Emergency
An emergency can take many disguises, and it's up to you to be prepared for any eventuality to keep the emergency from getting worse. If you can stay calm during a medical emergency you will help the person you assisting stay calm, as well as the people around you.
An emergency can strike fear into even the most calm person. By preparing ahead, you can take some of the fear and anxiety out of the most common emergencies that you face in life. Preparation helps reduce your anxiety level, and that of people around you, when they see you calm and in control. What are some of the most common medical emergencies you should be concerned with?
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Bleeding that will not stop.
This can come from any number of injuries, including cuts, bites, gashes, bumps and even nose bleeds. Although blood looks scary, in most cases, it simply needs pressure applied directly to the wound to help staunch the flow of blood. If applying pressure for ten minutes doesn't stop the bleeding, more involved care is needed, including a trip to your physician or emergency room. If the injury is from an animal bite or a human bite, a trip to the emergency room is necessary whether it is bleeding uncontrollably or not, simply due to the type of injury. -
Broken bones and fractures.
A broken bone is associated with a great deal of pain and requires a visit to the urgent care center or emergency room. Pain is normally associated with a broken bone, but favoring the injured area as another sign associated with broken bones. Other symptoms include dizziness, wooziness, and chills. If the break is a compound fracture, where the bone is more than cracked -- it's broken in half -- you have a potentially serious problem. If the bone is sticking out of the skin, infection is a possibility. When a bone breaks there is more internal damage than just the broken bone; there can be blood loss that aggravates the problem. A broken femur -- the long bone of the upper leg -- and a broken pelvis are the most serious breaks to worry about because of blood loss. If you suspect that kind of break, call 911 and then treat the patient for shock and keep them still. -
Breathing difficulties.
Wheezing and other sounds of troubled breathing suggest a visit to your personal doctor or the emergency room. Breathing difficulties can be caused by a number of different problems, including asthma, bronchitis, pneumonia, croup, allergic reaction, something stuck in the air passage, heart attack or a pulmonary embolism. If your child is having problems breathing or their breathing is labored, keep him or her call and then get them emergency help as soon as possible. Adults breathing problems aren't quite as critical, though they shouldn't be ignored. -
The heart can have any number of problems that make it malfunction and the result is serious. If you suspect someone is having a heart attack, call 911 if it's an adult, and then start CPR. If it's a child (1-8 years old), give CPR for two minutes and then call 911 before returning to giving CPR. If you aren't certified in CPR, take a class and stay up on your certification. You never know who's life you can save.
An emergency can be traumatic. By being calm, you can give the added comfort of having a level head tend to the situation. This goes a long way in taking some of the fear and anxiety out of a situation and better managing the emergency.
