Main Points

• The first minutes after an injury or medical crisis frequently are the most important: you can make a difference by knowing what to do, remaining calm and making a decision to act.
• Emergency physicians are medical specialists who are trained to provide lifesaving care.  They diagnose and treat every kind of medical condition that becomes an emergency.
• Emergency physicians provide lifesaving care 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and care for everyone, regardless of their ability to pay.
• Visit EmergencyCareforYou.org  to get information about how to prevent or respond to any kind of medical emergency, including how to prepare for disasters and how to keep your kids safe.
• Everyone is only one step away from a medical emergency.

Q.     What are the best ways to prevent medical emergencies?

• Preventing medical emergencies means getting yearly doctor’s exams and regular exercise. Protect your health by determining whether you’re at risk for any life-threatening conditions, and follow your doctor's suggestions to reduce any risk factors that can be dangerous to your health. For example, if you don’t smoke, don't start. If you do smoke, quit.
• All medicines should be kept in child-proof containers and well out of the reach of children.
• All poisonous materials should be stored out of reach of children in child-proof containers.
• Learn how to be safe at home in the kitchen, bathroom and yard where many accidents occur.
• Drive carefully and appropriately to weather and traffic conditions. Children should be secured in child-safety seats. Your local police and fire department can help ensure you have installed the seat correctly.
• All passengers in motor vehicles should wear safety belts.
• Many states have regulations regarding the wearing of personal floatation devices or lifejackets on watercraft. Even strong swimmers can become incapacitated in an accident.
• Never operate a vehicle if under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Read warning labels on all medications to see if they impair your ability to drive or operate machinery.

Q.      How can I be prepared for medical emergencies?

• The initial minutes after an injury or medical crisis frequently are the most important. The key is knowing what to do, remaining calm and making a decision to act. 
• Keep a list of emergency phone numbers by the phone. Include numbers for: police, fire, poison control (800-222-1222), local hospital, ambulance service (911 in most areas), and your family physician.
• Keep and maintain a well-stocked first-aid kit at home, at work and in your vehicle. This will help you handle medical situations. ACEP offers information about what should be included in first-aid kits at EmergencyCareforYou.org.
• Keep a list of all your medications in your wallet, including drug names, strength, dosage form, regimen, and name and contact information for the doctor who prescribed them. Also list all allergies, especially to medications and latex, which is used in many medical gloves worn by health care workers.
• Also keep a list of emergency contacts, such as family members.  ACEP recommends that people program their cell phones with ICE (In Case of Emergency) to list the name and phone number for someone who knows you and your medical history well.
• Wear your medical-alert bracelet or necklace if you have a condition that emergency responders need to know about (examples: asthma, bee sting allergy, epilepsy). 
• Take a first-aid class. This will not only help you stay calm and focused, but will also help you to help yourself and those around you in the event of an emergency.

Q.      How do I know what is or is not an emergency?

• If the emergency is life threatening – call 911. This is a free call from any phone, including pay phones.  Even non-activated cell phones, provided they have power, can be used to reach 911.
• If you have any doubt about whether or not it is an emergency, go to the emergency department.  Emergency physicians are trained to diagnose and treat emergencies; don’t take chances.
• If the emergency is not life threatening, do not call 911. When deciding between calling 911 and driving or taking a taxi to the emergency department, ask yourself the following questions:
  • Could the victim’s condition worsen and become life-threatening on the way to the hospital?
  • Could moving the victim require the skills or equipment of paramedics or emergency medical technicians?
  • Would distance or traffic conditions cause a delay in getting the victim to the hospital?
• If you suspect a spinal injury, do not move the victim. Call 911 and wait for help to arrive. You may be asked to administer CPR or the Heimlich Maneuver in cases of stopped breathing or choking.

Q.      What is the right way to respond to a medical emergency?

• Action can mean anything from calling paramedics, applying direct pressure to a wound, performing CPR, or splinting an injury.  Never perform a medical procedure if you are unsure of how to do it. 
• If people do not know how to or do not want to perform mouth to mouth resuscitation on someone who has had cardiac arrest, the American Heart Association has endorsed chest-compression only CPR.   This means "pushing hard and fast in the middle of the victim’s chest with minimal interruptions," (Circulation magazine) at a rate of 100 compressions per minute.  The pop song "Stayin’ Alive" by the Bee Gees is approximately 100 beats per minute, which is a helpful way to remember how fast to perform compressions.  Continue chest compressions until the ambulance arrives.
• Calling 911 is the best thing to do in a life-threatening emergency, even if you cannot speak. 911 operators can identify your location from the call if it is a landline. Do not hang up until instructed to do so by the operator.
• If you are with someone else who is having a medical emergency, remain calm.  You will be better able to provide critical information to emergency responders and physicians.
• Emergency departments provide services to all patients, regardless of their ability to pay, or their amount of insurance coverage.
• For tips on everything from headache to ankle sprains, snakebites to food poisoning, visit ACEP’s emergency manual at http://www.emergencycareforyou.org/EmergencyManual/WhatToDoInMedicalEmergency/Default.aspx.
• For more information on health and safety topics, visit www.EmergencyCareforYou.org.