Description

Pre-requisites

• PUAEME001A Provide emergency care

Performance Criteria

1. Assess casualty and develop management plan

1.1. Assessment of casualty is undertaken including vital signs, details of incident, medical/casualty history, physical appearance and other signs and symptoms

1.2. Management plan is developed taking into account available equipment, condition of patient and
special requirements of certain conditions

1.3. Where possible casualty is assisted to a comfortable position suitable for implementation of management plan

1.4. Casualty is encouraged and reassured as necessary to facilitate effective treatment

1.5. Medical aid is arranged as soon as possible consistent with maintaining casualty safety

2. Check equipment

2.1. Pre-use check of safety and potential effectiveness of equipment is undertaken in accordance with operating procedures, Australian standards and regulatory requirements

2.2. Minor faults are diagnosed and repairs are carried out in accordance with organisation procedures to restore equipment to working order

2.3. Faults and defects are reported/recorded according to organisational procedures

3. Maintain unobstructed airway

3.1. Airway is cleared and maintained using non-intervention techniques where possible

3.2. Appropriate steps are taken to reduce risk to self or others of contamination by the casualty’s body fluids

3.3. Where carried, suction apparatus is safely inserted into pharynx and suction initiated using approved techniques to avoid injuring casualty

4. Resuscitate casualty

4.1. Where appropriate face masks and other barriers are used according to ARC standards

5. Use oxygen to provide therapy

5.1. Where indicated, oxygen therapy is used in the ventilation of casualty

6. Recover and restore equipment

6.1. Equipment is cleaned, and discarded or disinfected, restocked and/or replenished and stored safely according to organisation procedures

Key Competencies

Communicating ideas and information

• Communicate ideas and information to reporting procedures (verbal and written) 

Collecting analysing and organising information

• Collect, organise and understand information related to recognising and reporting situations

 Planning and organising activities 

• Plan and organise activities which implement and follow standard procedures 

Working with others and in teams

• Work with others and in a team by assisting and cooperating with team members 

Using mathematical ideas and techniques 

• Use mathematical ideas and techniques to document and report numbers for emergency procedures

Solving problems 

• Establish diagnostic processes which recommend improvements for OH&S issues

Using technology 

• Use workplace technology related to the use of technology to assist with safe work practices

Range Statement

Advanced techniques for management of administration of oxygen and/or ventilation of the lungs are

• oxygen therapy
• ventilation of the lungs by expired air
• resuscitation without oxygen added using ancillary device
• ventilation with ambient air by an operator powered
• resuscitation—bag, valve or mask
• ventilation by an oxygen powered resuscitator

Oxygen equipment

• is equipment which is used for storage and delivery of oxygen for medical purposes

Resuscitation may be performed on

• adult
• small children under eight years
• newborn babies or infants

Regulatory requirements may include

• Australian Resuscitation Council
• relevant State and Territory regulatory bodies

Reporting/recording faults and damage may include

• verbal
• filling out and processing standard form

Pre-use check may include

• checking existence of suitable prominent warnings about precautions to be observed
• checking for damage
• to replenish and/or restore

Barriers may include

• facemasks
• unidirectional valves
• bidirectional valves
• filters

Non-intervention techniques for maintenance of unobstructed airway may include

• head tilt
• jaw support
• jaw thrust

Inserted into pharynx

• no further than the back teeth

Evidence Guide

Critical Aspects of Evidence

•  Use of oxygen equipment in accordance with relevant standards and guidelines

Underpinning Knowledge

• air passages
• Australian Resuscitation Council standards
• Australian Standards relevant to resuscitation equipment
• causes of hypoxia and hypoxic hypoxia
• correct use of oxygen cylinders and devices
• disease and chronic airways lesions (COAD/CAL)
• estimation of duration of oxygen supply
• importance of oxygen to the body
• indicators of obstructed breathing
• lower airways diseases
• management of COAD/CAL casualties
• possible causes of hypoventilation
• precautions for safe storage and handling of oxygen cylinders
• principles of operation and troubleshooting
• respiratory system—lungs
• resuscitation and kits—specifications
• significance of respiratory noises
• signs and symptoms of chronic obstructed airways
• techniques for maintenance of unobstructed airway
• the mechanism of respiration

Underpinning Skills

• determining oxygen pressure and volume content of cylinders
• reading oxygen content gauges
• use of resuscitation equipment

Resource implications

• Access to resuscitation equipment/kit is essential

Consistency in performance

• Evidence will need to be gathered over time across a range of variables

Context of assessment

• On the job or in a simulated work environment