While preventing a medical emergency can be difficult, there are a few basic things you can remember to keep yourself and others around you well.
Drink and eat enough wear protection during hot and cold days (whenever your body is struggling to maintain body heat in hot or cold conditions, extra water intake is always necessary).
If you participate in physical activity such as hiking, always make sure you are skilled and experience enough for the activity. Preferable to always have a buddy partner just in case.
If you are going to rough locations without a partner, always take an Epirb (emergency location device) for rescues.
Tell someone that you are leaving, where you are going, any medical conditions you have and the latest you will be back.
Prepare
Preparing for a medical emergency is really easy as it only requires a few things. In the home or workplace, you should start with a medium-sized first aid box or bag. As the premises grows with more people or more first aid risk, more equipment will be needed. In large workplaces or public areas and sporting grounds, an AED or Automatic External Defibrillator will be required, often by law. While these can be expensive, it is always better than an avoidable loss of life or even criminal charges. Something at a much cheaper cost you can do is complete first aid training. While this only lasts for one to three years, even doing it once every couple of years is much better than no training at all and you will still have some knowledge to rely on if needed. Finally, if you are still unsure, there are plenty of first aid apps available for free when necessary.
Action
While every medical emergency is different, there are a few things you should almost always do while the paramedics arrive. The simple acronym DRSABCD should be applied whenever an illness or injury takes place. Danger: If you find yourself in an emergency situation, you need to ascertain how dangerous it is to you, any bystanders and the injured/ ill person before you try to help. Do not put yourself in harm’s way when going to the assistance of another person. Response: Check to see if the person is conscious. Do they respond when you talk to them, touch their hands or squeeze their shoulder? Communicate by talking to them loudly and gently shake their shoulders (not vigorously). If you do not get a response, the person is unconscious. Send for help: If you realise that the situation calls for emergency services, your first action should be to send for help. In Australia, the number for all emergency services is triple zero. Dial 000 and answer the questions asked by the operator. Bystanders should leave a clear path/ space around the patient so that emergency services can find their way quickly. Airway: Can the person breathe? Is the person’s airway clear? An unconscious patient is at risk of airway obstruction due to the tongue falling back. Perform a head tilt-chin lift to open their airway, this can be achieved by opening their mouth and having a look inside. If the person’s mouth is clear, tilt their head gently back (by lifting their chin) and check for breathing. If the person’s mouth is not clear, place the person on their side, open their mouth and clear any obstructions, then tilt the head back and check for breathing. Breathing: Check for breathing by looking for chest movements (up and down). Listen by putting your ear near to their mouth and nose. Feel for breathing by putting your hand on the lower part of their chest. If the person is unconscious but breathing, turn them onto their side, carefully ensuring that you keep their head, neck, and spine in alignment. Monitor their breathing until you hand over to the ambulance officers. CPR: If the person is unconscious and not breathing, make sure they are flat on their back and then place the heel of one hand in the centre of the person’s chest and your other hand on top. Press down firmly, compressing to one-third of the person’s chest depth. Do this 30 times. Give two breaths. To get the breath in, tilt their head back gently by lifting their chin. Pinch their nostrils closed, place your open mouth firmly over the person’s open mouth and blow firmly into their mouth. Keep going with the 30 compressions and two breaths at the speed of approximately five repeats in two minutes until you hand over to the arriving ambulance officers or another trained person, or until the person you are resuscitating responds. The method for CPR for children under eight years old is similar. Defibrillator: For an unconscious person who is not breathing, apply an automated external defibrillator (AED), if one is available. Many public places, clubs, and organisations have one, so ask for it. An AED is a machine that delivers an electrical shock to cancel any irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia)and get the normal heartbeat to re-establish itself. Follow the instructions and voice prompts. If the person responds to defibrillation, turn them onto their side and tilt their head to maintain their airway. If the patient is a child, make sure the AED is suitable to use on a minor.
Note: no medical training on a website is a substitute for being certified in first aid. All people are strongly recommended to complete first aid training with an accredited provider, it only takes a few hours and could save a life.
Information provided by certified first aid personnel and official paramedic/government sources.