First Aid and CPR Awareness Refresher

In an emergency, the first few minutes matter most, and you may be the first person there. This lesson explains what this refresher is and is not: it builds awareness and helps you recall your training, but it does not replace a nationally accredited first aid or CPR certificate. It covers your role at work, following our emergency procedures and the person's plans, protecting yourself with gloves and a face shield, and respecting advance care directives when they are known. Key point: act promptly, call for help early and stay within your training.

DRSABCD is the basic life support action plan used in Australia. It stands for Danger, Response, Send for help, Airway, Breathing, CPR and Defibrillation. This lesson walks through each step: check for danger, check for a response by talking to and touching the person, send for help by calling 000, open and clear the airway, check for normal breathing for no more than 10 seconds, start CPR if the person is unresponsive and not breathing normally, and attach a defibrillator as soon as one is available. Key point: follow the steps in order.

Calling for help early saves lives. This lesson explains how to call 000, including from a mobile phone, what information the call taker will ask for, why you should stay on the line and follow their instructions, and how to put the phone on speaker so you can keep giving first aid. It covers preparing for the ambulance by unlocking doors and sending someone to meet it, and handing over clearly to paramedics. Key points: know the address, stay on the line, and report every incident through our process afterwards.

Cardiac arrest happens when the heart suddenly stops pumping blood effectively. The person collapses, becomes unresponsive and stops breathing normally. Without CPR and defibrillation, the chance of survival drops with every minute. This lesson explains the difference between a heart attack and a cardiac arrest, how to recognise cardiac arrest using the response and breathing checks, and why starting CPR immediately is so important. Key point: if a person is unresponsive and not breathing normally, start CPR. You will not make things worse.

CPR combines chest compressions with rescue breaths. This lesson revises the technique for adults and older children under the ANZCOR guidelines: 30 compressions to 2 breaths, at a rate of 100 to 120 compressions per minute, pressing down about one third of the depth of the chest on the lower half of the breastbone, and letting the chest fully rise between compressions. It covers compression only CPR if you are unable or unwilling to give breaths, swapping rescuers about every two minutes, and when to stop. Infant CPR differs and is covered in accredited training.

An automated external defibrillator, or AED, is a portable device that checks the heart's rhythm and delivers a shock if it is needed. AEDs are designed for anyone to use: they give spoken instructions and will only shock if a shockable rhythm is found. This lesson explains when to use an AED, how to attach the pads, why no one should touch the person during analysis and shocks, and why CPR continues until the AED says otherwise. Key points: attach an AED as soon as one is available, follow its prompts and keep compressions going.

A person who is unresponsive but breathing normally is at risk of their airway becoming blocked by their tongue, vomit or fluid. Placing them on their side in the recovery position helps keep the airway open and lets fluid drain out of the mouth. This lesson revises how to roll a person onto their side, how to position the head, and how to keep monitoring breathing. It covers adjustments for people with limited movement, and when to leave a person where they are, such as a suspected spinal injury. Key point: keep checking breathing.

Choking happens when something blocks the airway. A person with a mild blockage can still cough effectively, while a severe blockage stops them coughing, speaking or breathing well. This lesson revises the ANZCOR approach for adults: encourage an effective cough; if the cough becomes ineffective, call 000 and give up to 5 back blows between the shoulder blades, then up to 5 chest thrusts, alternating while the person is responsive. If they become unresponsive, start CPR. Key point: back blows and chest thrusts, checking after each one.

Many people we support have dysphagia, which is difficulty swallowing, due to conditions such as cerebral palsy, stroke, dementia, Parkinson's disease or acquired brain injury. This lesson covers how to reduce choking risk: following mealtime management plans written by speech pathologists, preparing food and drink to the right texture, correct positioning, supervision, and pacing. It covers warning signs of swallowing difficulty such as coughing during meals, a wet voice and chest infections. Key point: prevention is the best first aid for choking.

Severe bleeding can become life threatening within minutes. This lesson revises the ANZCOR approach: protect yourself with gloves, apply firm direct pressure over the wound with a pad or your hand, and keep the pressure on. If the bleeding continues, apply firmer pressure over a small area rather than piling on more pads. For severe, life threatening bleeding from a limb that pressure does not control, a tourniquet may be applied by someone trained in its use. Key points: pressure is the priority, do not remove embedded objects, and call 000.

Shock is a life threatening condition where not enough blood and oxygen reach the body's organs. It can follow severe bleeding, burns, severe infection, dehydration, heart problems or a severe allergic reaction. This lesson covers the signs, including pale, cool, clammy skin, a fast pulse, fast breathing, thirst, anxiety, confusion and drowsiness, and the first aid response under ANZCOR: call 000, treat the cause, lay the person flat, keep them warm and reassure them. Current guidelines do not recommend raising the legs.

Anaphylaxis is a severe, life threatening allergic reaction, commonly to foods, insect stings or medicines. This lesson covers the signs, such as difficult or noisy breathing, swelling of the tongue or throat, a hoarse voice, wheeze or persistent cough, persistent dizziness or collapse, and the first aid response on the ASCIA action plan: lay the person flat, or sit them with legs out if breathing is hard, do not let them stand or walk, give an adrenaline autoinjector, call 000, and give further adrenaline if there is no response after 5 minutes. The lesson ends with a course summary.