualties requiring trauma care competently will be crucial.

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Survival rates of casualties suffering from common medical conditions are greatly increased by early recognition, early intervention, and early transport to definitive care. As a first responder you will play a key role in managing the casualty in the early stages of pre-hospital emergency care in order to preserve life, prevent further deterioration and promote the casualty’s recovery.

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You will learn how to recognise the vital signs and symptoms of casualties suffering from poisoning, allergic reactions, and anaphylaxis, breathing difficulties, cardiac conditions, diabetic emergencies, seizures, stroke, meningitis, and other potentially life-threatening medical conditions.

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You will learn how to, within your scope of practice, provide clinical management to casualties presenting with these conditions, how to handle and position the casualty to ensure they are comfortable and safe from further risk, as well as how to observe and record information required for the clinical handover to the next echelon of care. 

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You will also develop your knowledge and understanding in a theoretical context along with the principles and associated techniques used by the first responder to recognise and manage casualties with common medical conditions.