Exam Pass Notes

Use these notes for a final quick review before the assessment. They summarise the course and are not a substitute for practical first-aid training, local emergency procedures, individual health plans or current ambulance guidance.

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The emergency spine

• Notice sudden change early.
• Check scene safety, response and breathing.
• Think simply in ABCDE order.
• Call 999 early and use speakerphone.
• Give clear roles and keep monitoring the person.

CPR, AED, choking and recovery position

• If someone is unresponsive and not breathing normally, begin the CPR response.
• Retrieve the AED quickly and follow its prompts.
• Use the recovery position only when the person is breathing normally and does not need CPR.
• For choking, act if the cough is ineffective and apply the age-appropriate trained response.
• Practical training should guide real-life CPR and choking technique.

Key medical emergencies

• Asthma or severe breathing difficulty: sit the child upright, help with reliever inhaler, and call 999 if severe or not improving.
• Suspected anaphylaxis: call 999, use safe positioning and give an adrenaline auto-injector if available and trained to do so.
• Seizure first aid: protect the child, note the time, do not restrain and do not place anything in the mouth.
• Low blood sugar: give fast-acting sugar only if the child can swallow safely.
• Collapse, overdose, poisoning, serious head injury, major bleeding and severe burns all require prompt escalation.

After the emergency

• Hand over clearly with times, symptoms and actions taken.
• Record facts and keep relevant medicines or packaging for review if needed.
• Restock used kit and check readiness for the next incident.
• Support staff and children affected by the event.
• Use debriefs to identify learning points, not to assign blame.

For the exam, remember the sequence of safe emergency practice: notice, assess, call, act, hand over and learn.