You may have seen it in movies, but in real life emergency situation when you are the only person who can alleviate pain and possibly save the life of the victim, quick response, clear thinking and proper procedures are very important. If you have proper first aid training, it is also crucial in efficient and effective execution of the initial and important medical assistance to accurately assess the situation in the scene while waiting for the professional help to arrive.
What is the emergency situation?
This is the first thing you need to know before jumping and offering help to the victim. Many signs and symptoms can be mistakenly diagnosed, especially during the time of panic. For instance, the signs and symptoms of choking and heart attack are almost the same. So instead of giving the choking victim the Heimlich maneuver, you are giving him CPR. This kind of mistake can make even the best CPR ineffective and can cost a life. Make sure that you have assessed the emergency well before doing any first aid. Ask the persons who are with the patient relevant questions. You can also ask the patient if he or she is conscious and responding.
Ask someone to call for help
Since first aid is only temporary aid, it must not be used as a substitute to a professional help. So the most effective way to respond to an emergency is to provide the temporary aid and at the same time, ask someone to call for help. Make sure that you give your instructions clear so that he or she can give accurate detail to the dispatcher or operator. Do not hesitate to ask for assistance from any bystanders or the persons who are with the patient when the first aid procedure needs extra hands.
Assess possible hazards
Instinct tells you to jump and offer assistance to the victim of any accident. But keep in mind that you should never place yourself at risk or make the matters worst for the victim. Never storm the emergency scene and do first aid procedure without assessing possible hazard. For example, people under a collapsed building require immediate rescue. But before rescuing someone, make sure that the building is safe and there are no possibilities of further collapse that will place you and the victims at risk. When responding in a car or motorcycle accident, make sure that you have first assessed any hazards that can place the victims at greater danger. Broken bones should not be moved without any professional help.
What is the scope of the emergency?
Part of determining the nature of the emergency situation is to determine the number of casualties. Effectively identifying the number of victims that needs emergency help as well as the gravity of their injury is crucial when assessing who needs your help first. This is also crucial when calling for help. Knowing how bad the scope of the emergency is allows the dispatcher or the operator to know what type of response to give and how many professional are needed in the area.
Always bring your first aid kit
Emergency situations come without warning so having a first aid kit ready at your disposal can prove to be very useful. Have one at home, in your car or in your workplace.