Recognizing an emergency: Prerequisite for proper first aid

It was on a morning in October 2021 when an employee of Scintilla AG in the Valais village of St. Niklaus suddenly had parts fall out of his hand. A supervisor noticed this and informed Christian Juon.

Stroke correctly detected

"The employee had no strength in his hand," says first responder Christian Juon. He thought he was having a stroke and performed the BE FAST Check. The letters stand for various possible symptoms of a stroke:

• B: Balance/balance: Is there a balance disorder or a left/right tilt when walking?
• E: Eyes: Is there any visual impairment or loss?
• Q: Face: Can the patient smile or frown?
• A: Arms/Arms: Can the patient extend both arms and then turn the palms over?
• S: Speech: Can the patient repeat a simple sentence?
• T: Time: How long have the symptoms been present?

"During the BE FAST check, only the A was conspicuous. The patient did not press one hand," says Christian Juon. He immediately alerted the emergency call center 144 and informed the head of company paramedics, who was not on the premises on the day of the event. "I attended to the patient and used the time to gather further information around the patient's symptoms, any allergies or medications, about the patient's history, last food intake, events preceding the incident or possible risk factors."

First aid prevented worse

Soon the rescue service arrived, which after some further tests called up the rescue helicopter. The patient was flown directly to the center hospital in Sion. "It was indeed a stroke, and in the hospital he had another one," says Christian Juon. "After a few days in hospital, the patient could be discharged and go to rehab. For a long time he was still weak. It took time and patience, but it's gotten better and better since then."

Praise from the SVBS

The patient's life partner repeatedly emphasized to the company paramedics of Scintilla AG that it was only thanks to Christian Juon's exemplary intervention that everything could turn out well. Stefan Kühnis, President of the Swiss Association for Company Paramedics (SVBS), also agrees: "Without the rapid and correct first aid, this operation would hardly have turned out so well. It is very important to recognize an emergency as such. This is the only way to provide first aid at all. Around a stroke, however, this recognition is often difficult. The fact that the first aider reacted immediately, even though only one symptom applied, deserves praise and applause. And the fact that he not only recognized the emergency but also knew exactly what to do has a lot to do with good organization and with training and continuing education. That's why not only Christian Juon, but the entire company ambulance of Scintilla AG deserves this award."

Source: www.svbs-asse.ch

The SVBS AWARD recognizes successful first aid

Every year, the Swiss Association for Company First Aid (SVBS) awards the First Aiders of the Year. Awards are given for particularly innovative projects in the field of first aid or exemplary first-aid operations. On the one hand, the SVBS wants to express praise and gratitude. Above all, however, these award-winning stories are intended to inspire other first aiders to become just as active and to implement a similar first aid project in the company or in the surrounding area, or to call on their knowledge in an emergency and help in the best possible way. In addition to the SVBS AWARD, the winners will receive a cash prize of 2500 Swiss francs sponsored by IVF HARTMANN AG and the betriebsapotheke.ch platform.

For those who would like to inspire other first responders with their stories or projects, the application form for the next SVBS AWARD 2022 can be found at. www.svbs-asse.ch/anlaesse/svbs-award/. Applications for an award must be sent in by April 1, 2023 at the latest. The award ceremony will take place during the "First Aider Symposium" at the KKL Luzern, on November 4, 2023.