Responding to Emergencies Chapter 2

Transporting the Person yourself

Never transport a person: -When the trip may aggravate the injury or illness or cause worsening of the condition -When the person has or may develop a life-threatening condition -If you are unsure the nature of the injury or illness If you decide it is safe to transport the person, ask someone to come with you to keep the person comfortable and make sure you know the quickest route to the nearest medical facility that can handle to emergency and pay close attention to the person and watch for any changes in their condition Discourage the injured or ill person from driving themselves to the hospital

Do you try to help a person out of the car if it is in a situation with downed power lines?

No. Leave the person in the car; have them wait in the car until the appropriate help arrives. You should stay as far away from the scene as possible.

What to do if an aggressive pet interferes with your attempt to act in an emergency

- Get to a safe place and call 911 tell the dispatcher that you are trying to report an emergency and provide help but there is an aggressive animal. Do the same thing with other dangerous situations like downed power lines etc.

First Aid Guidelines for an adult, child and infant

-An adult is someone about age 12 or older. -A child is someone between the ages of 1 and 12. -An infant is someone younger than 1 year. -When using an AED: a child is considered someone who is between the ages of 1 and 8 or weighing less than 55 pounds.

Check

-Before you can help and injured or ill person, you have to make sure that the scene is safe for you and any bystanders. -As you look over the scene, answer these questions: 1. Is the scene safe? 2. Is immediate danger involved? 3. How many people are involved? 4. Are bystanders available to help? 5. What is wrong with the person?

Is the scene safe?

-Check for anything unsafe. -Avoid entering confined areas with no ventilation or fresh air, places where there might be poisonous gas, collapsed structures, or places where natural gas, propane, or other substances could explode. If there are any of these dangers, stay at a safe distance and call 911. DO not enter. If the scene is still unsafe after you call, do not enter.

Is Immediate Danger Involved?

-Do not move a seriously injured person UNLESS: 1. There is an immediate danger like fire or poisonous gas 2.You have to reach another person who may have a more serious injury or illness 3. You need to move the injured person to give proper care and you are able to do so without putting yourself in danger -If you must move the person, do it as quickly and carefully as possible. If there is no danger, tell the person to main still until you can assess their condition and tell bystanders not to move the person.

How many people are involved?

-Look carefully for more than one person. It is easy to overlook someone who is unconscious or a baby or small child. -With more than one injured or ill person, you may have to prioritize care based on the severity of the injuries or illness.

What Happened?

-Look for clues to what caused the emergency and how the person might have been injured. Checking the scene may be the only way to determine what happened. -If the ill or injured person is a child, keep in mind that they may have been moved by well meaning adults. Ask about this when you are checking out what happened. If you find out that they have been moved, ask the adults where the child was and how they were found

Care

-Once you have checked the scene and the person and have made a decision about calling 911, you may have to provide care. -Always care for life threatening emergencies first -While waiting for more advanced help follow these guidelines: 1. Do not further harm 2. Monitor the person's level of consciousness and breathing. A change may signal a more serious injury or illness. 3. Help the person rest in the most comfortable position 4. Keep the person from becoming chilled or overheated 5. Comfort and reassure the person, but do not provide false hope. 6. Give an specific care as needed.

What is wrong with the person?

-When you reach a person, try to find out what is wrong. First check to see if the person is conscious. Sometimes this may be obvious. If the person is lying on the ground still or silent, they may be unconscious. If you are not sure, tap them on the shoulder and ask loudly if they are ok. Use the person's name if you know it. Check if an infant is conscious by tapping the bottom of their foot to see if they respond. -If a person does not respond to you in any way, assume that they are unconscious and have someone call 911 immediately -Look for other signals of life threatening injuries (like severe bleeding, trouble breathing, absence of breathing) -

Are bystanders available to help?

-You may have to ask bystanders to help. -They may be able to tell you what happened or make the call for help while you provide care. -If a family member, friend, coworker etc is present, they might know if the person is ill or if they have a medical condition. -Bystanders can help comfort the person who is scared and others at the scene. -Parents or guardians that are present may be able to calm a frightened child. They can also tell you if their child has a medical condition.

When to Call 911

As a general rule, call 911 if the person has any of the following conditions: -Unconsciousness or an altered level of consciousness, drowsiness, or confusion -Breathing problems (trouble breathing or no breathing) -Chest pain, discomfort, or pressure lasting more than a few minutes; that goes away and comes back; or that radiates to the shoulder, arm, neck, jaw, stomach or back -Persistent abdominal pain or pressure -Severe external bleeding (bleeding in spurts or gushes steadily from a wound) or internal bleeding (bleeding inside the body which may be difficult to recognize) -Vomiting or passing blood -Severe (critical) burns -Suspected poisoning -Seizures -Stroke (sudden weakness on one side of the face/facial droop, sudden weakness on one side of the body, sudden slurred speech or trouble getting words out or a sudden severe headache) -Suspected or obvious injuries to the head, neck or spine -painful, swollen or deformed areas (suspected broken bone) or an open fracture -Fire or explosion -Downed electrical wires -Presence of poisonous gas -Serious vehicle collisions -injured or ill persons who cannot be moved easily

Care First (if you are alone)

Care first (provide 2 minutes of care then call 911) for the following situations: -An unconscious person younger than 12 who you did not see collapse -Any person who had a drowning incident Care first situations are likely to be breathing emergencies rather than sudden cardiac arrest. In these situations, provide support for the airway, breathing and circulation.

If you are alone

If you are in a situation where you are the only person besides the ill or injured person, you have to make the decision to call first or care first

Call

The EMS works more effectively if you can give them information about the person's condition when the call is placed. This information helps to ensure that the person receives proper medical care as quickly as possible.

Emergency Action Steps

Three basic steps you should take in an emergency -Check: the scene and the person -Call: 911 or the local emergency number -Care: for the person

Making the Call

When calling 911 give the dispatcher the necessary info. They will ask: -Exact address or location and the name of the city or town. Be prepared to give the names of nearby intersecting streets and the name of the building and the floor number. -The phone number and address from where the call is being made -The caller's name -What happened -Number of people involved -Condition of the person(s) -The care being given -Always make sure that the dispatcher has all the info. needed to send the right help to the scene -Do not hang up until the dispatcher tells you to. -If there is a bystander, ask them to call 911 for you so that you can stay with the person. Tell them to report back to you after making the call and ask them what the dispatcher said.

Call First (if you are alone)

You should call first (call 911 before giving care) in the following situations: -An unconscious adult or adolescent age 12 or older -A witnessed sudden collapse of a child (1-12 years) or infant (< 1 year). -An unconscious child or infant known to have heart (cardiac) problems Call first situations are likely to be cardiac emergencies where time is critical.