The American Heart Association and the American Red Cross have updated and expanded first-aid guidelines for bystanders and emergency responders to include managing opioid overdoses, open chest wounds, and other emergencies. These guidelines, published in the journal Circulation, are the first comprehensive update since 2010 and are aimed at equipping professionals and the public with lifesaving skills that are more critical than ever.
Dr. Elizabeth Hewett Brumberg, assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, stressed the importance of recognizing emergencies and applying appropriate knowledge and skills to save lives and reduce harm. The evidence-based updates reaffirm strategies for emergency responders and provide more specificity for basic first-aid topics. They also offer guidance on recognizing when professional help is needed and how to use available tools and medications effectively.
The updated guidelines cover a wide range of emergency care conditions, such as opioid overdoses, tick bites, fainting, open chest wounds, external bleeding, spinal restrictions, seizures, and more. Dr. Matthew J. Douma, professor of critical care medicine at the University of Alberta, emphasized the importance of enrolling in a first aid class to learn how to provide emergency care, as first aid saves lives.
These new guidelines aim to keep up with the changing landscape of public health challenges and provide essential skills for bystanders and emergency responders. Training, maintaining skills, and having a first aid kit on hand are crucial according to Dr. Douma. For more information on heart and brain health news, visit news.heart.org.
Source
Photo credit www.uniondemocrat.com
