First aid topics

[btchance]

I am currently helping to put together a first aid lecture for my local cycling club and was wondering what topics you gals would suggest covering. Right now I'm doing head and spine injuries, wounds and road rashes, heat illness, animal bites, and fractures. Let me know if you have any other ideas.

Thanks!!

[KnottedYet]

heart attack and stroke? Didn't Mimitabby and RD rescue a guy who was having a heart attack while they were out on their tandem?

It's always good to know the warning signs.

And for those who want to learn CPR, you can request an instructor to come to a club meeting and teach the group. http://www.redcross.org/services/hss/courses/ and http://www.americanheart.org/present...tifier=3011764 can get you started if you wanted to do that.

[Wahine]

I was going to say hypothermia. Then I noticed that you live in Alabama. Maybe less of an issue there...

How about anaphylactic (sp) shock and acute asthma attacks? Diabetes? It's a big issue for people exercising and you wouldn't want to cover everything but maybe just how to handle someone with an acute low blood sugar situation.

[KnottedYet]

Ooh, yeah, the low blood sugar thing. Bonking can happen to anyone!

[OakLeaf]

Dehydration. Maybe you meant to include that in heat illness.

[Wahine]

Oh, I can't believe I didn't think of it before... hyponatremia.

[wannaduacentury]

heart attack and stroke? Didn't Mimitabby and RD rescue a guy who was having a heart attack while they were out on their tandem?

It's always good to know the warning signs.

And for those who want to learn CPR, you can request an instructor to come to a club meeting and teach the group. http://www.redcross.org/services/hss/courses/ and http://www.americanheart.org/present...tifier=3011764 can get you started if you wanted to do that.

Ditto- One of our club members had a heart attack in December on a ride. He's fine now and recovering well. Our club is trying to do a similar thing when out in the boonies before 911 arrives. Great idea! Jenn

[silver]

Maybe not exactly first aid but we once encountered a lost alzheimer's patient. So what to do in that situation.

IDENTIFICATION!!!!!!

When Sam was killed, we knew who he was and lots of info, but we did not have his wife's cell phone number. We had to drive to her parents house to get it. It was at least one and a half to two hours after he was hit and he passed away about on hour after the hit.

Including my own, I've encountered 5 wrecks requiring medical attention. Only one was life treatening and no amount of first aid could have helped.

[silver]

question? should you carry aspirin for heart attacks and strokes?

[PscyclePath]

I've been doing something along the same line for some upcoming ride leader classes... The general outline falls along the lines of first response, e.g., what to do and how to organize things when a rider goes down. Road rash, bleeding, concussion, fractures (collarbone, arm, fingers), heat injuries (dehydration, heat cramps, heat exhaustion, heat stroke), "bonking," are the most common things that happen on rides.

It's a good deal for your ride leaders to have their Red Cross first aid & CPR cards, and to keep them current...

Tom

[Jolt]

It seems like between your original list and the things other people have added you have most of it covered. I would add general recognition/treatment of shock since that is something that can result from any number of injuries/illnesses.

[Irulan]

we just had this topic for our (mountain) bike club. I would add

Wrecks happen on the road, too:
head injuries
lacerations
road rash
basic splinting
collarbone and dislocations
first aid kit

[shootingstar]

I knew someone who did a ride here..where a cyclist in the group ahead had a heart attack and collapsed along the Lion's Gate Bridge in Vancouver. Cyclists must ride on the sidewalk and there is a gentle climb up and down.

The guy that I knew, found it was too late for him to brake going down the bridge, so he JUMPED his bike while remaining on the sidewalk ..jumping over the lying heart attack patient. That is a heart-stopping manoeuvre, he could have slid into car traffic on the bridge ..or over the bridge rail.into water.

[Rai Sue]

Well, maybe not exactly emergency first aid, but maybe helpful to identify common cycling injuries like knee strain or ankle problems? I've had a few friends who ended up with more serious injuries b/c they didn't take the warning signs of knee and ankle pain seriously while doing a lot of riding.

Rai Sue

[btchance]

Cool - thanks gals. That gives me a couple of more ideas to play around with. I'll get to working on it.