My friend has collapsed-what should I do?

If you’re out and your mate collapses what should you do?

a)     ignore them and hope someone else helps them

b)     panic!!

c)      stay calm and get things sorted

How to get help

If you’re calm it’s easier to get things sorted because you can think more clearly about what you need to do.

Find someone to help you – if it’s in town go into a shop. It’s ok to knock on someone’s door and ask them to call for help but DON’T GO INTO THEIR HOUSE. Go back to your friend straight away.

Tell the person dealing with the situation exactly what happened. Even if your friend has been drinking or taken something, it’s important that people know exactly what has happened to help them decide what to do.

My friend has diabetes - what do I need to know?

People with diabetes have too much or too little sugar in the blood. They have to make sure they know how much sugar is in their blood and make sure there is the right amount.

If you have a friend with diabetes you can help them by:

• Finding out when they need to check their blood sugar and reminding them when it is time to do it
• Finding out the signs that they might be having a reaction and what to do
• If other people give them a hard time about having diabetes and the ways of managing it – help your friend to ignore them and not get upset
• If they have a reaction to high/low blood sugar ask them if they need insulin or get an adult
• Most importantly don’t treat them any different than before

My friend has an allergy - what do I need to know?

If your friend has an allergy ask them to tell you all about it so you know what to do if they become ill. Sometimes they need an injection straight away with something called an EpiPen that makes them feel better.

• Ask your friend to tell you how to recognise the signs that they’re having an allergic reaction.
• If they have a an allergic reaction call an adult who will be able to use an EpiPen to give the person an injection of epinephrine.
• Phone an ambulance or ask someone to do it, they must give information about your friend’s allergy and describe what has happened to trigger the allergic reaction. When the ambulance is on its way call your friend’s mum, dad or other carer to let them know what has happened.

More first aid advice

Burns

• Look for dangers. Do not get burnt yourself
• Call for Help
• Place burnt area under cold running water for 10 minutes
• Do not pop blisters or put on any ointments
• Cover burn with a wet clean cloth or cling film

Falls

• Look for dangers
• DO NOT MOVE THE PERSON
• Call for help
• Call 999 if your friend is unconscious or no help arrives

 Have a look at the Red Cross website for more tips.

Children first aid online resource

The British Red Cross have launched a new online resource called Children First Aid. It’s for parents of babies and young children to learn life-saving first aid skills. Follow this link to see the resource.