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How a medical
emergency can be prevented
Preventing medical emergencies means getting yearly doctor's exams and regular exercise. Protect your health by determining whether you're at risk for any life-threatening conditions, and follow your doctor's suggestions to reduce any risk factors that can be dangerous to your health. For example, if you don't smoke, don't start. If you do smoke, quit.
We're all busy, and there's never enough time in the day, but is it easier to handle a heart attack in progress or to prevent it in the first place with regular exercise and visits to the doctor? If we don't prevent now, we'll pay later.
How can I prepare for an emergency?
After doing everything you can to prevent a medical emergency, the next step is to prepare for one. While it may seem negative to prepare for the worst, preparation takes prevention one step further. It means that if an emergency does occur, you will be more prepared to handle it calmly, quickly, and effectively to minimize its impact.
Being prepared means keeping a list of emergency numbers by the phone. The police, fire department, poison control center, local hospital, ambulance service, and your family doctor's office all should be included.
Being prepared means making a list of all the medications you and your family take and their dosages. In an emergency, you might not be able to speak for yourself, so carry it with you. This list could help prevent serious drug interactions.
Also make a list of allergies, especially drug allergies or those with severe reactions. This list will help ensure the care you receive won't make matters worse.
Keep a well-stocked first-aid kit at home, at work, and in your car. A first-aid kit will help you handle medical situations...from minor shaving cuts, blisters from roller skating, and sunburns to sprains or severe cuts.
Take a first-aid class. A basic class will teach CPR and proper methods for treating burns, wrapping sprains, applying splints, and performing the Heimlich maneuver. First-aid classes also will help you learn how to remain calm and how to calm others in an emergency.
How do I recognize an emergency?
Learn to recognize the difference between a minor crisis and a life-threatening emergency. For example, upper abdominal pain can be indigestion, ulcers, or an early sign of a heart attack. A toddler who falls in the yard unconscious may have tripped, or he could have been stung by an insect and having an allergic reaction.
Not every cut needs stitches, nor does every burn require advanced medical treatment.
Part of handling an emergency is being able to evaluate warning signs and make a fast decision. But it's always best to err on the side of caution. In an emergency, always call 9-1-1 or the local hospital for assistance.
When should you call an ambulance instead of driving to the emergency department? Ask yourself the following questions:
- Is the victim's condition life-threatening?
- Could the victim's condition worsen and become life-threatening on the way to the hospital?
- Could moving the victim need the skills or equipment of paramedics or emergency medical technicians?
- Would distance or traffic conditions cause a delay in getting the victim to the hospital?
- If the answer to any of these questions is yes, or if you are unsure, it's best to call an ambulance.
When do I act?
Being prepared and understanding the situation will increase the effectiveness of your actions in an emergency. But deciding to act is crucial. It means being ready, willing, and able to help someone until emergency service arrives, or the crisis has passed.
Action can mean anything from calling paramedics, applying direct pressure to a wound, performing CPR, or splinting an injury.
NEVER perform a medical procedure if you are unsure of how to do it. Handling an emergency can be scary. We feel powerless and unable to help loved ones at a time when they need it most. But if we all take preventative measures and prepare for the worst, we can help defuse the effects of a medical emergency before they start.
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