We have mentioned in our guides earlier that the best thing to do is leave patient care to the paramedics or emergency medical professionals before the air ambulance arrives. However, there can be times when such help is not available on time. It is in instances like these that the knowledge of some basic facts and maneuvers come handy. We discuss such minimum interventions below.
Pre Air Ambulance Arrival First Aid starts with Calling 911
It is only prudent to first seek professional help and then proceed to offer help. Most times, our foremost instinct is to jump into helping the victim physically, but in the process that precious and live-saving call to 911 emergency services might be delayed significantly. If you strongly feel the need to intervene directly, ensure that you have someone nearby call 911 immediately. Your presence of mind in this matter is vital.
After You Call the Emergency Number
What you do after the emergency call, is entirely situational. Let’s explore some scenarios here:
- Commence cardiopulmonary resuscitation or CPR if you see that the patient is not breathing.
- If the patient is bleeding profusely, apply pressure to stop it. You can prepare a tourniquet by tying a rope to restrict the flow of blood towards the wound.
- If the patient has any amount of food, vomit or blood in the mouth, place the patient on his side with his arm or a pillow-like material under the head.
- If you see that the victim is unconscious while lying face down, turn him over so that he rests on his back.
If the victim is conscious, calm him down by reassuring that help is on the way. Remember, your reassurance to the patient is vital to eliminate anxiety. Bring in some positivity into the situation. Even simply holding the patient’s hand would suffice.
