|
|
|
|
How Recognize Medical Emergency
   
Figuring out if medical symptoms warrant a call to 911 or a trip to the emergency department can be hard. Victims are often afraid to call, thinking their medical complaints aren't severe enough to "bother" emergency-care providers.
When trying to decide whether or not to call 911 or go to the emergency department, better to decide to go rather than not go.
Having a list of conditions for when to call 911 is good, but it's much better to know how to recognize an emergency no matter what the complaint is.
Difficulty: Average
Time Required: React quickly
Here's How:
1. When the brain is affected.
Medical conditions that cause changes in brain function should always be treated as emergencies. Complaints that may indicate a problem with the brain come on suddenly: weakness, numbness, or vision loss on one or both sides of the body; dizziness, confusion, trouble speaking, severe headache, loss of consciousness (passing out), or seizures.
2. Problems breathing.
We've all been short of breath from exercise, but when that feeling comes without any reason, it is scary. Sometimes, victims don't recognize breathing emergencies. Choking is not always called into 911 right away. Unfortunately, once a choking victim has become unconscious, very little oxygen is left in the bloodstream. Allergic reactions that cause trouble breathing or difficulty swallowing indicate anaphylaxis, a serious emergency.
3. Problems with the heart.
Heart attacks can feel like indigestion or like the worst pain ever. Heart attacks can also have absolutely no pain at all and just cause a weak heart, which leads to shortness of breath (see #2) or weakness/passing out (see #1). If you feel pain in the chest, particularly if it seems that nothing you do makes it feel better (rest, position, movement, etc.), it's time to dial 911 or go to the ER.
4. Severe bleeding.
It's not hard to control bleeding. Pressure and elevation is enough to stop most cuts from oozing blood, and the unusual step of pressure points usually takes care of the rest. If pressure alone doesn't stop the bleeding, do the rest of the steps while someone gets an ambulance. Only use a tourniquet as a last resort. If the bleeding is enough to make the victim drowsy or weak, follow the rules to treat for shock and get an ambulance.
5. When in doubt, call 'em out!
Some emergencies are common sense, car accidents and fires are good examples. There's no way to cover every possibility here. That's why emergency medical services providers don't expect victims to always distinguish between emergencies and non-emergencies. Plenty of seemingly innocuous complaints can have life-changing consequences if not treated quickly, and an equal number of scary situations end up being minor. If you think that you or someone else is experiencing a medical emergency, don't hesitate to call 911 or go to the emergency room.
|
No Magic Way Out In OrlandoNBA.com (blog)No one wants this to be more painful than it has to be. So I assumed that no one would let this situation deteriorate into some sort of mess. There is no magic way out for the Magic and their Dwight Howard dilemma. I just don't see it right now on the ...and more » |
USA TODAY |
No. 17 Indiana bounces back to drop IowaUSA TODAYFreshman Cody Zeller scored a season-high 26 points to help the No. 17 Hoosiers defeat Iowa 103-89 on Sunday night. Indiana was held to a season-low 50 points in a loss at Wisconsin on Thursday night, but had that many by halftime against Iowa.and more » |
|
Power Rankings: Miami Heat bounce Bulls at No. 1ESPNBut Oklahoma City and Denver likewise didn't do enough over the past seven days to be the team to succeed the injury-hit Bulls at No. 1, with OKC beating up on bottom-feeders (Detroit, New Orleans and Golden State) and the Nuggets squandering their ...and more » |
Google News
Common Misspellings include alsot, aslo alwasy, alwyas adn, anbd awya beng betwen, bewteen inbetween, vetween condidtions conciousness, consciouness, consiciousness, consicousness consequeseces controll deside dael difficulity, dificulty distingish doub alse, esle ect eveyr ecercise, esercise, excercise, exercide, exerciee, exercsie, exerdise, exersize, exervise, exerxise, exrecise, ezercise fiel fomr, frome fucntion, funtion ahev, ahve, haev, hvae, hvea htere inot jstu knwo,konw, kwno, nkow, nkwo lastr, lsat lefted lief liek, liuke littel amke, mkae, mkea makse, mkaes medial movment nto, onot ofen oftenly lonly, onyl oxigen paide, payed, pane particuarly, particularily, particulary positon, possition, postion possibilty, possiblility, possiblilty, possiblity probelm quicklyu recogise, recogize siezures sence shoudl, shoudln, sould smoe, soem somene somtimes stpo simptoms, simtoms, symptems, symptims, symptums, symtims, symtoms, sypmtoms tkaes tahn, thna taht, tath, thast, thgat, thta, thyat hten, tghe, ther, thge, tjhe ther, theri, thier, thier their, ther htikn, htink, thikn, thiunk, tihkn thikning tiem, timne, tiome unconcious unforetunately, unfortunatley, unfortunatly, unfourtunately uise usally, usualy ususally veyr, vrey, vyer, vyre warrent waht, whta wehn, whn whther hwihc, whcih, whic, whihc, whlch, wich hwile
Date Connection History of Newtonian Telescope Journal Article Brixner Telescope Amateur Telescope Making cup cakes empty cans of Pringles Reasons to use White Background Websites IF JESUS CAME TO YOUR HOUSE…! A LETTER FROM JESUS Evel Knievel Dead November 30 500 year american map Dogs dog bite-related fatalities Why Viagra is bad for you Cialis Viagra is a Health Risk How To Shelter in Place During Chemical Emergencies How To Disinfect Water by Boiling How To Survive Disasters without Preparation How To Have a Fun and Safe Halloween How To Treat Common Bug Bites How To Treat a Bee Sting How To Treat a Sunburn How To Avoid Traveler's Diarrhea How To Treat Hypoglycemia (Low Blood Sugar) How To Become a Paramedic How To Dress a Wound How To Treat a Jellyfish Sting How To Teach Kids to Call 911 How To Escape a Rip Current Hot To Splint A broken Hand How To Recognize a Medical Emergency How To Treat Rat Bites How To Treat for Shock How To Treat Cat Bites and Scratches How To Deliver a Baby How To Recognize and Treat Heat Stroke How To Treat Dog Bites How To Treat Dog Bites Causes of Abdominal Pain How To Treat an Amputation How To Treat a Black Eye How To Treat Broken Bones How to Control Bleeding Symptoms of a Heart Attack Carbon Monoxide Poisoning How To Do the Heimlich Maneuver Causes and Treatment of Confusion How To Perform Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) How To Treat a Laceration Common Causes of Vertigo (Dizziness) How To Treat an Eye Abrasion How To Treat an Impaled Object in the Eye How To Wash Your Hands How To Treat an Impaled Object Flu Facts From the CDC Food Poisoning How To Treat Frostbite Head Injury
Recognition, First Aid for Skull Fracture & Closed Head Injury Symptoms of a Heart Attack How To Recognize and Treat Heat Exhaustion How To Recognize and Treat Hypothermia Common Causes of Nausea and Vomiting US Presidents James Monroe John Quincy Adams
|
|
|
|
