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First Aid For Cyclists

Half-Fast Mike

Half-Fast Mike

Lanterne Rouge-et-vert
May 22, 2007
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@wexford noted in Today that he has no first aid skills.

One suggestion for all: If you have a smartphone there is a free app, First Aid for Cyclists, from St. John Ambulance that provides lots of essential information.

The app is available for free from the iTunes app store and Google Play.

first-aid-app.jpg

I'm a first aid trainer with St John Ambulance (motto: "We hunt in packs"). I'm happy to say I spend more time patching myself up than others, these days. But many of us have seen ambulances rushing to an accident scene only to load up the patient and park for 30 mins or so while the ambulance crew fax around the hospitals to find someone who will accept a dirty bleeding foreigner.

I recommend:
Wear a Road ID or similar identification (and/or medical) tag
Always carry your health insurance card or a copy of it
Get some basic first aid training - your local fire station may run classes for civilians​

If there is sufficient interest I might consider running a cycling-specific class to go over the basics; I would probably structure it around the app, with the app as required pre-course reading. Shout up if you think that would be helpful.

Otherwise if you have first-aid questions AMA below...
 
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That is super cool Mike. I was actually noting that I had no first aid "kit" (yep I forgot to include that word) with me such as simple bandages but this is a good interpretation also. I've got a survivalguide app but its a bit wordy and likely the battery would be out before I'd solve anything. Might consider some cycling specific classes when I'm a little freer. For now, I'll just go download that app as a good start. Maybe we should stash some survival kits on our favorite rindos also.
 
@Mike, btw we had stocked the van with plenty of Vaseline and Saran Wrap. (No, not for what you think...)
 
@Half-Fast Mike -that's a good app - thanks for sharing. One other idea to pass on that I have been using for a while is, as you say, to have a copy of your medical insurance card. Mine is laminated (well, wrapped in wide sellotape) with a brief note of who I am and how to contact my better half (all in Japanese), along with blood group and allergy info. It will just about stay credit card sized if you are careful.
 
WhiskyAGoneGone said:
@Half-Fast Mike….along with blood group...
Click to expand...
Really useful in case you want to check your horoscope while waiting for the ambulance to actually go somewhere.

I would like to be able to say, hand on heart, that no-one is ever going to administer a blood transfusion based on a patient's self-reported blood group. (Red cell haemolysis is not fun for anyone involved.) Most Japanese don't know whether or not they are positive for the Rhesus-D antigen, either. The standard is a two-carer check after a sample type and cross-match, to avoid sample/patient misidentification. But having followed the horrors of the Japan Green Cross and their HIV- and hepatitis-flavoured products over the years I am going to avoid hyperbole like the plague.

Everyone: If you are eligible and capable, please donate blood.

 
Putting my money where my mouth is*… I've ordered my own RoadID bracelet after seen some friends sporting them. Simple idea, nicely executed. Doesn't break the bank. Might help with my incipient dementia, too.


*and because I found my lost Oakley photochromic lens and was able to cancel the order for replacements
 
jdd said:
Looked at their site, but didn't see in the FAQs about, say, doing them in Japanese. Do they?
Click to expand...

I have a couple of Road ID's, and yes, they do print kanji characters.
 
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doug3ID.jpg And, the company has great support. You can e-mail them with questions. Right now, if you play the TdF contest, you will get a coupon for your next order.

I have the band and "dogtag" styles. Recently wearing the dogtag more. Feel naked if I happen to forget it.
 
Another option is to create an image including all your relevant info, as set it as your phone's lock screen. That way if someone finds you and tries to turn on your phone they'll see the info. I already do this with my email address, in case I lose my phone - but it wouldn't do any harm to include more info.

(Well, ... given the recent spate of bad 'good' Samaritans in the UK, it might not be a good idea to include too much info there - as the bum who stole your phone as you lay bleeding on the street might do something dastardly with your personal info.)
 
Wouldn't having the info on the ID in Japanese mean it is useless if you ever rode in another country?
Of course if you never intent to that's fine but if you ever did having it in kanji would negate its value.
 
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