First Aid Training

[andyb2]

When on a group ride on Sunday, one of our group went over the bars and was unconscious for around a minute, and when he came to had bad concussion.

We were in the middle of nowhere, with no phone reception. One of our group had to ride back to the car park and get his 4x4 and drive onto the hills in order to pick him up, and take him to hospital. Luckily scans at the hospital he had no lasting damage, and just scrapes and no broken bones.

None of us had any clue what to do, other than keep an eye on him and keep him talking, so thinking about taking some sort of first aid course.

Has anyone taken one, and are they relevant to the sort of stuff that might happen in the middle of nowhere, where ambulance access won't be available quickly?

 

[Tubby G]

Maybe consider a trail guide course, something like this, it will include first aid:

Mountain Bike Trail Leader Course from MBCUK

Gain a qualification to coach or lead on terrain of low to moderate difficulty with our Mountain Bike Trail Leader (TL) Course. The Trail Leader TL is a three (two days if exemption applies) training and assessment course in cycle coaching and leading.

mountainbikecoaching.com

 

[RustyIron]

Has anyone taken one, and are they relevant to the sort of stuff that might happen in the middle of nowhere, where ambulance access won't be available quickly?

Red Cross Wilderness First Aid Training Class.
I believe they offer both classroom and online courses.

For serious medical conditions, call in the chopper.

 

[RustyIron]

what’s gonna kill him now problems. Bleeding, burning vehicle.

Right?
That's why I aways move the patient away from their Bafang powered bikes.
Get 'em to safety before the bike bursts into flames.

 

[jimbob]

Funnily enough, I was in a very similar situation last weekend. Bloke over the bars, knocked out, and dislocated shoulder (think there is more to it as got a nervous of operations to go). Was on a marked trail, but still a few miles from a road and in the middle of a forrest.

Not much you can do, other than keep them comfortable and talking. Had no first aid kit with me, and no extra layers as it was hot.

Phoned ambulance, after having to cycle to gain signal. Passed lat/long, OS coordinates and talked them on from Google maps. They didn't seem to have any ability to either use the info, and then failed to pass the location on to the ambulance, so ended up with the crew doing circles for an hour. 2hr wait in total.

Would reccomend downloading what3words, as that was all it would seem they could use. And of course you can't download it when there is no data signal as I found out...

Massive thanks to all the people who helped out, including a forresty commission rangers and an off duty policeman.

Regarding first aid training, you can do an outdoor first aid course which is 2 days, and about the best thing you could get for thise type scenario. Normal first aid courses are designed for a corporate office environment, where you apply a plaster or call an ambulance.

Oh, and I'm buying a full face helmet!

 

[dobbyhasfriends]

When on a group ride on Sunday, one of our group went over the bars and was unconscious for around a minute, and when he came to had bad concussion.

We were in the middle of nowhere, with no phone reception. One of our group had to ride back to the car park and get his 4x4 and drive onto the hills in order to pick him up, and take him to hospital. Luckily scans at the hospital he had no lasting damage, and just scrapes and no broken bones.

None of us had any clue what to do, other than keep an eye on him and keep him talking, so thinking about taking some sort of first aid course.

Has anyone taken one, and are they relevant to the sort of stuff that might happen in the middle of nowhere, where ambulance access won't be available quickly?

yes, I've done several as I have been a first aider in an industrial environment.
I gotta be honest, accidents where that kind of intervention are so few and far between that its almost impossible to remember what to do, you can get the basics right but afterwards you'll always remember stuff that you forgot when under pressure.
having said that, its always been better than nothing and I still remember some of the stuff that you would do in extreme circumstances in order to save a life. like this: (not for the squeamish)

theres other random stuff I remember about chest trauma injuries, neck injuries and recovery positions, swallowing tongue etc..

so basically, yea the more training you have the better you will deal with it but as with everything 'use it or lose it' - dont expect to remember it all.

 

[RustyIron]

Would reccomend downloading what3words, as that was all it would seem they could use.

^^^THIS!!!!

The developers of this idea are GENIUSES. Or maybe we're all donkeys for not thinking of it first. What3words is being used all over the world with great success, from emergency services to onboard automobile GPS displays. If you're going to meet me on a ride, you'll get the meeting location in what3words. If I'm sending a location in a newsletter, it's what3words. If I'm sending out invitations, it's what3words.

In the UK, did you guys have Thomas Guides? In the old days in the U.S., it was a book of maps for each region. You'd tell people the page number and the coordinates: Orange County, Page 235, F-4. It was bloody awful. But at least it was better than latitude and longitude coordinates. What3words simplifies everything for everybody.

 

[Burgo]

If you live near the coast (ie a dive centre) the PADI first & secondary aid with Emergency First Responder / CPR is a really good pick. You can do a lot of it online, and just attend a day session to do the practical bits and sit the exam. Granted the envenomation module may be slightly sea based, but the principles equally apply to snake / scorpion / etc bites and the instructor should easily accommodate any tweaks if necessary. Well worth checking out as if gives you a lot of confidence and the skills and mindset to get in and assess, stabilise and escalate a situation.

 

[jimbob]

If you live near the coast (ie a dive centre) the PADI first & secondary aid with Emergency First Responder / CPR is a really good pick. You can do a lot of it online, and just attend a day session to do the practical bits and sit the exam. Granted the envenomation module may be slightly sea based, but the principles equally apply to snake / scorpion / etc bites and the instructor should easily accommodate any tweaks if necessary. Well worth checking out as if gives you a lot of confidence and the skills and mindset to get in and assess, stabilise and escalate a situation.

I would hope in the UK knowing how to respond to snake and scorpion bites is a low priority...

 

[Sky32]

When on a group ride on Sunday, one of our group went over the bars and was unconscious for around a minute, and when he came to had bad concussion.

We were in the middle of nowhere, with no phone reception. One of our group had to ride back to the car park and get his 4x4 and drive onto the hills in order to pick him up, and take him to hospital. Luckily scans at the hospital he had no lasting damage, and just scrapes and no broken bones.

None of us had any clue what to do, other than keep an eye on him and keep him talking, so thinking about taking some sort of first aid course.

Has anyone taken one, and are they relevant to the sort of stuff that might happen in the middle of nowhere, where ambulance access won't be available quickly?

I've only had trainings myself kinda wish that I don't really experience the real thing

 

[irie]

For serious medical conditions, call in the chopper.

When my wife* went OTB on Salisbury plain and fractured a collar bone a medic responded on an RV, took one look at her and called in the chopper because there was no way an ambulance could have got there.

* She's medical and knew what she'd done.