Medic First Aid Course

[Starfish]

My husband and I will be taking the Medic First Aid Course and eventually the DAN Oxygen Course in a "hope we never need it! but just in case" percaution.

I have gotten the course materials ahead of time, but I was wonder if anyone had any other prepatory suggestions for the class?

Also, for those who have taken the courses, do you bring your own First Aid kits when you dive? We have always dove with companies that have on-board oxygen and first aid kits. -Starfish

 

[Heads Up]

Hi Starfish - right from the off, I am NOT a doctor (except on Friday nights when my missus asks me to dress up ...) so this is only my opinion. There is no real preparation you can do as I have found that these courses are (necessarily) extremely thorough in their presentation. Best to ask the people who will be taking the course if they have any expectations in pre-course work.

As for bringing your own first-aid kit, its really a matter of choice as well as available financial resources. A basic first aid kit is a good idea no matter what you are doing (diving, driving etc) and is relatively inexpensive. Ask your local medical centre if they can sell you one or provide you with a list of essential things to include.

Dedicated oxygen kits are another matter - they are EXPENSIVE to purchase, must be regularly maintained & filled by a medical grade O2 provider BUT at least you know it has been maintained, correctly filled etc. If you rely on a third party to provide this kit, are you confident it is reliable etc?

Perhaps not a great response, but hopefully it will give you a few things to mull over.

 

[turnerjd]

OK - for those of you that like the MFA course please switch off now

<start rant>

The MFA is a generic course that PADI has licenced from EMP - a US company that provides basic first aid training. If you find the EMP course book it is exactly the same as the PADI book (except that PADI have their own logo on the cover)

There is nothing in there that is specific to diving, neither is there any consideration as to where you might be having to perform first aid. For me, any diver should not do a general course likr this but one specifically tailored to diving - equally, the vast majority of first aid kits are absolutely totally inadequate for a diving accident.

For boat diving, there are considerations like
Animal stings - no standard first aid kit I know carries vinegar for jellyfish stings
hypothermia - no first aid kit carries anything suitable for a hypothermic diver
CPR - where and how do you do it on a small boat (the vast majority of european dive clubs have RIB's - there isn't the space lo lie a diver down flat to do CPR)

Also - in what instance would you need to break out the bandages? only two that I can think of (that are in water accidents - rather than on the boat ones) one is being eaten by a shark - which I am sure we will all agree isn't the most likely of accidents - and the other is an accident with some form of proppellor (or arsehol* on a jetski) in both cases a couple of bandages aren't exactly going to make this difference between life and death! (except if it is a very small, very slow rotating propellor that does only a little damage!)

In many ways I would like somebody to sort out a decent first aid course that actually deals with doing first aid in a diving related environment. The PADI course is too generic - and is not adapted in any way to the marine environment.

The MFA course is a reasonable general first aid course, but it isn't the best when it comes to providing you with all the info with regards to actually doing diving first aid.

<end rant>

The DAN O2 course is a completely different story as it is written by divers for divers, and is (IMHO) a really good course.

Jon T

 

[Heads Up]

While my MFA course seemed thorough at the time, having considered your points about:

1. It not being diving specific (ok, it could be argued that Rescue diver covers this) and
2. No consideration is given to where MFA would most likely be applied (i.e. in a small RIB etc)

I accept that the course may be viewed only as paying lip service to the whole issue. I have just enrolled on a first aid course through work and am having to attend a week long course just to be certified as a first aider - ONE WEEK!!

Your points on a first aid kit are also spot on - my argument that it is better to have a kit than none at all still stands but you are right - why is there no guidance on a specific DIVERS first aid kit containing all the things you mentioned?

 

[turnerjd]

Originally posted by Heads Up
why is there no guidance on a specific DIVERS first aid kit containing all the things you mentioned?

Oh but there are!!

BSAC (UK) and FFESSM (France) both specify what should be in a diving first aid kit! (although not compulsory!)

I will hunt round at home this w/end and try and find the reccomended list.

Jon T

 

[Heads Up]

That would be a great help Jon, not only to me ut others too I'm sure.

 

[Heads Up]

I know that France will not allow PADI to instruct in its countries, but how is a PADI qualified diver treated? If, for instance, I had a PADI divemaster qualification and went to dive in France, would they regard me as a newbie or will the French dive operations take PADI qualifications into account?

 

[jake1071]

I'm currently in the padi Rescue diver course, working toward my Dive Master . I was told by the instructor that I would need to take the padi medic course. The kick in the butt, I'm a PAramedic. I told him this, and the reply was that PAdi does things different. Does anyone know if this is true?

I do not see the need to take a course in first aid considering that I have been treating people for the last 5 years as a Paramedic, and 8 years in EMS. What do you all think?

 

[Maggie]

Yes, I do feel its important that you do do the course, if only to find out what the MFA course does not teach. I am a RN with Advanced Cardiac Life Support and Advanced Trauma Life Support qualifications and also have worked for over 20 years in Theatre, Intensive Care, Accident and Emergency departments and in Air Ambulances. I was told I did'nt need to do the MFA but I chose to for the above reason. I have also known Doctors to do the course. Whatever course you do, you will only get out of it what you put in to it ie some First Aid Kits are woefully inadequate for diving - contribute - suggest what may be added for diving in your locale.

 

[Starfish]

When I became a DAN member, I received a handbook from them about diving. If I remember correctly, there was a list in the handbook which included suggestion for constructing your own Diver's First Aid Kit. I'll check tonight and get some specifics.

I do know that DAN offers a "Hazardous Marine Life Injuries Course Offers A Dive-Specific First Aid Course." -Starfish