Encountering a medical emergency can be a particularly frightful experience. When someone close to you that is experiencing a life-threatening medical problem, there is often a tendency to go into panic mode and not take the appropriate course of action. It is critical that you have the knowledge required to calmly navigate this emergency.
Here’s what you should do in a medical emergency:
- The first thing to remember is that you should stay as calm as possible. Keeping a cool head will allow you to make better decisions that could ultimately help save a life
- Call emergency services and an operator will talk to you to dispatch the appropriate medical services. The operator can also provide valuable advice about what you can do
- If the person in distress is not breathing, you should initiate CPR procedures. Emergency dispatchers are trained to guide you through this process and advise you on how to perform chest compressions
- If someone is bleeding, it is critical that you use bandaging to immediately curb any blood loss. If there are no bandages available, wrap pieces of clothing tightly bound around the wound
- If there are any medical professionals who live nearby, it is advisable to contact them for assistance
