Tag Archives: FIRST AID

LIVE LIFE SAVE LIFE –ANAPHYLACTIC SHOCK.

Allergy, BASIC LIFE SUPPORT, Education, First Aid, Life Saving Education, , , , ,

Hello readers! Trust all are safe and doing great in your lives. It has been a couple of months since my last blog. Was busy with training people and travelling. Hereinafter shall make sure I post blogs regularly every month. In this blog, Maggie and Jaggy discuss a medical emergency known as Anaphylactic shock, its symptoms and first aid.

Over to Jaggy and Maggie.

Maggie: “Hello Jaggy!”

Jaggy. “Hello Maggie! How was your trek and where did you go?”

Maggie: “It went well Jaggy. We went to the Queen of the Hills of South India.”

Jaggy: “Great! You had been to Ooty.”

Maggie: “Jaggy recently we had a situation in our office, and we did not know what to do at that time.”

Jaggy: “Oh, I see! What was the situation?”

Maggie: “One of our friends suddenly went sick when one of my friends brought a plate of peanuts to eat. The girl sitting next to him suddenly felt sick.”

Jaggy: “That must have been a bout of Anaphylactic shock.”

Maggie: “What?”

Jaggy: “No need for such a reaction. It is the word used to define the sickness associated with Allergies and the reaction to it.”

Maggie: “Can you explain it a bit more clearly?”

Jaggy: “Anaphylaxis is a severe potentially life- threatening allergic reaction. It can occur within minutes of exposure to something you are allergic to such as peanuts, bee or insect stings or even certain food items.”

Maggie: “Oh! Now I understand.”

Maggie: “What are the symptoms and how does one recognize this?”

Jaggy: “Symptoms usually start within minutes of exposure to the allergen. Sometimes the symptoms appear later. The symptoms are skin reactions including hives, itching, flushed or pale skin. Drop in blood pressure, constriction of airways, a week and rapid pulse, nausea, dizziness, or fainting are also common.”

Maggie: “Oh, I see!”

Maggie: “So, what does one do when said symptoms occur?”

Jaggy: “The first thing to be done is to take the victim to the hospital immediately in whatever possible way. In many countries, people with allergies carry an epinephrine autoinjector. If the person has one, take it and inject it midthigh and monitor the victim. In many countries epinephrine auto injectors are not in use. People who suffer such reactions if known carry the related medicines.”

Maggie: “What else can be done while taking the person to the hospital?”

Jaggy: “You can loosen tight clothing and cover him or her with a Blanket. If you find vomit or blood in the mouth, turn the victim to one side to prevent choking. Seek medical help quickly. The victim may have to spend a few hours of monitoring in the hospital.”

Maggie: “Do we give CPR?”

Jaggy: “No not if the victim is breathing.”

Maggie: “Any short way I can remember this?”

Jaggy: “Glad that you asked. The procedure is called AMPLE. A- ALLERGY M- MEDICATION P- PREVIOUS HISTORY L- LAST MEAL E- EVENT. You can ask these questions based on these words.”

Maggie: “Great Jaggy. It is a pleasure always talking to you. You really keep things simple.”

Maggie and Jaggy will be back to discuss many more such incidents and events. Till my next blog,

Stay Safe Be Safe. Live Life Save Life, and keep the comments, suggestions coming.

Seshadri Varadarajan

LIVE LIFE SAVE LIFE – HEAT STROKE/HYPERTHERMIA

BASIC LIFE SUPPORT, Education, First Aid, Heat Stroke, Life Saving Education, Live Life, ORS, , , , ,

Hello Readers!

Thank you all for the support you all give me by reading my blogs. The bouquets inspire me and the brick bats make me aware the need for improvements. As I was wondering what to write, one of my training assistants came up with a suggestion. He told me that as summer was on in most parts of the world, I could write on the First aid measures for Hyperthermia commonly known as Heat Stroke. Jaggy and Maggie precisely discuss this and will offer you valuable tips on summer care.

Maggie: “Hello Jaggy!”

Jaggy: “Hi Maggie! Trust all is well with you.”

Maggie: “Yes, Jaggy I am fine and on top of the world.”

Jaggy: “Good to hear that.  I remember last time you had told that your friends and you were planning on a summer trek.”

Maggie: “Yes Jaggy. The planning has been done and we plan to do it in the month of May.”

Jaggy: “That’s good but May will be very hot. There is every chance of someone being affected by Hyperthermia.”

Maggie: “There you go again. What on earth is Hyperthermia?”

Jaggy: “The opposite of Hypothermia.”

Maggie: “Oh, I see. Now I understand. I think it is commonly known as Heat Stroke or Sun Stroke right.”

Jaggy: “Yes. During summer, due to the hot weather many people suffer from Heat Stress which if not attended also results in Heat Stroke.”

Maggie: “Do People die because of that too?”

Jaggy: “Yes. A lot of people die due to it. Hence, one should know the symptoms and first aid for the same.”

Maggie: “Can you explain in detail please?”

Jaggy: “Heat Stroke or Hyperthermia is an abnormally high body temperature which is the most serious and life threatening.”

Maggie: “Oh my God!”

Jaggy: “This happens due to increase in body temperature beyond 104 Deg Fahrenheit. It causes damage to your brain and other organs.”

Maggie: “How is it caused?”

Jaggy: “It is caused by strenuous physical activity in extreme conditions of heat.”

Maggie: “What are the symptoms and how to identify the same?”

Jaggy: “The symptoms are 1. Dry mouth. 2. Cramps in the muscles. 3. Dizziness. 4. Blurred Vision 5. Nausea and Vomiting. 6. Fainting 7. Red Hot skin.”

SYMPTOMS OF HYPERTHERMIA

Maggie: “What is the First aid for the same?”

Jaggy: “First get the person to a cool and ventilated place, an area where there is shade. Remove the upper clothing if you can. Cover him with a towel or a bed spread. Keep on pouring a lot of water over the person. Pour it till the temperature goes down. If the person is responsive and able to drink, give him any drink with electrolytes like Coconut water or ORS solution. If the person has still not recovered, rush him to the nearest hospital.” “If not responding and no breathing perform CPR.”

Maggie: “ORS? what is that?”

Jaggy: “ORS is Oral Re-hydration Solution. In India popularly known as Electral Powder.”

Maggie: “Can we give plain water”?

Jaggy: “Yes, but ORS will give the victim the important electrolytes like Salt and Sugar.”

Maggie: “Are sports drink useful in these situations?”

Jaggy: “They are if you have them. As a First aider I would prefer ORS.”

Maggie: “Thank you so much for your clear explanation. What other precautions can we take during the trek?”

Jaggy: “Wear Cotton clothes, keep drinking plenty of water, take breaks if the sun is too hot and avoid soft and hot drinks if you can. Carry ORS sachets or liquids and keep your medicines handy at all times.”

Maggie: “Can we prepare ORS ourselves at home?”

Jaggy: “Yes. The method is to take a glass of water add a tea spoon of sugar and a pinch of salt and stir it completely. Drink as soon as it is ready.”

Maggie: “Are there more heat related conditions?”

Jaggy: “There are. We will discuss later as summer has just started.”

Maggie and Jaggy will be covering more heat related conditions in the next conversation. Take care folks and make sure you are hydrated at all times. It has been extremely hot wherever in India I had been to in April. Keep sharing the blog with your loved ones and keep the comments coming.

Till then Stay Safe Be Safe.

Seshadri Varadarajan.

LIVE LIFE SAVE LIFE EPILEPSY

BASIC LIFE SUPPORT, Education, First Aid, Life Saving Education, , , ,

Maggie and Jaggy are back in this blog to discuss a first aid scenario for an often-misunderstood emergency known as an Epileptic Fit attack. They will not only tell the readers the correct first aid but debunk certain myths too. So, over to Maggie and Jaggy.

Maggie: “Hello Jaggy, how are you?”

Jaggy: “Excited to be alive Maggie!”

Maggie: “Excited to be alive? A new one from you.”

Jaggy: “Nothing new Maggie. I believe that Life is for Living.”

Maggie: “Saving it too if need be right!”

Jaggy: “Absolutely.”

Maggie: “Recently when I was going on the road, a young boy about 20 had an epileptic fit attack and people were standing around not knowing what to do. Can you tell me the correct first aid for an epileptic fit?”

Jaggy: “Sure. An Epileptic Seizure as it is called in medical terms, occurs to many people. It is usually more evident in Children and Young people though elderly persons too can experience seizures. It is commonly called an Epileptic Fit.”

Maggie: “Oh, I see!”

Jaggy: “It is basically a disorder of the nervous system which results in increased electrical impulses in the brain and because of which the body of the person trembles violently. These attacks usually do not last for a long time.”

Maggie: “What is the first aid if one sees someone having an Epileptic attack?”

Jaggy: “First and foremost, do not touch the victim when he is trembling. They are difficult to handle during the seizure. Wait for the convulsions to stop.”

Maggie: “What next?”

Jaggy: “Once the trembling stops, the victim usually falls. The first aider must ease the fall and make the victim lie down on a flat surface.”

Maggie: “You are telling me that one needs to wait till the intensity subsides.”

Jaggy: “Exactly. Once the victim has been made to lie down, check the response of the victim. If the victim is not responding call the ambulance and check breathing. If the victim is breathing, you place him in Recovery Position.”

Maggie: “Recovery Position? What is that?”

Jaggy: “It is quite simple. All you need to do is make the person lie down on one side, either the left or the right. The left side is better than the right as the heart lies in the centre and slightly tilted to the left to prevent a medical term called Aspiration.”

RECOVERY POSITION

Maggie: “Can we give him water or liquids to drink?”

Jaggy: “Absolutely not. You never give water or liquids to a person who is not responding. The water will enter the lungs of the victim and can be fatal.”

Maggie: “Okay I understand. But I have seen people give iron rods or keys for such incidents from where I hail.”

Jaggy: “Yes, I know that. All that is a myth. It is neither scientific nor medically correct. In some places, they even make the victim smell leather shoes or onions. Medically, Recovery position is the correct first aid.”

Maggie: “Often I have seen froth coming out of the mouth. Is it dangerous?”

Jaggy: “It is not froth but saliva that comes out and it is harmless. There are occasions where victims bite their tongue too but that’s not so serious. Trained paramedics use a Hook shaped like the alphabet J to prevent a victim from biting their tongue.”

Maggie: “Do we do CPR for an Epileptic attack?”

Jaggy: “No. Usually the victim is not responsive but breathing. Only if there is no breathing, we begin CPR.”

Maggie: “Do people affected by Epilepsy wear any identification so that one can easily help during and attack and can also inform the Emergency services of the problem.”

Jaggy: “Thanks for asking the question. They usually wear a medical bracelet or band which informs others that they have a medical problem. Not only epilepsy but certain diabetics too wear them.”

WRIST BAND IDENTIFICATION

Maggie: “Thanks, Jaggy for the clear explanation.”

Jaggy: “Always a pleasure to share Lifesaving knowledge Maggie.”

Jaggy and Maggie will be having more conversations on various aspects of First aid. Till then Stay Safe, Be Safe. Keep the comments and suggestions flowing.

Seshadri Varadarajan.

LIVE LIFE SAVE LIFE —–BURNS

BASIC LIFE SUPPORT, Diwali, Education, First Aid, , , , , , ,

Wishing all my readers across the world a Happy Diwali. Diwali or Deepavali is a festival of Lights celebrated by all in India no matter to what religion they belong. There is a lot of Happiness, bonhomie among everyone who celebrate the festival. This day is celebrated by wearing new clothes, meeting people, distributing sweets, and of course bursting a lot of Firecrackers. So, in this blog Maggie and Jaggy will discuss how to deal with Burns. Over to Maggie and Jaggy. 

Maggie: “Hello Jaggy! Happy Diwali to you and your family.”

Jaggy: “Thanks Maggie and wish you and your family too a Happy and Safe Diwali.” 

Maggie: “I was expecting you would use the word safe.”

Jaggy: “Yes. Safety is my passion and profession and I want everyone to be safe especially when using firecrackers.”

Maggie: “What precautions we need to take while bursting firecrackers?”

Jaggy: “Just a few precautions are enough like 

1. Wearing Cotton clothes and proper footwear. 

2.Having two buckets of water nearby. 

3. Elders supervising the Children when they burst the firecrackers. 

4. Ensuring the oil lamps lit are not near flammable material like clothing. 

5.As far as possible lighting the crackers in open spaces. In case of fire on clothing remember to STOP, DROP ROLL.” 

Maggie: “That’s nice. Simple precautions yet people do not follow them.” 

Jaggy: “Correct. That’s the reason why we see a lot of burn injuries during these times.” 

Maggie: “Can you tell me about the burns Jaggy and what is the first aid for Burns?”Jaggy: “Burns to the skin are based on the skin itself. The human skin has three layers the Epidermis, Dermis and Hypodermis. The burns are therefore called as First degree, Second degree and Third degree.”

Maggie: “Oh! Now I remember the biology lesson of the skin.”

Jaggy: “The first degree, burn affects the top layer of the skin and is usually superficial. There is pain, redness in the area and irritation for a few minutes and usually heals when given quick first aid. A second degree burn damages for the outer layer and penetrates to the middle layer and usually forms blisters at the burn site. The third degree, burn penetrates deeper into the inner most layer and can even cause damage to tissues and muscles. The area usually becomes black or grey in color and the damage is severe.”

Maggie: “You mean to say that if aid is not given on time the severity of the burn increases.” 

Jaggy: “Exactly. Hence quick first aid is imperative.”

Maggie: “What is the best first aid for a burn injury?”

Jaggy: “Burns to the skin can be through fire, chemicals, acids, hot water, steam and contact with any hot surface. Even an electrical injury can cause burns to the skin. The best first aid is to pour a lot of water on the affected areas for as long as you can. Pouring water cools the skin and water can penetrate to the deepest parts of the skin.” 

Maggie: “But many people say that water should never be used on a burn injury.”

Jaggy: “Those who say that are misguided. Water in fact has the best heat absorbing properties and is the best for any burn injury.” 

Maggie: “Now I get it. Is there other medication we can use like an ointment?” 

Jaggy: “Yes, you can if the area is sufficiently cooled with water.” 

Maggie: “What if blisters appear on the burn area?”

Jaggy: “Do not open the blisters. They will heal based on the treatment and time”. 

Maggie: “Do we need to take the victims to Hospital?” 

Jaggy: “Yes, that is always the best thing to do. Doctors are healers and they know better than first aiders like you and me.” 

Maggie: “There are lot of local treatments I have heard of like applying egg whites, using banana leaves and such is it correct?”

Jaggy: “They are not correct, and people do that in ignorance. These days there are burn gel liquids available in the market with sterile dressing and they can be used for the burn injuries.” 

Maggie: “One last question. I have heard that doctors treat based on percentages of burns. Can you throw some light on that?”

Jaggie: “Sure. It is calculated by the rule of nine. The front and back of the body is taken as 18% each. The legs are taken as 18% each. The arms including hands are 9% each. The head and neck as 9% and the genital area as 1%.” 

Maggie: “Thank you so much Jaggy. As usual you have given me the clear picture. See you soon. Stay Safe.” 

Jaggy: “Sure Maggie.” 

Festival times call for celebrations. Let us all celebrate but the pandemic is still not over, and we should still be careful. Stay Safe, Be Safe. 

Jaggy and Maggie will be back with more conversations.

Seshadri Varadarajan

LIVE LIFE SAVE LIFE HYPOTHERMIA

BASIC LIFE SUPPORT, CPR, Education, Life Saving Education, , , , , ,

Thank you, readers, and my friends for all your support and comments on my last blog An Ode to Teachers. Trust all are safe out there and continuing to be safe. The surge of the pandemic seems to have slowed yet it is imperative on our part not to let our guard down. Jaggy and Maggie are back in this blog to discuss another situation on first aid which is HYPOTHERMIA. 

Maggie: “Hello Jaggy! Trust you are fine.”

Jaggy: “Yes, Maggie as always on top of the world.”

Maggie: “On top of the world as always. Good to hear that every time from you.”

Jaggy:” So, how was your trekking trip and did you encounter any Snakes?”

Maggie: “The trek went off very smoothly and we did not encounter any snakes thank God for that.” 

Jaggy: “Good to hear that and the trek seems to have refreshed you.” 

Maggie: “Yes, Jaggy it has refreshed me. I feel energised.” 

Jaggy: “Any situation you had encountered other than the aches and pains?”

Maggie: “There was one situation where we all got wet due to a sudden downpour. Most of us were ok but one of the guys was shivering very badly for a lot of time.” 

Jaggy: “Well, it must have been an attack of Hypothermia.”

Maggie: “Hypothermia what does that mean?”

Jaggy: “It is a medical condition for dropping of body temperature below normal.”

Maggie: “I know about body temperature, but could you explain a little more.”

Jaggy: “Hypothermia is a medical emergency that occurs when your body loses heat faster than it can produce heat, causing a dangerously low body temperature. Normal body temperature is around 98.6 F (37 C). Hypothermia (hi-poe-THUR-me-uh) occurs as your body temperature falls below 95 F (35 C).”

Maggie: “How and when does this happen?”

Jaggy: “It happens when the body is exposed to extremely cold conditions like Wind, getting wet in cold water, and freezing temperatures whether indoors or outdoors. The person may be affected even if living in a home which does not have heating equipment in cold environs.” 

Maggie: “What are the symptoms and how do we recognise it?”

Jaggy: “It starts first with shivering, and then the skin becomes cold followed by mumbling or slurred speech and shallow breathing. The victim is usually confused as he is disoriented and there will be lack of energy and he may become drowsy. If not treated immediately it could lead to complications.” 

Maggie: “What do we do?”

Jaggy: “First get the person to a place of shelter out of the cold.  Remove wet clothing and pat the person dry. Put dry clothes on the person cover the body and head but not the face with blankets towels or even newspapers. Call for the local emergency services remained with the person until someone with more advanced training arrives if the person becomes unresponsive and he’s not breathing normally, or gasping give CPR.”

Maggie: “I remember now. One of our friends who is trained did exactly what you told and after some time, the guy recovered. We did not need the services of the ambulance or Hospital. It was scary though.” 

Jaggy: “Good Maggie. Your friend has done well. He might have even given him Hot Coffee to drink after a few minutes.” 

Maggie: “Correct but one of my other friends suggested to give him some brandy.” 

Jaggy: “Brandy or alcohol should not be given as it dilutes the superficial blood vessels and allows heat to escape making it even worse. The idea is to try and warm him up and in doing so never take him near places of radiant heat like a fireplace or hot water bottles as it causes burns to the skin.” 

Maggie: “Can we give him anything to eat if he is conscious.”

Jaggy: “Chocolates help as they are a high on energy.” 

Maggie: “What if it happens indoors?”

Jaggy: “Wrap up the person in a blanket. Give him hot soup or coffee or tea to sip slowly to regain warmth in the body. Minor Hypothermia can always be reversed but if severity increases it can be fatal.” 

Maggie: “What else can we carry apart from a first aid kit while trekking?”

Jaggy: “An extra sleeping bag, aluminium foils or wrappers can also be taken along, and oral rehydrating salts can be added too.”

Maggie: “Oral rehydrating salts what for?”

Jaggy: “In case you trek in summer. Nice talking to you Maggie.”

Maggie: “Thanks, Jaggy for all the inputs. Useful and lifesaving.” 

Maggie and Jaggy will be back with more in the next blog. Till then read, share, and teach so that we all can save a Life. See you all in my next blog.

Seshadri Varadarajan.  

LIVE LIFE SAVE LIFE – SNAKE BITE

BASIC LIFE SUPPORT, Life Saving Education, Snake Bite, , , , , , , , , ,

Thanks to all my readers for the bouquets and brick bats on my last blog on Vaccination in the series of Live Life Save Life. Trust wherever you are in the world you have got vaccinated at least once to protect yourselves and others. My sole idea behind writing these blogs is to reach out to a lot of people in the world. Requesting all the readers to share the blogs with all your friends and relatives so that every family can have a life saver in their home.

In this blog Jaggy and Maggie will discuss First aid for Snake bite. Though it is a known fact that snakes generally don’t bite people unless provoked or threatened yet we get frightened on seeing one. What to do if you get bitten? Jaggy and Maggie take over to tell us exactly that.

Maggie: “Hello Jaggy How are you”?

Jaggy: “I am doing great Maggie and feel on top of the world”.

Maggie: “Thanks to you Jaggy I have got my first dose of Vaccination”.

Jaggy: “Great to hear that”.

Maggie: “As you are a trained first aider, I wanted to ask you something”?

Jaggy: “Go ahead and just ask”.

Maggie: “Was planning to go on a trekking trip with my friends in a national park and would like to know what to do in case of a Snake Bite”.

Jaggy: “Nice to know that. While trekking it is not about the planning and the equipment but knowing first aid too. For when you venture into the woods snakes can be around”.

Maggie: “That’s why I would like to know what to do”?

Jaggy: “Let me begin by saying that all snakes are not Venomous. Only a few are and they differ from place to place”.

Maggi: “Can you elaborate a little more”?

Jaggy: “Sure. Venomous snakes across the world belong to families like Elapidae, Viperidae, Atractspididae, and Colibridae”.

Maggie: “Come on Jaggy this is not a biological lesson. I want to know what to do when they bite and especially in India”.

Jaggy: “I was just giving you a basic intro but since you have asked me clearly shall get straight to the point”.

Maggie: “You better”.

Jaggy: “Ok. There are 5 types of Venomous snakes in India and they are”
1. The Common Cobra
2. The Krait
3. Russel Viper
4. Saw scaled Viper
5. The King Cobra

Maggie: “Oh! I see. Only 5 types. I thought there are many”.

Jaggy: “There are a lot of other venomous and deadly snakes like Inland Taipan, Black Mamba, and the Gabon Viper but they are not found in the Indian Sub-Continent”.

Maggie: “How deadly is the venom if any one of these snakes, bite”?

Jaggy: “It depends on what bites you. The venom is either neuro toxin, hemotoxin or cytotoxin. The Cobra and krait venom is neurotoxin, the vipers hemotoxin and the king cobra both neurotoxin and cardiotoxin. Neurotoxin means the venom attacks the nervous system, hemotoxin attacks the cardiovascular system and the cytotoxin attacks specific cell sites”.

Maggie: “It means the venom from different snakes, attack and destroy various systems in the human body”.

Jaggy: “Correct”.

Maggie: “How is the venom injected into the body”?

Jaggy: “The venom is injected through the fangs of a venomous snake, and they differ according to the species. So one needs to look for the fang marks at the site of the bite”.

Maggie: “How do we do that”?

Jaggy: “You need to look for 2 dot marks from which a little blood may ooze”.

Maggie: “What do we do then”?

Jaggy: “Once upon a time the practice was to suck the venom out using the mouth. It was very popular and shown in many a movie. Later on one used to tie a cloth or a Bandage tightly a few inches above the bite and then cut the wound with a knife or blade to draw out the venom”.

Maggie: “Oh my God! What is the right process now”?

Jaggy: “First and fore most do not make the victim walk. Calm down the victim.  Immobilize the limb completely using Crepe bandages.

Take the victim to the Government run Hospitals as they can and will administer the ASV (ANTI SNAKE VENOM) to the victim. If taking him to a private hospital check whether they administer the ASV”.

Maggie: “What if there are no first aid materials”?

Jaggy: “Do not make him to walk, take him immediately to the nearest Hospital. Watch out for symptoms like frothing in the mouth, breathlessness, swelling in the bite area, loss of function in the limbs. Keep talking to the victim to ensure he stays alert”.

Maggie: “What if he becomes unconscious and his breathing stops. Can we give CPR”?

Jaggy: “Yes you can”.

Maggie: “I’ve heard of something called as tourniquet. Can we apply that”?

Jaggy: “No. We should not do that”.

Maggie: “Thanks Jaggy for the help”.

Jaggy: “My pleasure. One word of caution wear ankle high boots on the trek to avoid snake bite”.

Maggie: “Sure will”.

Jaggy: “A parting question. What if a human bites a snake? Will the bite be venomous? Think it over”.

Jaggy and Maggie will continue their engaging conversations after some time. Keep reading and watching the space.

Seshadri Varadarajan.

Automated External Defibrillator

LIVE LIFE SAVE LIFE – AED

BASIC LIFE SUPPORT, CARDIAC ARREST, CPR, Defibrillator, Innovation, Life Saving Education, Uncategorized, , , , , , ,

Thanks to all the readers who have appreciated my last blog, Live Life Save Life where the characters Maggie and Jaggy discussed what to do in a Cardiac Arrest. The feed back received has only spurred me to continue to write better as it has increased the expectations of the readers. In this blog too Maggie and Jaggy will discuss more on Saving lives. Let us follow the conversation.

Maggie: “Hello Jaggy. You are looking great and in good health”.

Jaggy: “Yes, Maggie all is well with me looking forward to live life save life”.

Maggie: “Thank you for the conversation where you had explained the difference between Heart Attack and Cardiac Arrest and the first aid to be done”. 

Jaggy: “Teaching skills that saves life is always a pleasure”.

Maggie: “Last time you had explained 2 steps of the Chain of Survival and particularly CPR. Can you explain more on the 3rd step the defibrillation”?

Jaggy: “Sure Maggie. In CPR by we are only circulating oxygenated blood to the brain and thereby we can save life, but every time CPR alone cannot do the job. The heart is to be jolted with a bit of electric current to get back to its normal rhythm”.

Maggie: “You mean we need to give an Electric shock? Can a first aider do that”!

Jaggy: “This is not something new Maggie. This technique has been around for a long time. Doctors and health care workers use it every day to save lives”.

Maggie: “Doctors always save lives, but can you explain more clearly”?

Jaggy: “In many a movie we have seen doctors performing a surgery on someone. Suddenly you see the monitor go erratic and the doctor shouts Cardiac Arrest!!! Immediately the doctor is handed over two small square shaped boxes to which gel is applied and the doctor uses them on the chest of the patient. Miraculously the person is revived”.

Maggie: “I have seen that, but movies are movies. Never real”.

Jaggy: “I know but not everything in a movie is fantasy. The doctor in the movie uses a device called a Defibrillator.  Defibrillator is a device which jolts the heart into a normal rhythm. The doctors use a Manual Defibrillator wherein they decide the amount of shock to be given. First aider is not a doctor. So, they use an AED. Automated External Defibrillator”.

Maggie: “Wow! Interesting. Love to know more”.

Jaggy: “An AED is in fact very simple to use. All one needs to do is just switch it on. Once switched on the AED by using voice prompts guides the first aider on how to use it”.

Maggie: “Sounds nice but can you be more specific on how to operate it”?

Jaggy: “Imagine some one suffered a Cardiac Arrest and is not responding. You need to ask someone nearby to call the Ambulance and get the AED. As the victim is not breathing you have started CPR. Once the AED arrives and switched on, it will prompt the user to Attach Pads to Patient’s Chest. Pictures on the pads will show you where exactly to attach it.

Once the pads are attached the AED will prompt Analysing Heart Rhythm. Do not touch the patient. CPR is stopped while the AED analyses. After a few seconds comes the instruction Shock Advised, Charging, Stay clear. The machine then delivers the shock. The patient will jerk a little which is normal. The AED then says it is safe to touch the patient. Begin CPR now. You perform CPR till the AED prompts you to stop and it reanalyses. Thus, with a combination of CPR and shock from the AED, lives can be saved during Cardiac Arrests”.

Maggie: “How soon we need to use an AED after a Cardiac Arrest”?

Jaggy: “Within the first 5 minutes. The sooner the better. If delayed the chances are going to be slim”.

Maggie: “It is indeed a life saving machine. Where all can we have an AED”?

Jaggy: “An AED can be placed anywhere. Usually, the ambulances are equipped with Defibrillators. In many countries they are available in Airports, Railway stations, Bus stations, places of work, and even schools. I mean they can be everywhere”.

Maggie: “Now that you have mentioned Schools, do we use different pads for children or infants”?

Jaggy: “Yes. The pads used are different, but if they are not available adult pads can be used. Children and infants rarely suffer Cardiac arrests”.

Maggie: “Nice Jaggy. Do we need to be trained to use it”?

Jaggy: “A first aider needs to be trained on how to use it. Most of the manufactures and sellers of AED arrange a training on how to use one. All one needs to do is attend. Even if not trained they can call the Emergency services who can guide them on how to use the same”.

Maggie: “Thank you so much. I’ll watch videos and attend a training for sure”.

How to use AED

Jaggy: “To sum up I would say this”.


CPR = Human effort
AED = technology
Human Effort + Technology = Miracles

More from Jaggy and Maggie in my next blog.

Thanks for Reading and Sharing.

Loving you all so much.

Seshadri Varadarajan.