Bipolar Disorder otherwise known as manic depressive disorder is a mental health illness where patients experience periods of extreme elation or mania and periods of depression hence the term ‘bipolar’. It effects approximately 1/100...

OPQRST is a memory device (mnemonic ) used by first aiders and healthcare professionals to assess and understand a patient’s pain.  Many medical emergencies result in pain, but it’s not always easy for patients...

According to the World Health Organisation, approximately 47.5 million people world wide suffer from Dementia. This number is set to sky rocket with the increasing elderly population. The term ‘dementia’ encompasses a group of...

Anxiety attacks are surprisingly common and occur most frequently in women. They can be caused by a variety of things that are specific to that individual e.g. fear of going outside or news that...

Blood pressure is defined as the pressure exerted by circulating blood on the walls of the arteries and is highest in the large arteries leaving the heart. It is measured in millimetres of mercury...

Our heart is controlled by electrical activity which allows it to pump in a co-ordinated way. A disturbance in the normal electrical activity is known as an arrhythmia.  Arrhythmias can cause the heart to stop...

Triage is the initial assessment and sorting of casualties based on medical need and likely response to treatment. In a multiple-casualty situation, triage is essential to effectively sort casualties and prioritise their order of...

Taking an accurate pulse and respiratory rate is a core skill for first aiders. Pulse and respiration rates are two of the five vital signs used to measure the essential functions of the human...

Febrile seizures are a relatively common childhood condition, referring to a child having a seizure when they have a high temperature most usually as a result of an infection. Although febrile seizures may be...

Cerebral compression occurs when there is a build up of pressure inside the skull. Cerebral compression can be caused by bleeding into the skull or swelling of the brain tissue after a head injury. It...

SOCRATES is a mnemonic which can be used by first aiders and healthcare professionals to assess pain.  Pain is a complex symptom with lots of different dimensions and characteristics. Asking about and documenting a...

The heart is a very complex organ, made up of many specialised structures designed to work in unison. The heart can suffer from a variety of problems with the most common being a heart...

Schizophrenia is a chronic psychiatric condition or disorder that severely affects the ways in which a human being acts, thinks, perceives reality, displays emotions, and identifies with those around them. Although schizophrenia is not...

AEIOU TIPS is a mnemonic device taught to first responders to deal with Altered Mental State (AMS) patients.  Although a first responder’s job doesn’t include rooting out the cause of unconsciousness, being aware of underlying issues...