RI FED: Asthma

[johnckirk]

Each year, the Royal Institution do a set of Christmas lectures: these are presented to a live audience, then broadcast on TV later. They're aimed at children, but I've found some of them quite interesting as an adult, and I've felt a bit jealous of some of the bored kids who are squandering the opportunity to be there in person

Comments

[sammoore]

The most interesting thing I learnt is that there are two main symptoms of asthma. I'm familiar with airways constricting, but the other issue (new to me) is that mucus builds up on the lining of the airways

Just a thought, as a first aider, mucus building up on the lung is not a symptom. You cannot observe it directly (and if you are I'd say they Asthma was the least of their problems).

I don't do anywhere near much first as you but I strongly believe that of I can't do anything about a problem, I don't really need to know about it.

Sam

[johnckirk]

Within SJA, we refer to "signs and symptoms", which are related but distinct. Signs are things that I can detect myself, e.g. bleeding or high blood pressure. Symptoms are things that the casualty needs to tell me about, e.g. a headache. The mucus doesn't really fall into either category, but I'm not sure about the best term to describe it.

As for first aid treatment, you're right that this is basically irrelevant to me, but I'm interested to know what's going on inside. Also, when you read through the first aid manual, it can be tricky to remember whether Condition X gives a fast or slow pulse. If I understand why the body reacts that way, it's easier to remember.

[sammoore]

>Signs are things that I can detect myself, e.g. bleeding
>or high blood pressure. Symptoms are things that the
>casualty needs to tell me about,

That's a pretty useful distinction. Noted for future reference.

>If I understand why the body reacts that way, it's easier to remember.

I totally agree with this. I've just spent the last two days on a Rescue and Emergency Care course (1st aid when help is 8 hours not 8 minutes away is how it's sold). I have now got a handful of laminated cards in my 1st aid kit with reminders of the things that I might not need instantly (ABC, etc) but things that might be possible over a longer time (DE and SAMPLE, etc). You can read a lot of stuff in 8 hours if you need too :-)

Sam

[susannahf]

Laminated cards are very useful. Some things may not be practical to remember, but very useful in certain circumstances (e.g. normal heart/breathing rates in kiddies). Looking stuff up can also a) make you look competent/professional, and b) give you thinking time ;)

The best thing about primary and secondary surveys, and using a stethoscope, is that people shut up and leave you alone, giving you time to figure out what the hell to do next ;)