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Good morning, We were out on patrol in Crewe when we frantically got flagged down by a family who were all standing outside their car. We pulled over, and realised that the gentleman with them looked very unwell and was hunched over.
We asked what had happened, and they said that he had eaten a chicken sandwich in the back of the car, when he usually only eats blended foods. This gentleman was living with Dementia, and struggled to eat solid foods. He had forgotten that he could no longer chew properly to break down the solid food. The sandwich had become lodged in the back of his throat which lead to him choking. We asked the family to call 999 and ask for an ambulance to be sent to us.
First of all, we checked for danger, we were at the side of a road, so needed to make sure that the location was safe. We then asked him to cough to try to clear the food, but he couldn’t, we then asked him to try to spit the food out, but again he couldn’t.
We immediately started with back blows. We gave 5 sharp blows and then checked if the blockage had cleared. It still had not. The male was starting to change colour in his face. So we then started doing abdominal thrusts. Thankfully then, after a couple the food dislodged. The male was sick, but was able to get his breath again. Not long after, colour returned to his face.
The family thanked us, but the wife said how scary it felt that she or any other family member didn’t know what to do in this circumstance. She was in tears saying that if we hadn’t have been going past, then she dreads to think what would have happened to her husband.
It really was a situation of just being in the right place at the right time. We were just pleased that the gentleman was safe and well.
But if we weren't there to help, we want our community to feel empowered that they would know what to do, if a loved one or a stranger was in need of first aid in a situation like the above.
Every year in the UK, thousands of people die or are seriously injured in incidents. Many deaths could be prevented if first aid was given before emergency services arrive.
So here’s a few educational pages and videos on what to do in different first aid situations.
- Call 999 always in an emergency!
- Choking - Choking First Aid | St John Ambulance(This page provides a step by step process, but also a video on what to do if someone is choking!)
- CPR - (If someone is unresponsive and not breathing normally, you need to call 999 or 111 for emergency help and start CPR straight away. Learn what to do.) - How to do CPR | St John Ambulance
- How to use a defibrillator (AED) - How to use a defibrillator (AED) | St John Ambulance (By using an automatic external defibrillator (AED) before an ambulance arrives, you can significantly increase someone’s chance of survival.)
- Find your nearest defibrillator - DefibFinder - find the defibrillators nearest you. (This website is used to locate defibrillators, but is not intended for use in an emergency. If you require urgent medical assistance, call 999 now.)
- Cardiac arrest - Sudden Cardiac Arrest Symptoms & First Aid | St John Ambulance (If someone has become unresponsive and they are not breathing normally, they could be in cardiac arrest. Find out what to look for and what to do, including how to do CPR and use a defibrillator.)
- DR ABC - How to do the primary survey and DR ABC | St John Ambulance (Use the primary survey to quickly assess the situation and the casualty. DANGER - RESPONSE - AIRWAY - BREATHING - CIRCULATION)
- Baby CPR - How to do CPR on a baby (under one year old) - Baby First Aid | St John Ambulance (If a baby is not responding to you and not breathing normally, you will need to call 999 or 112 for emergency help immediately and start CPR straight away. Learn what to do.)
- Child CPR - How to do CPR on a child | St John Ambulance (If a child is unresponsive and not breathing normally, you will need to call 999 or 112 for emergency help and perform child CPR straight away. Learn what to do.)
- DR ABC (BABY) - How to do a baby primary survey | St John Ambulance
- Burns and scalds - Burns & Scalds First Aid | St John Ambulance (If someone receives a burn or scald, your priority is to cool the burn as quickly as possible. Find out what to look for and how to perform first aid.)
- Shock - Shock Symptoms & First Aid | St John Ambulance (Shock - not to be confused with emotional shock – is a life-threatening condition. It happens when the body isn’t getting enough oxygen to the brain and vital organs. Find out what to look for and how to perform first aid.)
- Stroke - Stroke Symptoms & First Aid | St John Ambulance (A stroke is a medical emergency and you need to act FAST. FACIAL WEAKNESS - ARM WEAKNESS - SPEECH PROBLEMS - TIME TO CALL 999)
- Bleeding - Severe Bleeding First Aid | St John Ambulance (When bleeding is severe, it can be dramatic and distressing. Acting quickly is vital. Find out what to do.)
- Dressing a wound - How to apply a dressing | St John Ambulance (When you have a wound, you should always cover it with a dressing as this can help to prevent infection.)
- NHS - First Aid - First aid - NHS
- Recovery position - Recovery position | St John Ambulance (It’s safe to place someone in the recovery position who is not responding to you but is breathing normally. Learn what to do.)
- Anaphylaxis - Anaphylaxis Symptoms & First Aid | St John Ambulance (An allergy is an abnormal reaction to an allergen or ‘trigger’ substance. Anaphylaxis is a severe, life-threatening form of allergic reaction. Find out what to look for and how to perform first aid.)
- Please always call 999 in an emergency.
As an emergency service team, we can come across any situation (that's why we are trained in First Aid), but as a member of our community, so could you.
Be prepared and use the above to help you to learn or refresh what to do. You could save someone's life.
Stay safe. PCSO Lizzie Jolley 22582 Crewe Police
#crewepolice#pcsojolley22582 | 
