What to do in the case of a medical emergency
“WHEREVER you may find yourself this holiday season, the key thing to remember is that should you be faced with an emergency try to stay calm and remember the contact telephone number of an emergency medical service provider. Please rest assured that the operator on the other end of the line is experienced in medical emergencies and can advise you on what to do until professional help arrives,” said David Stanton, head of clinical leadership at Netcare 911.
“Assistance and advice, in both emergency and non-emergency situations, is just a phone call away when you call the Netcare 911 national emergency operations centre. In the event that emergency medical intervention may be required, your call will immediately be escalated to Netcare 911’s emergency dispatch centre.”
What to do in the event of drowning
Get the victim out of the water as soon as possible, but do not become a victim yourself. Make sure first that it is safe for you to enter the water.
Handle the person with care. Many submersion incidents are associated with neck injuries, so keep movement to the back and neck to a minimum.
Assess to see if the person is awake by asking “Hello, can you hear me?”
Check for breathing by looking at the chest for no longer than 10 seconds. If the person is not breathing or not breathing normally (ie gasping), call immediately for medical assistance.
Call, or have someone call, a recognised medical emergency service provider. The caller must give the call taker an accurate location of the incident and a contact number at the scene. If you are unsure of the exact location, the nearest intersection or large landmark would also be helpful.
Never hang up on the call taker until they say you can do so, and always return to the rescuer to inform them that you have called for help.
If the person is not breathing, immediately start CPR, beginning with chest compressions. Keep doing CPR at a ratio of 30 chest compressions, and then two breaths.
CPR is vital, even if it is an amateur administering it. Keep on doing it until someone who is trained in advanced life support arrives and can take over.
All parents should learn how to administer child CPR, as it differs from adult CPR. All people can benefit from CPR training – it is not a difficult skill to learn.
What to do in the event of a road accident
The first thing you must do is ensure your own safety. Is it safe for you to be around the accident scene? Your safety is first priority and you cannot help anyone if you are at risk.
Stop in a safe place, with your hazard lights on and put a warning triangle at a fair distance back from the scene to alert motorists to the possible danger ahead. This will give them enough time to slow down safely.
Look around the scene for any possible hazards. These may include petrol or diesel leaks, fire, oncoming traffic, dangerous animals or hostile bystanders.
Assess the scene and see if there are any injuries. If there are, make sure you phone for help by dialling an emergency medical services provider immediately.
Remember to give the call taker your number in case the call gets cut off.
When you call for help, make sure you have the location of the incident handy. If you are unsure of the exact location, the nearest intersection or large landmark would also be helpful.
If possible, provide the call taker with a brief description of the accident scene, the number of injured patients and the nature of their injuries.
Do not move an injured person unless absolutely necessary as you may cause further injury, especially if the person has suffered spinal injuries. Rather try to keep injured people calm by talking to them and reassuring them that help is on the way.
If there are any patients who are bleeding heavily, try to stop the bleeding by compressing the wound with a clean towel or piece of clothing.