Marine First Aid Level 4 (VTQ)
Course Content
- Course Introduction
- Human anatomy and physiology for immediate emergency care
- Safety and Calling for Help
- What3Words - location app
- Marine band radios
- Marine VHF Radios
- Common Coastal Water Dangers
- Common Fresh Water Marine Dangers
- Emergency Flares
- LED Flares
- The Coastguard
- The Air Ambulance
- Personal Location Beacons
- Accident Prevention
- Boat Safety
- Calling for help
- Water safety tubes
- Types of Blankets
- Emergency response for hybrid and electric boats
- First Aid and Safety Equipment\
- Initial Assessment and Care
- Basic airway management in emergency care
- CPR
- AED
- Administration of oxygen therapy
- Drowning
- Choking
- Shock
- Bleeding
- Catastrophic Injury
- Injuries
- Hypothermia
- Illness
- FIrst Responder - Management of injuries
- Prioritising first aid
- Pelvic Injuries
- Spinal Injuries
- Rapid Extrication
- SAM Pelvic Sling
- Box Splints
- Spinal Injury
- Stabilising the spine
- Spinal Recovery Position
- Introduction to Spinal Boards
- The spinal board
- Using the Spinal Board
- The Scoop Stretcher
- Using the scoop stretcher
- Cervical collars
- Vertical C-Spine Immobilisation
- Joint examination
- Adult fractures
- Types of fracture
- First Responder - Management of trauma
- Elevated Slings
- Lower limb immobilisation
- Elevation Techniques
- Helmet Removal
- Different Types of Helmets
- The Carry Chair
- Applying Plasters
- Strains and Sprains and the RICE procedure
- Eye Injuries
- Electrical Injuries
- Foreign objects in the eye, ears or nose
- Nose bleeds
- Bites and stings
- Chest Injuries
- Foxseal chest seals
- Abdominal Injuries
- Treating Snake Bites
- Types of head injury and consciousness
- Dislocated Shoulders and Joints
- Other Types of Injury
- Dental Injuries
- First Responder - Management of medical conditions
- Asthma
- Asthma Spacers
- When an Asthma inhaler is not available
- Accuhaler®
- Heart Attack
- Warning signs of cardiac arrest and heart attack
- Heart Attack Position
- Aspirin and the Aspod
- Stable angina
- Hypertension
- Pulse Oximetry
- Epilepsy
- Epilepsy treatment
- Meningitis
- Diabetes
- Blood Sugar Testing
- Poisons and Food Poisoning
- Shock
- Near and secondary drowning
- Cold water shock
- Allergic Reactions and Anaphylaxis
- Course Summary
Need a certification?
Get certified in Marine First Aid Level 4 (VTQ) for just £49.95 + VAT.
Get StartedRespiration and Breathing
Unlock This Video Now for FREE
This video is normally available to paying customers.
You may unlock this video for FREE. Enter your email address for instant access AND to receive ongoing updates and special discounts related to this topic.
One of the things we look out for within first aid is that someone's breathing or their respiration rate. But just the respiration rate is just one component of it. There are a lot more other things we need to look for when monitoring someone's breathing. When we're looking at a patient we are looking for normal breathing, so what sort of indications would there be of normal breathing? Normal breathing, the chest is able to rise and fall equally on both sides. The patient doesn't display any signs of any distress at all. You can hear good air entry coming in and going out. We wouldn't hear that normally. You don't hear people breathing, normally, so if you're able to hear a breath going in and going out, normally something is wrong. If they're normal it can be quite quiet, but they're not showing any signs of distress. And then when things start going wrong, what sorts of different types of breathing are there then? Generally, your patient will become... They will become distressed. They may look distressed or they may feel uncomfortable because they're now having to think about breathing, whereas normally we don't. For somebody who's asthmatic who may be wheezy and you could hear the wheeze whilst they're breathing, or they will tell you that they feel very wheezy or they feel very tight. Their respiratory effort will increase, and the speed that they breathe will also increase. You should still be able to see the chest rise and fall equally on both sides. And then what other conditions can then go further and more serious? If you think possibly of a pneumothorax, where for some reason that one side of the chest and the lung is not working properly, the patient will be incredibly stressed. They will tell you that they can't breathe. They'll tell you... The request for help, constantly request for help and will want to sit up. You will only see one side of the chest move, so whichever side is not moving, that's the affected side. But the patient will demand to be sitting upright, possibly sitting forward and hunched over, because they can't breathe. And how can you make them more comfortable in that stage? Get them into the position that they want to get into. Your asthmatic patient will sit in like a tripod position, so they'll sit forward and they'll lean forward and they'll try and open the back of their chest, and they'll sit themselves like that. Whatever position they want to sit, let them or help them get to there. Don't force them into a position that makes you feel more comfortable. They need to feel comfortable. And then how can we listen more carefully? Using stethoscopes, is that an easy way of anyone learning how to do it? If you're used to using a stethoscope, then yes, you're able to hear different noises within the chest. You can hear a wheeze, you can hear what we call fine crackles or even coarse crackles at the base of the lungs. That would show us there's some infection going on in there. Depending on the environment that you're in you may be able to hear somebody wheeze or you may even hear some stridor of some description. The simulator will actually demonstrate that for you. But if you're not used to using a stethoscope, it's actually quite difficult to use.
Recognizing Breathing Difficulties in First Aid
Normal Breathing Signs
- Rising and Falling Chest: Look for the chest's symmetrical rise and fall on both sides.
- Sign of Comfort: The patient should display no signs of distress.
- Steady Breath: Breathing should be quiet, regular, and consistent.
Signs of Breathing Difficulty
When someone experiences difficulty breathing, there are key indicators to observe:
- Distress: They may appear distressed and anxious.
- Conscious Effort: The individual might consciously think about their breathing, which is unusual.
- Rapid Respiration: Their respiratory rate and effort will increase significantly.
- Asthma Symptoms: In cases of asthma, they may wheeze or describe tightness in the chest.
- Symmetrical Chest Movement: Even when experiencing difficulty, their chest should still rise and fall equally on both sides.
First Aid for Asthma
When assisting an asthma patient:
- Comfortable Position: Allow them to sit in a position they find most comfortable; they often prefer sitting down with hunched shoulders.
- Respect Their Choice: Let the patient decide the position that suits them best.
Recognizing Serious Conditions
Some serious conditions affecting breathing include:
- Pneumothorax: In this condition, one lung isn't functioning correctly.
- Severe Distress: Patients with pneumothorax will be incredibly distressed, express an inability to breathe, and seek help.
- Asymmetrical Chest Movement: With pneumothorax, only one side of the chest will visibly move; the affected side won't.