PHECC FAR key terms

The Irish pre-hospital care level for people who respond first to illness or injury before emergency services arrive. It sits below Emergency First Responder and covers basic life support, defibrillation, and common medical and trauma care.

The Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Council, the statutory body that sets standards, registers practitioners, and approves training and examinations for pre-hospital care in Ireland. It publishes clinical practice guidelines and defines responder levels such as FAR and Emergency First Responder.

PHECC's published decision and treatment standards that define what a responder may assess, decide, and do for each patient presentation. They are the reference for safe practice and for exam answers on scope, medications, and procedures.

The range of assessments, skills, and medications a responder is trained, authorised, and competent to perform at their registration level. Working outside it is unsafe and may be outside the law, so a responder must know when to hand over or call for a higher level.

The PHECC level above First Aid Response, adding skills such as airway adjuncts, oxygen, aspirin, glucagon, and selected medications. An FAR responder works alongside or hands over to EFRs and paramedics when a patient needs care beyond FAR scope.

The linked steps that improve survival from cardiac arrest: early recognition and call for help, early CPR, early defibrillation, advanced care, and post-resuscitation care. A weak link lowers the chance of survival, so each step must follow quickly.

A rapid, ordered check for immediately life-threatening problems, commonly remembered as DRABC: danger, response, airway, breathing, circulation. Findings are treated as they are found, before moving to history and secondary checks.

A memory aid for the primary survey: Danger, Response, Airway, Breathing, Circulation. It structures the first moments of any incident so that hazards are controlled and life threats are found and treated in priority order.

A head-to-toe examination and history taken after immediate life threats are managed, looking for injuries or illness not yet found. It includes checking the back, limbs, and skin, and asking about events, symptoms, and medical history.

A structured question set: Signs and symptoms, Allergies, Medications, Past medical history, Last meal or oral intake, and Events leading to the incident. It gives handover staff the information needed to plan treatment safely.

Measurable indicators of body function, typically level of consciousness, breathing rate and quality, pulse rate and quality, skin colour and temperature, and blood pressure where trained. Repeated measurements show whether the patient is improving or deteriorating.

A quick scale of consciousness: Alert, responds to Voice, responds to Pain, Unresponsive. It is recorded and repeated so that changes in the patient's condition are noticed early and reported at handover.

A scored assessment of consciousness using eye opening, verbal response, and motor response, giving a total from 3 to 15. It is more detailed than AVPU and is used to track head injury and deteriorating patients.

The passage from the mouth and nose through the throat to the lungs. Keeping it open, by positioning, suction, or airway adjuncts within scope, is the first treatment priority in any unresponsive patient.

A manoeuvre that opens the airway of an unresponsive patient without suspected spinal injury by tilting the head back and lifting the chin. It lifts the tongue away from the back of the throat.

An airway-opening manoeuvre used when spinal injury is suspected, in which the jaw is lifted forward without tilting the head back. It reduces movement of the neck while still helping to keep the airway open.

A stable side-lying position for an unresponsive patient who is breathing normally, keeping the airway clear and reducing the risk of inhaling vomit. It is used after checking breathing and is not used for a patient who is not breathing.

Irregular, gasping, or snoring-like breathing sometimes seen in the first minutes of cardiac arrest. It is not normal breathing and must be treated as cardiac arrest, with CPR and defibrillation started immediately.

The sudden loss of effective heart function, so blood stops circulating. The patient is unresponsive and not breathing normally; survival depends on immediate CPR, early defibrillation, and rapid call for emergency services.

Chest compressions, with rescue breaths if trained and willing, used to keep blood moving when the heart has stopped. Good rate, depth, and full recoil, with minimal interruptions, give the best chance of survival.

A portable device that analyses the heart rhythm and delivers a controlled shock to certain cardiac arrest rhythms. It gives voice prompts, so it can be used safely by trained responders who follow the prompts and keep everyone clear during analysis and shocks.

The standard positions for AED pads: one below the right collarbone and one on the left side below the armpit. Correct placement, dry skin, and removal of medication patches improve the chance of an effective shock.

Blockage of the airway by a foreign object, ranging from mild, where the person can cough, to severe, where coughing is silent and breathing fails. Severe choking is treated with back blows and abdominal thrusts, and the person needs urgent help.

A technique for severe choking in a conscious person, delivering inward and upward thrusts above the navel to force air out and clear the blockage. It is alternated with back blows and is not used on infants.

A sudden loss of brain function caused by a blocked or burst blood vessel. Signs include facial droop, arm weakness, and speech difficulty; it is a time-critical emergency requiring immediate call for an ambulance and careful monitoring.

A screening tool for stroke: Face drooping, Arm weakness, Speech difficulty, Time to call emergency services. Any positive sign is treated as a suspected stroke and the time symptoms began is recorded for hospital staff.

Chest pain or discomfort caused by reduced blood flow to the heart muscle, often brought on by exertion and relieved by rest. It is treated as a cardiac emergency when new, severe, or unrelieved, and the patient is kept calm and monitored.

Death of heart muscle caused by a blocked coronary artery, producing persistent chest pain, breathlessness, sweating, nausea, or atypical symptoms. It is a life-threatening emergency; the responder calls for an ambulance, keeps the patient at rest, and monitors continuously.

An antiplatelet medicine given as a single chewed dose in suspected heart attack when the patient is not allergic, has no bleeding risk, and is within the responder's scope. It reduces clot formation and is recorded and reported at handover.

Abnormally low blood glucose, causing hunger, sweating, shaking, confusion, aggression, or reduced consciousness. A conscious patient is given sugar by mouth; an unresponsive one needs urgent help and airway protection, and the episode is reported.

A condition in which the body cannot control blood glucose normally, which can lead to hypoglycaemia or very high glucose with dehydration. Responders ask about it in the history and consider it when behaviour or consciousness changes.

A severe, rapidly progressing allergic reaction affecting breathing and circulation, with swelling, wheeze, rash, and collapse. It is a life-threatening emergency needing an ambulance, adrenaline by an authorised route, and constant monitoring.

A pre-filled device that delivers a single dose of adrenaline into the outer thigh for severe allergic reaction. A responder may assist the patient with their own device where guidelines allow, and must record the time and dose given.

A sudden burst of abnormal electrical activity in the brain causing altered consciousness, jerking, stiffness, or confusion. The responder protects the patient from injury, does not restrain or put anything in the mouth, and calls for help if it is prolonged or repeated.

Inadequate blood flow to body tissues, causing pale clammy skin, rapid weak pulse, thirst, anxiety, and falling consciousness. The responder treats the cause where possible, keeps the patient warm and lying down, and arranges urgent transport.

Blood loss that is rapid enough to threaten circulation, from an artery, major vein, or large wound. It is controlled by direct pressure, packing, or a tourniquet where trained, while the patient is monitored for shock.

Firm pressure applied with a dressing or gloved hand directly onto a bleeding wound to slow or stop blood loss. It is the first and most effective method for most severe bleeding and is maintained until relieved by hospital staff.

A device tightened around a limb above a severe bleed to stop blood flow when direct pressure fails. It is used only within training and scope, the time of application is recorded, and the limb is not left unmonitored.

Tissue damage from heat, chemicals, electricity, or radiation, assessed by depth and area. Treatment includes stopping the burning process, cooling with running water, covering the wound, and watching for airway or breathing problems in facial or inhalation burns.

A break or crack in a bone, causing pain, swelling, deformity, or loss of function. The responder supports and immobilises the limb, checks circulation beyond the injury, and does not attempt to straighten it.

Techniques that limit movement of the head, neck, and spine when injury is suspected, such as manual in-line support and careful handling. It is applied based on the mechanism and findings, and the patient is moved only when necessary.

A temporary disturbance of brain function after a blow to the head, causing headache, confusion, dizziness, nausea, or memory problems. It is treated seriously, with rest, monitoring, and medical assessment, especially if consciousness was lost.

The structured transfer of patient information and care to arriving or receiving clinicians, covering the incident, findings, treatment given, and response. A clear, ordered handover such as ISBAR improves continuity and patient safety.

A handover structure: Identify, Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation. It keeps communication concise and complete, ensuring the receiving clinician knows who the patient is, what happened, and what is needed next.

The record completed for every patient contact, documenting times, findings, treatment, and handover. It is a legal and clinical document, so entries must be accurate, legible, and objective, and it supports review and quality improvement.

Practices that reduce the spread of infection, including hand hygiene, gloves and other personal protective equipment, safe sharps handling, and cleaning equipment. They protect both the responder and the patient during every contact.

Barrier equipment worn to protect against contact with blood, body fluids, and other hazards, such as gloves, eye protection, and a mask. It is selected for the expected risk, put on and removed correctly, and used alongside hand hygiene.

A patient's agreement to be assessed and treated, which must be informed and given freely by someone with capacity, or by a valid proxy. A responder must respect refusal, explain what is happening, and act in the patient's best interests when capacity is absent.

A person's ability to understand information about a decision and appreciate its consequences, and to communicate that decision. Where capacity is in doubt, the responder provides support, seeks help, and records the assessment and actions taken.

The legal and ethical obligation to act reasonably and competently for a patient's safety and wellbeing within your training and role. It includes not abandoning a patient, working within scope, and handing over responsibly to appropriate care.