The third First Aider Symposium is dedicated to wound assessment and treatment

As a first step, they must be able to assess a wound correctly. However, the assessment and triage of different wound types can already be challenging for first responders: what can and may they treat themselves, what belongs to the doctor and what even directly to the hospital?

When first responders decide they want to be able to treat a wound themselves, the question of the right method arises. The treatment of a wound should support wound healing, prevent wound infections, relieve the patient's pain and minimize the formation of scars.

Factors to consider include the type of injury, the age of the wound, the degree of contamination, and whether an infection exists. Depending on this, an X-ray examination is necessary to detect foreign bodies in the wound. The question of tetanus vaccination protection is also important. And these are only a few of many aspects.

Even if the wounds are large and the first responders send the patients to the doctor or hospital, initial care must be provided by lay helpers. So how should large wounds be dealt with and what is needed at first-aider level?

Wound assessment and treatment: at the 2023 First Responder Symposium and the following workshops.

Such issues are often challenging for first responders. They are taught far too rarely in traditional courses. Today, first responders are often very competent in assessing and treating polytrauma, but wound assessment and treatment can be a problem. For precisely this reason, the 3rd First Aider Symposium on November 4, 2023, will be devoted to this topic in depth and comprehensively.

The First Aider Symposium addresses all first aiders, whether beginners, advanced or professionals, whether Samaritans, company paramedics, private or blue-light organizations. Top-class speakers present their views on the various steps of wound assessment and treatment for about one hour each and answer the questions of the participants. The presentations:

• Assess different types of wounds: Assessing and triaging
• Treatment of different types of wounds: Latest findings from wound treatment for the ambulance service
• Large wounds: How to deal with them and what do first responders need to know?
• Looking beyond the horizon: wound treatment with the professionals

However, the topic of wound assessment and treatment will not be over on the evening of November 4, 2023. In the weeks following the First Aider Symposium, the organizers will organize workshops during which participants can practice wound treatment in a very concrete and practical way in smaller groups for half a day.

Supporting program and added values

At the First Aider Symposium 2023, as usual, the supporting program and other added values are also important:

• After each presentation, there will be plenty of room and time to ask questions of the speakers.
• All presentations will be simultaneously translated from German into French.
• Hours count toward the IVR certificate and SGAS continuing education credits are available.
• In the foyer, various exhibitors present their products, courses or other services.
• In addition, the SVBS AWARD 2022 for the First Responders of the Year 2022 will be presented during the First Responder Symposium.

The joint event of the Swiss Association for Industrial Paramedics (SVBS) and Hartmann was held for the first time in 2021 and was immediately sold out with 270 participants. The second First Aider Symposium in 2022 was also booked out to the last seat. The atmosphere among the participants, exhibitors and speakers was excellent in each case and the feedback was positive all round. Of course, the third First Aider Symposium on November 4, 2023 in the KKL Luzern would like to build on this success.

Info: www.ersthelfersymposium.ch
Registrations: www.ersthelfersymposium.ch/index.php/anmeldung
Application deadline: September 30, 2023
Program: www.ersthelfersymposium.ch/index.php/programm
Speakers: www.ersthelfersymposium.ch/index.php/referenten

Source: SVBS/ASSE