Assisting in an Emergency in Public

Assisting in an Emergency in Public It's a dilemma that many healthcare professionals face at some point in their career. You are out in public, and a citizen has a medical emergency. So what is the best way to handle it? The first rule to remember is, you are not in a hospital. You don't have proper equipment, so you will only want to provide measures that will care for the patient until emergency crews arrive.

Situations That Require Intervention Say you are at an art exhibit and a gentleman of about 70 years of age is holding his chest in pain, and then collapses to the floor. Of course you want to help, and you should. Even if someone else intervenes, offer help as well, since CPR is much better with the assistance of two. Before providing care, yell out for someone to call 911 that should be first on the list. Depending on the patient's condition, administer CPR as needed until the patient has a heartbeat and is responsive or until emergency crews arrive.

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Choking

If you frequently visit restaurants, it’s possible that you may encounter a fellow diner choking. Always remember if someone is able to cough, no intervention is necessary, just observe. If the person can no longer cough or talk and cannot breathe, you will need to do abdominal thrust. Do just what is necessary until the patient coughs up the object that they are choking on. Again the first thing that should be done is to yell out to a bystander to call 911 for assistance.

Bio Hazard You always want to use precautions when dealing with bodily fluids if the patient is bleeding severely and it appears to be a life or death situation you will probably want to intervene and offer a life-saving assistance until emergency crews arrive. After instructing bystanders to call 911 look for something that can be used as a shield between you and the blood of the patient. A jacket, shirt, blanket or a towel, anything that you can use will work in a pinch apply pressure as you normally would, while waiting for emergency crews to arrive If the patient appears to be going in shock, use your medical training to do what is necessary to treat a patient in shock Many people are hesitant to provide first aid or medical assistance in public for fear of being sued. Keep in mind most, if not all states have a Good

Samaritan law that prevents lawsuits in situations that require medical assistance. When you save a person's life odds are they’re going to be grateful and not cause you to suffer repercussions.

It is a bit of a dilemma if you need to perform CPR and the person is a stranger and mouth-to-mouth resuscitation is necessary. Or tending to the patient will require blood contamination. Chances are, as a trained medical professional, you would put the concerns aside and do what is necessary to save the patient’s life using as many precautions as you can Related: Legitimate Jobs for Nurses Working from Home Call 911. Better be safe than sorry, It's better that 911 get too many calls than too few. EMT’s routinely get summoned to a residence, for what the neighbors thought was an emergency, to find out everyone's fine. There are never hard feelings about that. Paramedics expect that as part of the job.

They would much rather show up and find the person in good health at home than be called too late and things have spiraled out of control.

Common Emergencies While you wait for paramedics to arrive: Check alertness: Ask, "Are you OK?". "If they respond, ask 'Do you know where you are?' Ask things to determine the level of orientation. If they become unresponsive, check for pulse, check to see if they're breathing. If you're by yourself, you have to find someone to help you."

Check breathing: Listen for breathing through the nose; watch the chest to rise and fall. Take a pulse, either at the wrist or neck. If they are breathing and have a pulse, you should stay with them to offer support. Again, 911 can help you figure out how to take someone's pulse.

Start CPR: If the patient isn't breathing and does not have a pulse, start CPR. Make the patient comfortable: "If this person has been out in the heat, move them to a shady spot. If they're sweating, pour water over their skin. Elderly people or very young children are more prone to heat-related conditions. If they're awake, give them fluids to drink.

Emergency: Chest Pain. If someone grabs their chest and says "my chest hurts," assume it's a heart attack. Treat chest pain as a heart attack until proven otherwise.

Never stand back and see if someone else is going to help. As a medical professional it is a duty to assist a person in need of medical assistance.

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