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.
Related: Top
5 Reasons to Have a Blog
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
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.
Related: List
of nursing organizations
Comments
Post a Comment