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SUSAN ASCHOFFThere's a lot a bystander can do to help in a medical emergency. A first aid/CPR course is a good way to get prepared. Here's a refresher on the basics.
What if the man in front of you at the grocery checkout faints? Or a woman at a nearby restaurant table chokes? Medical emergencies dictate a speedy call to 911. But is there anything you can do?
"Ask them. Say, "Can I help you?"' suggests Jeff Baumgartner, an instructor specialist with the Tampa Bay Chapter of the American Red Cross.
And get some training, so you can.
Red Cross offers first aid, CPR and other courses for the layman. Call (813) 348-4820 for classes in Hillsborough, Pinellas and Pasco counties; (352) 564-8455 for Citrus County; and (352) 799-3237 in Hernando County.
In one 51/2-hour class, a beginner can learn standard first aid and adult CPR.
"It's empowering," Baumgartner says. "It gives people a sense of confidence that (they) know what to do."
There are some general rules that can be followed in a medical emergency. Baumgartner says the steps are CHECK, CALL and CARE.
CHECK means checking the area to ensure the person is safe. Never move him. But if there is an ongoing threat from traffic, fire or other hazard, it may be necessary.
CALL means to summon an ambulance or other medical aid.
CARE is doing what you can.
"When a person goes to the ground unconscious, it's not your job to diagnose what this person's medical condition is," Baumgartner says. The job, and it is urgent, is to make sure the person is breathing and his heart pumping.
If the person is conscious, get some information. Ask what he needs, what happened, if he feels any pain, whether he has any medical conditions or allergies and if he is taking any medications. The paramedics or doctor will need to know.
Here are some general bystander-turned-Samaritan guidelines:
HEAD INJURY
1) Keep the injured person reclined and quiet with head and shoulders slightly elevated. Avoid moving the neck.
2) Stop any bleeding with gauze or clean cloth.
BLEEDING
1) Have the person lie down and, if possible, elevate site of bleeding.
2) Don't probe the wound or attempt to clean it.
3) Apply pressure directly on wound with sterile bandage, clean cloth or a piece of clothing.
4) Maintain pressure. If blood seeps through cloth, don't remove it, add more cloth.
5) If bleeding doesn't stop with direct pressure, apply pressure to artery. Pressure points for the arm are on the inside of the arm just above the elbow. Pressure points for the leg are in the upper thigh, in the groin. Squeeze the artery against the bone with flat fingers while using your other hand to maintain pressure on the wound.
CHOKING
1) Ask the victim if he or she is choking.
2) If he has normal skin color, can cough and can speak, he is not choking. Do not interfere. If the victim confirms he is choking through gestures, stand behind him and wrap your arms around his or her waist, bending the person slightly forward.
3) Make a fist with one hand and place it slightly above the victim's navel. Grasp your fist with your other hand and press hard into the abdomen with a quick, upward thrust.
4) Repeat procedure until object is expelled from airway.
5) If the person loses consciousness, check mouth for a foreign object. If not breathing, begin CPR. (There is a modified CPR technique that focuses on chest compressions to force the object out.)
6) A choking infant can be laid face down along your arm with the infant's jaw between your thumb and index finger. While resting your arm on your lap and with the infant's head lower than its body, give five quick, forceful blows between the child's shoulder blades with the palm of your hand. Then flip the infant over, still with the head lower than the body, and give five quick thrusts using two fingers on the center of the breastbone. Watch for object to be expelled; listen for coughing. Do not place the infant upright until airway is cleared.
FAINTING
1) Catch the person before he or she falls.
2) Position your ear over the victim's mouth to listen for breathing and look sideways to see if the chest is rising and falling.
3) Loosen belts, collars or other constrictive clothing.
4) Position the person on his or her side.
5) The person should revive quickly, within 1 or 2 minutes. Do not allow him to get up too quickly, while still weak or dizzy.
LIGHTNING STRIKE
1) Lightning victims are not "charged," so you may touch them.
2) If necessary, move the person to a safe place.
3) Check to make sure the victim is breathing and has a pulse. If not, begin CPR.
BURNS
1) Do not put butter, oil, ice or ice water on burns. Soak the burn in cool water.
2) If the burn is minor, apply an antibiotic ointment and cover with loose gauze bandage.
3) If the burn is serious, do not remove any clothing stuck to the burn and do not soak the burn in water. Seek emergency care.
4) Electrical burns should not be soaked in water. They always require medical attention because there may be internal injuries.
SEIZURES
1) Place the person on the floor and cushion the head with a pillow or article of clothing.
2) Remove nearby objects to prevent injury.
3) Loosen clothing around head and neck.
4) Do not attempt to prevent shaking and do not put anything in the mouth.
5) Roll the person onto his or her side. If the person vomits, clear the mouth with a finger.
6) Make a note of how long the seizure lasts, to tell the doctor.
7) Be aware that a head injury may have occurred if the person fell when the seizure began, or that there may be a complicating medical reason for the seizure.
HYPOGLYCEMIA/INSULIN SHOCK
1) The person will be sweating, clammy, pale, trembling and feel weak.
2) Ask the person what he needs and get it for him or her.
3) Feed the person a quickly absorbed sugar such as fruit juice, honey or a soft drink. Do not attempt to feed a person who has lost consciousness.
-- SOURCES: MayoClinic.com; American Academy of Family Physicians; KidsHealth; Health World Online; National Institutes of Health; American Heart Association; American Red Cross.