Life is always about expecting the unexpected. We can’t predict sudden fates. But we can be prepared. Ziqitza healthcare ltd. provides emergency services and programmes that help us to be ready to face medical emergencies bravely.
Finding oneself in a medical emergency isn’t something any one of us would wish for. Life is, however, full of ups and downs. You may not want to but might end up witnessing an accident scene or the sudden breakdown of your loved ones due to an illness. In any case, only your presence of mind and First Aid skills will matter in saving someone’s life or reducing the impact of the injuries. Now, the thought-provoking question that you should ask yourself is, “How well are you prepared for emergency medical care?” Asking this question is essential because we live in a country where 17% of accidental deaths occur only due to the lack of emergency care.
Since bystanders like us are often the first to respond to such situations, it is the need of the hour for each one of us to know the basics of handling a medical emergency. In this blog, we will see what are medical emergencies and how you can respond to such conditions.
Medical Emergency
A medical emergency can be defined as a serious and unexpected situation involving illness or injury and requiring immediate action. Quick actions in such times are needed.
How to recognize Medical Emergencies
In Adults:
- Bleeding that will not stop
- Breathing problems (difficulty breathing, shortness of breath)
- Chest pain or discomfort lasting for two minutes or more
- Choking
- Coughing up or vomiting blood
- Fainting or loss of consciousness
- The feeling of committing suicide or murder
- Sudden, severe pain anywhere in the body
- Sudden dizziness, weakness, or change in vision
- Swallowing a poisonous substance
- Inability to speak
- Bluish skin colour (cyanosis)
In Children’s:
- The significant change in mental status (such as unusual behaviour, confusion, irritability).
- Lack of alertness or diminished response
- Increased sleepiness
- Unable to stand or walk
- Trouble or abnormal breathing
- Difficulty in eating or feeding
- Seizure
- Fever followed by a change in mental status, and stiffness in the neck or back.
Dial 108, when someone feels:
- Difficulty breathing
- Chest pain. Which feels like a ‘weight’ or a ‘squeezing feeling’ in your chest
- Fainting or being unconscious
- A stroke. They may have suddenly gone weak, their vision has changed, they are dizzy or have difficulty talking
- Severe pain anywhere
- Bleeding that won’t stop
- There’s been a car crash and people are injured
Medical Emergency Care at Home
Keeping a first aid kit at home is very helpful. Also having first aid training can save someone’s life.
Never mix medicines and first aid supplies with your travel kit or have drugs scattered around the house. Thus, having trained in first aid is the need of the hour. Be sure to tailor the contents of the kit for your family’s emergency needs. All supplies should be labelled and organized in a readily available container.
Place the kit out of reach of small children. Also, make sure to check it periodically and restock supplies as needed. If you need to dispose of any unused drugs or medications, be sure and dispose of them where children or pets cannot find them. Keep the first aid kit for your automobile in the trunk of the vehicle.
While waiting with an affected person for medical help, do the following:
- First, call the ambulance or medical emergency service provider
- Observe the physical state of a person
- Keep talking with the person or tell him/her that you are there with help
- If possible ask the person where is the pain exactly
- Check the house before leaving. Though it’s panic times be calm and act wisely
- If possible carry medical data of patient
Tips to Access Timely Care
Check for signs of external bleeding immediately:
If an emergency occurs, then you must always check for the pulse of the victim/patient first. Once confirmed to be running, you must ideally check for signs of any external bleeding. If the injured person is bleeding profusely, then call for emergency medical services immediately.
In case of no signs of bleeding, you can check for ingestion of a poisonous substance, heaviness in breathing or acute pain in the heart. If the victim/patient complains or appears to have any of these symptoms, then call for emergency services.
Make sure the injured patient’s airway is unrestricted:
Check the patient’s mouth for any foreign objects that may be blocking the patient’s airway. If the breathing has stopped, you may need to administer artificial respiration. While you help the patient to breathe back to life, request someone to call for an Advanced Life Support ambulance.
Stabilize the patient until an ambulance arrives:
Treat the victim/patient with basic trauma care within the first few hours of the incident. Remain calm and keep your patient relaxed in a sleeping position to reduce the chances of any further injury or damage.
Also, remember not to administer any fluid as it may enter the windpipe and restrict breathing or cause suffocation. Do not try and bring a person to consciousness by slapping or shaking.
In Conclusion
Whether the critical situation refers to an accident, a stroke, or any other serious ailment, the significance of the first few minutes in saving a life is beyond compare. Having said that it becomes the responsibility of the bystanders/first responders to immediately call on emergency helpline numbers 108 & 1298 for emergency ambulance services. These numbers are operated by PAN India to call for help during emergencies. Also, they are operated by Ziqitza Healthcare Limited (ZHL) to provide fully equipped ambulances with trained paramedics on board for all kinds of medical emergencies. These ambulances are promptly operated and managed in Punjab, Jharkhand, Odisha, and Madhya Pradesh by Ziqitza Healthcare Ltd. (ZHL). So, your one call to these emergency numbers at the right time can help them fill the gap in the emergency response system.
Be aware, Act wise in a medical emergency.
Dial 1298 for emergency help!