KeepaBeat First Aid Frome

It's

Measles is a highly infectious disease spread via the respiratory route.

The best way to protect from measles is having the MMR vaccine which protects against Measles, Mumps and Rubella. This is usually given around 1 year and 3 years 4 months but can be given at ant age if missed.

First symptoms of Measles include

🔷️ high temperature
🔷️ runny or blocked nose
🔷️ sneezing
🔷️ cough
🔷️ Red, sore, watery eyes

Later symptoms can include;

🔶️ white spots in the mouth
🔶️ the Measles rash which usually appears after the cold symptoms usually behind the ears and on the face first
🔶️ the rash is sometimes raised and joins together forming patches
🔶️ the rash is not usually itchy

How to treat Measles

🔺️ rest and drink plenty of fluids to prevent dehydration
🔺️ take appropriate medication to reduce temperature
🔺️ use cotton wool soaked in warm water to remove crusts from eyes

Measles is easily spread so it is best to stay home to prevent spreading particularly to vulnerable people. Measles can cause complications during pregnancy so see your health care provider if you have concerns.

Source:
NHS
UKHSA

It's and after a short break we are back!

Do you have the What3Words app?

What3Words is an app which is used to specify precise locations, which helps emergency services to find you much quicker in an emergency.

The whole world is divided into 3 meter squares with each square having a unique combination of three words.

We want you to have the app in case you ever need emergency assistance but it is also useful for deliveries, meeting friends in rural locations and most helpfully for finding us, finding our classes

What3Words works office to find your location so still works if you have a bad connection. The service is used by many local Fire, Ambulance, Police and Coastguards

Our phones are full of apps for all sorts of stuff why not put one on that could save vital minutes in an emergency

and we are starting the new year as we mean to go on with the team from renewing their Emergency First Aid at work training.

The course covers CPR, AED usage, unconscious casualty treatment, minor injuries, bleeding, burns and choking.

For all your workplace first aid training needs please contact [email protected], training can be carried out in your workplace (if facilities are available) or in a local training venue.

Merry Christmas and a happy new year to you all, thank you for all your support in 2023 and look forward to everything 2024 brings us.

We are now out of the office for the festive period...enjoy your holiday and we'll see you in the new year....Merry Christmas to you all

This time of year can be really difficult for some people, particularly people who may be alone, grieving, separated from loved ones or struggling with their mental health.

If you need someone to talk to over the festive period help is available.

We have linked lots of support in this post

Don't forget to check in with friends and loved ones

It's and it's definitely the time of year where we need to bundle up our babies for the winter 🥶

This is great for being outdoors, but we need to be really careful when putting them into their car seats to make sure that they stay safe in an accident.

The car seats internal harness cannot be tightened correctly when your baby is wearing a thick jacket or snowsuit. In the event of an accident or harsh braking, the puffiness or extra material of the winter coat is compressed, so there is much more space for movement within the harness than is safe.

We have showed this with a series of pictures

Pic 1 - our baby has a chunky snowsuit on which means the straps can't be tightened correctly to his body and the hood makes it difficult to correctly place the shoulder straps

Pic 2 - shows exactly the same harness setting as before, this time without the snowsuit - look at how loose the straps are (and how sad he is to realise this 😥)

Pic 3 & 4 - show how close correctly fitted straps should be to our babies body, flat to his chest with the shoulder straps nice and flat

Pic 5 - close up of the buckle lying flat against his body

Pic 6 - making sure our baby remains snug as a bug in a blanket OVER the straps

You should only be able to fit 2 fingers under the straps when they are tight enough to be safe

To keep warm in the car -

Use footmuffs specifically designed for baby car seats

Put the jacket over them after buckling up

Use a blanket

Remember we should also remove hats and hoods in the car to stop our babies overheating

It may take a few extra minutes in our already busy lives but our babies are too precious to risk it 💙❤️

Thank you to our friend Lucy and her baby for the pictures

More safety information can be found from these sources

It's and it sees the last of the public sessions for the year.

What you may not know is, with a group of friends and family, you could have a private class at home 🏡

If you would like to learn those valuable, life saving skills with your loved ones in your relaxed home environment please do get in touch via email - [email protected] or what's app - 07368286479

today we are covering Burns! With the key message 'hot water burns like fire'

Did you know in 2022 in England and Wales

🔥 1 person a day in the UK is scalded when using hot water bottles

🔥 7335 children were burned or scalded

🔥 30 babies and toddlers go to hospital everyday with a hot drink burn

🔥 60% of children attending a&e are due to hot drink burns

🔥 906 children were admitted to an NHS burn service with either an electric hob or kettle spill

🔥 462 children were admitted to an NHS burn service with bathroom burns

🔥 546 children were treated for burns from irons and straighteners

It is really important to act quickly and provide appropriate treatment

COOL - with cool running tap water for 20 minutes

CALL - for help (999, 111 or GP depending on severity)

COVER - with cling film or a clean non fluffy cloth

For burns associated with clothing on fire - STOP, DROP, ROLL

Sources:

Children's burn trust www.cbtrust.org.uk

British burns association
www.britishburnsassociation.org

Its and this weekend will see lots of fireworks being enjoyed but also lots of accidents...please try and stick to organised displays and follow our safety tips...STAY SAFE AND HAVE FUN

⚠️ Avoid wearing loose clothing or clothing that is labelled 'highly flammable'

⚠️ Always wear gloves when handling sparklers and fireworks (sparklers can reach temperatures of 20 times more than boiling water)

⚠️ Always have buckets of water ready to put out small fires or too cool sparklers at home displays

⚠️ Make sure children are supervised around fireworks and bonfires

⚠️ Never drink alcohol if you are responsible for setting off fireworks

⚠️ Keep animals indoors and close curtains (put on or whichever radio or music you normally listen too for calming sounds)

⚠️ Only purchase fireworks that are sold by a registered seller

⚠️ Follow instructions carefully and light fireworks at arms length

⚠️ Ensure spectators stand back back from bonfires and fireworks

⚠️ Never go back to a firework that has been lit - even if it hasn't gone off

If someone get burnt act quickly🧭

🔥 If the person or their clothing is alight roll them on the ground to extinguish the flames 🔥

💧Use cool running water for 20 minutes to cool the area and reduce the pain 💧

👔 DO NOT remove burned clothing that has stuck to the skin 👚

🚨 seek medical assistance 🚨

Don't forget the TEAL Project!

If you are able to provide a safe alternative for those trick or treaters that live with allergies and or intolerance get your posters up or your arts and craft kits at the ready.

Display your TEAL PUMPKIN so those that need to know you are allergy aware know its a SAFE house (Safe Alternative For Everyone)

Remember you can get a range of items from B&M, Poundland etc

🎃 Glow sticks
🎃 Stickers
🎃 Stencils
🎃 Pens/crayons
🎃 Bubbles
🎃 Toys
🎃 Fidget toys

Posters are downloadable from https://www.foodallergy.org/our-initiatives/awareness-campaigns/living-teal/teal-pumpkin-project

Today is restart a heart day!

Every year the Resuscitation Council, along with many partners, raise awareness of cardiac arrest and CPR.

There are 30,000 out of hospital cardiac arrests every year and currently less than 1 in 10 survive. 80% of those cardiac arrests happen at home which makes it important for us to know CPR. We teach CPR to children as early as 2 and regularly go into primary schools to teach junior medic training. Your child could be the one who needs the skills to save your life 💔

What is just as important is to know the location of your closest public access defibrillator and how to use it. You do not need training to use it, the machine tells you exactly what to do.

Follow these basic steps while someone continues with CPR

1️⃣ TIRN ON THE MACHINE
2️⃣ PEEL OFF THE PADS AND PLACE THEM AS SHOWN ON THE PADS AMD DEFIB
3️⃣THE MACHINE WILL CHECK THE RHYTHM OF THE HEART AND WILL TELL YOU WHETHER A SJOCK IS NEEDED - DONT TOUCH THE CASUALTY
4️⃣ FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS AND CONTINUE WITH CPR UNTIL HELP ARRIVES

YOU CAN NOT SHOCK SOMEONE BY ACCIDENT

Restart a heart day is also highlighting a campaign for equal access to defibrillator. Currently people in deprived areas have to go 1.8km further to access one, which highlights health inequality in certain areas, putting more lives at risk. Make a point of checking locations when out and about.

Always call 999 immediately if you suspect cardiac arrest.

We have included the chain of survival to highlight the importance

If you do one thing today book some CPR training, get together with some friends and family and learn together ❤️ 💙❤️💙❤️💙❤️

Contact us for further details of available courses for adults, children and the workplace

Sources: Resus Council, BHF

and on this Friday 13th what better day to share some information on the Teal Project

Halloween is scarier for some than others 🎃 👻 for those that live with allergies and/or intolerance it can be more trick than treat!

How can we make it inclusive for all?

In America FARE (Food Allergy Research & Education) launched a campaign using a TEAL coloured pumpkin to symbolise that the hosting home/setting is Allergy aware and have some non-food Allergy safe items for trick and treaters.

There are plenty of non-food items that are fun to have at the ready!

🎃 Glow sticks
🎃 Stickers
🎃 Stencils
🎃 Pens/crayons
🎃 Bubbles
🎃 Toys
🎃 Fidget toys

What next? Display a TEAL PUMPKIN for all your trick and treaters to see! Get your design hats on and design your own TEAL PUMPKIN

TEAL pumpkins let trick and treaters know if you are SAFE (Safe alternatives for everyone) be Allergy aware this Halloween

All treats no nasty tricks! Everyone can enjoy Halloween 🎃

Today is

There are many different mental health conditions for which there are lots of treatment options available

Some of these include anxiety, bipolar disorder, depression, OCD, panic attacks, phobias, PTSD and many more

Treatments can include medications, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), are therapies, complementary therapies, mindfulness, counselling and much more

Often the most difficult step is telling someone how you feel. There are many support services available and we will share some below, you can also see your GP. If you don't feel able to do it alone try and speak to a friend or family member first.

If you are worried about a friend or family member, ask if there is anyway you can support them.

STATISTICS

🟡 1in 4 people will experience some kind of mental health problem each year in England
🟡 1 in 5 people will have suicidal thoughts
🟡 1 in 14 people will self harm
🟡 1 in 15 people will attempt su***de
🟡 Only 1 in 3 adults are currently receiving treatment
🟡 9 out of 10 people with a mental health problem say stigma and discrimination have a negative effect on their lives

Sources; Young Minds, Mind, Anxiety UK, NHS

Don't miss our next first aid for parents session on Saturday 14th Oct from 10am-12noon in the Mere Lecture Hall. Learn all the basics for that 'just in case' moment! Only £20 for the session, book online www.keepabeat.com/frome

It's so what better day to remind you that our next first aid for parents session is on Saturday 14th Oct in the Mere Lecture Hall from 10am-12noon. These 2 hour sessions are designed to give you practical experience on our manikins and hopefully give you some confidence if the worst case scenario happens. Book online at www.keepabeat.com/frome

All set up for this morning first aid for parents session, if you have missed this one there is another session in Oct in the Mere Lecture Hall

Every year the National Eczema Society raise awareness of the impact if eczema on people's lives.

This year's campaign is 'more than just an itch'

Eczema is a very common, noncontagious, dry skin condition affecting approx 1 in 5 babies and children in the UK

The common symptoms of eczema are dryness, itching and redness to the skin

Eczema often appears in the first few months of life, and for some children their eczema improves as they get older, however for children with more severe eczema this can persist into adult life

Eczema can be mild, moderate or severe and treatment depends on the severity, first line treatment is emollients and topical steroids, a health professional will advise on this and further treatments

There is currently no cure for eczema, however avoidance of trigger factors and a clear eczema treatment plan can help manage symptoms

Eczema affects all parts of a person's life including their mental health, social and personal wellbeing

In a survey carried out by eczema.org 91% of people felt self conscious or embarrassed and 4 out of 5 said it reduced their quality of life

The campaign is encouraging people to talk about their feelings and share their experiences with others to help reduce the stigma - do you have any stories or top tips you'd like to share with us and our followers that might make theie life a little easier or feel less isolated

World Sepsis Day is a global day of awareness of sepsis which affects 245,000 people in the UK alone every year, 48,000 of those will die of a sepsis related illness.

Sepsis is when the immune system goes into overdrive to respond to an infection which can then lead to shock, multiple organ failure and death.

5 people die every hour from sepsis in the UK

SIGNS OF SEPSIS

Slurred speech or confusion
Extreme shivering or muscle pain
Passing no urine (in a day)
Severe Breathlessness
It feels like you're going to die
Skin mottled or discoloured

There are extra signs to look out for in children and babies

Breathing very fast
Has confusion
Looks mottled or pale
Has a rash that does not fade when pressed
Very lethargic and difficult to wake
Feels abnormally cold to touch
Is not feeding
Has not passed urine in 12 hours
Weak, high pitched cry

Call 999 or attend A&E and ask 'COULD IT BE SEPSIS'

Treatment for sepsis needs to be started within 1 hour of arrival at hospital

Souces: The UK Sepsis Trust, NHS

Today is World First Aid Day

What better day to make plans to learn lifesaving skills for you, your family and your workplace 🚑🚨❤️💙

Would you know what to do in the following situations???

Someone collapses in the street with a suspected cardiac arrest 💔

You are sitting in a restaurant and one of your party starts to choke ‼️

Someone is unconscious but is still breathing 🫁

You child had a severe bump to the head 🤕

You have spilt a hot drink on your skin ☕️

You suspect someone has meningitis 🤒

The aim of first aid is to Preserve Life, Prevent from getting Worse and Promote recovery ❤️‍🩹

You can learn what to do in all of these situations and much more by joining us for one of our first aid sessions - we offer informal sessions for parents and carers, bespoke sessions for adults and children, regulated courses for workplaces

For further information check our website of contact us via email [email protected] or social media

Its first aid Friday, this week we are covering the incredibly important topic of maternal mental health. The perinatal mental heath partnership are the founders of the UK Maternal Mental Heath Awareness week.

There are many different types of mental heath conditions that can affect you at any time of your life but not everyone realises that some of these conditions can occur for the first time during pregnancy or the symptoms can worsen. These conditions include:

Anxiety and panic attacks
Depression
Obsessive compulsive disorder
Bipolar disorder
Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Fear of childbirth (Tokophobia)
Postnatal Depression
Eating disorders
Postpartum Psychosis

It's time to reduce the stigma around mental heath conditions and signpost families to support

It's first aid Friday! Today we are talking about high chair safety, as many of you are weaning or thinking about starting to wean we wanted to give you some useful information!

A common question we get during our first aid for parents session (next session is 17th Sept in the Mere Lecture Hall) is....

'Should I leave the straps undone on my babies highchair in case they choke?'

Answer: Always use the straps! In reality it only takes a few seconds to unclipped those straps in an emergency and it is far safer to have your child strapped in than not. Always follow the manufacturers instructions ✅️✅️✅️

👍Do not use on an uneven surface - make sure it can not topple over

👍 If you use a fold out highchair make sure it is locked into position each time you use it

👍 Warch out for hazards that are now in reach - hot drinks, knives, small objects, unsuitable food

👍 Hook on style highchairs - always check the table will hold the weight of your child

👍 Place the highchair away from the table and sideboards so babies can not use their feet to topple the highchair over

👍 Never leave a baby or young child unsupervised in their highchair

It's first aid Friday and as we head into a bank holiday weekend, we are hoping the sun is going to shine!! Here are a few tips for keeping your babies and children safe in the sun!

Babies under 6 months should be kept out of direct sunlight 🌞🌞🌞🌞 this is because their skin contains very little melanin which means they are more st risk of burning! OUCH!

Always use a suncream with at least 30SPF make sure it protects against both UVA and UVB rays.

Older babies should also be kept out of the sun as much as possible. Particularly between 11am-3pm during the summer when then sun is at its hottest and strongest.

Reapply suncream regularly, especially after swimming and water activities.

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Our next First aid for parents session is in Sunday 17th Sept in the Mere Lecture Hall from 10am-12noon, this 2 hour session is practical hands on ideal for parents, grandparents, babysitters, aunties, uncles and anyone who cares for a baby or child. For only £20 per person we offer peace of mind that you will know the basics of first aid designed around your child. To book or for more information please visit www.keepabeat.com/frome