REVIEW: The First Aid Manual
The latest and ninth edition of the First Aid Manual is out to buy this April.
It is still the only first aid reference manual endorsed by all three UK First Aid providers – St John Ambulance, St. Andrew’s First Aid and the British Red Cross.
Published by Dorling Kindersley, the book contains comprehensive information on every possible first aid situation.
Reviewed by…
Chopsy Baby’s Jen Smith
Being a parent to one of ‘those’ kinds of children you quickly build up a sound medical knowledge of head injury, minor first aid and other medical conditions. These are the kind of children whose red books are issued with a parking reservation at the Walk-In centre.
But no matter how much you experience, nothing can prepare you for the blinding terror of something truly serious happening to your child. This is where a first aid course or possession of the First Aid Manual is everything.
The book is really easy to read in one go or to refer to as and when. It is broken up into chapters, easy to flip through to find information and has an index at the back.
Whether you are reading the book at 3am to check the symptoms of concussion, or brushing up skills with a coffee during the day, the book caters for all needs and abilities.
It has two chapters at the beginning, taking the reader through how to risk assess an unknown situation to ensure everybody’s safety.
There are photographs showing you each step of CPR, including diagrams of the body of a baby and child, labelling exactly which part you are aiming for.
Dressings, flash burns, seizures, even instructions on emergency childbirth will be quicker to locate in this book than fumbling around for the phone number of NHS Direct.
How to operate an automated external defibrillator (AED) which are widely available in shopping centres, has now been included.
These devices can save the lives of people who are unconscious and not breathing and can be operated by anyone – no training necessary.
Many people do not apply even a little first aid knowledge to help somebody for fear that they may do something wrong. Doing something to help can’t be worse than a person dying anyway.
Equipping yourself with the knowledge that can be gleaned from this book will help you to help somebody else, remaining calm whilst doing so.
A must for every family home.
Essential sections for parents: CPR, Choking, Head Injury and Concussion
Could improve…
Nothing. This book is brilliantly designed for people to refer to quickly in an emergency, or to read through at a leisurely pace.
Basically…
The First Aid Manual is the essential book every family home must have. Quite simply, it can save lives.
You can buy from…
£12.99
www.dorlingkindersley-uk.co.uk