'Beyond First Aid' - vital course for sailors in Sydney

by John Keelty/ Sail-World Cruising on 27 Feb 2012 Whether racing, cruising or simply messing about on the water there is nothing more isolated than a vessel at sea should an accident medical emergency arise. A normal first-aid course, while it might be excellent, does not cover the ground necessary for a sailing emergency at sea. The Cruising Yacht Club of Australia (CYCA) will be presenting a one-session-only course, open to all, entitled 'Beyond First Aid' on 3rd April at the club house in Rushcutters Bay.

Why should you attend if you are within reach of the CYCA?

Three important things that any one who goes to sea should be up to date and aware of are:
• Basic Life Support
• The content and administration of the drugs and pharmaceuticals contained in the medical kit, including how to give an injection if carrying injectable drugs should the need arise.
• The facts and risks involved in helicopter rescue.

On that evening a team with a variety of medical qualifications and experience will be presenting on these topics.

Dr Greg O’Sullivan, Director of Anaesthetics at St Vincent’s Hospital, shall provide an update on basic life support guidelines.

Dr Virginia Furner, Albion Street Centre, shall provide information on the drugs recommended for Category 1 medical kits and in particular discuss skipper and crew responsibilities when administering these drugs.

The Category 1 kit may contain injectable drugs and therefore the evening will include a brief presentation regarding key safety issues and how and where to safely give injections.

This will be followed by a presentation by Paramedic Cameron Edgar. Cameron has been involved in many helicopter rescues and will share his experiences to explain the serious problems and risks involved in helicopter rescue, what you might be called upon to do and how to assist to make this safer in adverse conditions.

The evening will conclude with the opportunity to practice skills. There will be mannequins available and experienced Remote First Aid Instructor John Crowley and the rest of the team will be on hand to assist those who wish to practice their CPR skills. There will also be the opportunity to practice skills required for giving injections.

This is an evening not to miss and will be held at the CYCA in the Morna room commencing at 6.30pm on Tuesday 3rd April. The evening is free and open to all.

The Bistro will be open prior to and following the presentations. To ensure adequate seating we ask that you signal your intention to attend by contacting CYCA Reception on 02 8292 7800.