Tips for calling 911 in a medical emergency

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August 21, 10:05 AM

by Christine Whitmarsh, Health Care Examiner

 

 

 

I remember when my little sister suffered “convulsions” (as febrile seizures and other similar conditions were commonly referred to). Truthfully, the experience is a blur in my mind that started with my mom’s hysteria – which terrified me because I had never seen her like that. I recall that there was either a problem with the phone or perhaps my parents were so upset by my sister’s tiny little seizing body on the bathroom floor that dialing a rotary phone became too much of a challenge in that moment. Our next door neighbors remember opening their front door to find me hysterically babbling – something about my sister being sick, the phone not working and needing them to call 911. It was clear that none of us were thinking clearly.

This is why I have so much admiration for 911 dispatchers whose job it is to take, and make sense of these frenzied phone calls. My respect for them has intensified, as a former EMT whose job it was to receive the information they relayed to us en route to various medical emergencies. The more specific the information, the more prepared our crew could be by time we arrived at the scene.

Emergency personnel don’t, of course, expect laypeople to be medical experts in the field (although sometimes we were lucky enough to have an off duty physician as the caller but this was rare). These are medical professionals who know their jobs and are trained to expertly handle any medical emergency or trauma without any prior information. However… critical seconds or even minutes can be saved by relaying information via the dispatcher to emergency personnel en route.

Here is a list of quick tips for calling 911 in a medical emergency, when every second counts.

1. Needless to say, try to stay as calm as possible and keep a clear head so that you can both relay and receive information when speaking with the emergency operator.
2. Typically the operator will ask you what type of emergency you are experiencing. Tell them “medical”.
3. Give the operator the phone number you are calling from in case the connection is lost and they need to call you back to continue the call (versus starting all over again with a new operator, wasting precious time).
4. Never assume that the call is automatically being traced. Tell the operator the address you are calling from – or as much location detail as possible if you don’t know it. With cell phones this information is vital. Again, some systems and towns may have the technology to trace these calls, but never make that assumption.
5. Unless your own personal safety is at risk, stay on the phone with the emergency operator. Do not hang up until they tell you it is okay to do so.
6. Have the following information ready for the operator to relay to emergency personnel who are en route: patient gender, approximate age, whether they are conscious or unconscious, as much detail as possible as to what happened; if you did not personally observe what led to the victim’s condition, provide as much detail as possible about what you saw from the moment you arrived; Which parts of the victim are covered in blood? What color is the victim’s skin (roughly)? Does the victim appear to be breathing (is their chest rising and falling)? What else are you observing about the victim that you can describe to the operator?
7. The operator may also ask you specific medical questions and issue basic lifesaving instructions. It’s important to stay calm and listen carefully, don’t panic (these instructions are specifically designed for non-medical professionals to follow; you can do this!) and communicate as clearly as possible to the operator what is happening. You are their eyes and ears.

Above all, remember that your safety comes first when you arrive on the scene of a medical emergency. The last thing emergency personnel need to be surprised with, is an unexpected victim. Never rush into a situation without stopping to look around and observe the scene for hazards (this is called “scene safety” in EMS). This would include objects in danger of falling from above, live electrical lines, hazardous materials or fluids and anything else that will put your safety at risk if you charge in, attempting to help the victim without stopping to look around first.

Taking the time to be a Good Samaritan and help in a medical emergency (whether you know the victim or not) is an admirable quality in any person. With these tips you can now play this role safely and armed with information that can further assist emergency professionals when every second counts.
 

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