First Aid/Manual of Style


Terminology

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How do we refer to "the injured person"
We decided to use victim for the book proper, and either victim or patient in the Advanced Topics chapter. Casualty is not used.
CPR or BLS?
CPR is used more prominently because that is how the public knows the technique. BLS is acceptable, but should be avoided outside the Advanced Topics chapter.
C stands for Compressions
Due to changes introduced in the 2005 standards, C no longer stands for Circulation, but rather for Compressions. This is because there is no circulation check for lay rescuers, and this change in terminology reinforces the new procedures.

Scope & audience

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The intended audience for this book is people (primarily young people in high school or college/university) who are taking a Standard First Aid with CPR-C course - that is, this book covers only lay rescuer procedures and will not deal with healthcare provider procedures. This is based on an international consensus for training. Where major regional variations (particularly in resuscitation) exist, they should be noted.

Standard First Aid with CPR-C includes:

  1. Goals of first aid
  2. Legal implications of first aid (consent, liability and abuse)
  3. Self-protection
  4. Anatomy and physiology of ABC priorities
  5. Assessment (primary & secondary)
  6. One-rescuer and two-rescuer CPR (adult & child & infant) (complete & summary)
  7. Obstructed airway: conscious victim (adult & child & infant)
  8. Obstructed airway: unconscious victim (adult & child & infant)
  9. Management of bystanders
  10. Respiratory emergencies: asthma/hyperventilation
  11. Circulatory emergencies: shock, heart attack/angina, external bleeding, stroke/TIA
  12. Care of unconscious victim
  13. Suspected spinal injury
  14. Environmental emergencies: heat & cold illness
  15. Bone or joint injury
  16. Abdominal or chest injury
  17. Burns
  18. Facial injury
  19. Seizure
  20. Diabetes
  21. Poisoning
  22. Critical incident stress management

Spelling & conventions

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  • Canadian English is dominant, and for consistency's sake, should be used whenever possible.
  • Language should avoid being overly technical, and should attempt to present analogies or simplified explanations or mnemonics whenever possible. While there is massive amounts of scientific evidence or practical experience behind the reasoning for any given technique, it's usually not necessary to present any of that background information. When explanation is needed, practical reasons are preferred, as they'll be easily remembered, and will help the reader in the practical component of their course.
  • There are a series of templates which should be used to highlight key points, etc.
  • Images should be used to illustrate concepts wherever practical.