Sold-out KKL Luzern at the first First Aider Symposium
The first-aid symposium of the Swiss Association for Occupational Health (SVBS) and Betriebsapotheke.ch was a success. With over 270 participants, the event on November 6, 2021 was practically sold out and the hall of the KKL was fully occupied. The event focused on first aid measures for eye, back and electrical injuries as well as burns.
At the first first-aid symposium of the Swiss Association for Occupational Health (SVBS) and Betriebsapotheke.ch, around 270 participants met last Saturday at the KKL Lucerne to gather new practical knowledge about first-aid measures for a wide range of injury risks. The focus was on first aid for burns, eye injuries, back injuries and electrical injuries. There were a total of four lectures with plenty of room for questions.
A lot of practical knowledge about injury hazards to the eyes and back
The first-aid symposium was opened by Dietmar Thumm, MD. Every year, 43,500 eye emergencies occur. The ophthalmologist addressed important issues related to foreign bodies. For example, in an emergency, one should never try to pull a stuck particle out of the eye. He explained the situations in which an ophthalmologist should be consulted immediately and reported on the most common eye diseases, which include, above all, connective tissue inflammation.
The specialist Dr. med. Krapf addressed back injuries in his presentation. Many irreparable back injuries are often associated with road traffic accidents. In the case of spinal cord injuries, for example, the cervical spine is very often affected. The main aim of the lecture was to relieve the fear of first responders in the correct handling of affected patients. For example, if the spinal cord is injured at the level of the fourth vertebral body (or higher), independent breathing is no longer possible, which is why an immediate oxygen supply must often be initiated and thoracic compression alone is not sufficient.
Burn and electrical accidents
Anja Oehen from Sirmed gave some very interesting facts on the subject of electrical injuries. For example, current injuries are usually noticed late by professionals. However, the electrolyte balance can shift as a result and the heart's impulses become more unstable. The ventricle may suddenly fibrillate - or cardiac arrest may occur.
Immediately afterwards, a number of examples in the area of burns provided shocking visual material, for example from the category of "youthful recklessness".
Various degrees of burns were shown, including an example of a young patient who had climbed onto a train at night while drunk and whose muscles had burst open. In the last presentation by Peter Steiger, MD, cases were also explained where any chance of survival is extremely slim. For example, burned skin layers in the chest area can also lead to severe respiratory paralysis due to lack of mobility of the thorax. The surprise guest was Swiss runner and athlete Philipp Bosshard. He lost 88 percent of his skin in a severe welding accident and was treated by Peter Steiger.
His irrepressible willpower to be able to participate in sports tournaments again quickly surprised even the doctors treating him at the time and touched the applauding audience. He wanted to show those affected that it is important not to lock oneself up at home and that it is worthwhile to make a new start even after a hard blow of fate.
One SVBS Award 2019 honoree was Manuela Greco, who saved a man's life with successful resuscitation at a Christmas tree sale in December 2019. The SVBS Award 2020 honored the company paramedics of IBM Research Europe Zurich, who saved a man's eyesight with their exemplary intervention around an eye emergency with caustic soda.
Next year's First Responders Symposium will be held on November 5, 2022, again at the KKL Luzern: www.ersthelfersymposium.ch.
Source: SVBS/ASSE/ASSE
