I work in Out of School Hours care, and we do a lot of first
aid training. After our last round of training, my boss updated our policy for
asthma management.
Our policy now states that we MUST follow the 4x4x4 action
plan.
For those of you not familiar with it it’s:
1 puff of ventolin via spacer, four breaths through the
spacer. Repeat this 4 times.
Wait four minutes.
If the person still isn’t breathing normally, repeat the 4
puffs of ventolin.
Wait four minutes.
If the person still isn’t breathing normally, call an
ambulance.
Now I have no problems at all doing this for a child, and I
wouldn’t have a problem following it for other people... But I have a massive
problem with it being applied to me. (And as my boss pointed out I’m the only
one to have had an asthma attack at work in the last 2 years.)
Following that guide I should have called an ambulance for
myself this morning, and at least half a dozen times at work. It took 4 rounds of 4 ventolin this morning,
and I never got to the breathing normally part. I probably won’t until tomorrow
morning.
While I’m not feeling fabulous, I don’t need to go to
hospital… If I DID get sent to hospital I’d bet good money they’d just send me
home.
So how does this 4x4x4 work for you?
Do you find it overkill, underkill, or just right?