Medical emergency

The proper way to handle a medical emergency is to activate the emergency medical services and call for help using your local emergency telephone number, such as 9-1-1 if you are in the United States. Be ready to give your location and tell what is wrong with the person you are calling about. Answer the questions you are asked.

If you are trained to perform first aid, do what you can to care for the victim. If you are not, remain calm and stay with the person. Do not allow others to crowd around unless their presence is needed. Do not evacuate the victim yourself unless you are either completely confident of your ability to do so or have no other alternative (as in wilderness first aid.)

If a person is not breathing, artificial respiration may be immediately required to save their life. Artificial respiration is part of CPR training. An emergency medical technician or paramedic can use airway management techniques to help a person who is not breathing, which is one reason to call for help.

If a person is not breathing and their heart is not beating (i.e. no pulse), Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is necessary to keep them alive until help arrives.

Internal Links

• first aid
• emergency medical service
• paramedic
  • nurse