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I had to do an online 1st Aid training today, which was mostly a refresher. The big difference in 1st Aid in Australia is that they talk about how to deal with the many many venomous things that can attack you, not just beestings and cuts and sprains. With one kind of spider you're supposed to apply ice to the bite to slow the spread of the venom, but for another one you're supposed to treat it like a snake bite and not do that. Well that's not confusing at all when you're trying to act fast and save someone's life. For one kind of sea creature you're supposed to rinse the sting with sea water, but for another you're not supposed to because it makes it worse. They need to come up with some helpful mnemonic devices (not pneumonic devices, which I originally just googled) to remember these things. It all somewhat tangentally reminds me of my favorite episode of The IT Crowd.

 

In the online training, they also said not to use the Heimlich maneuver if someone is choking, but to rather slap them on the back several times. This is in direct opposition to what I have previously learned in four different trainings, so I'm not sure what to believe now. I guess if someone's choking in Australia you do one, but if they're choking in the US you do the other, even though choking is choking no matter what hemisphere you're in. 

Tomorrow I have a CPR refresher course too. I guess I'll find out if Rescuci Annie looks the same, or they have a Resusci Sheila.