Getting medical help right away for someone who is having a medical emergency can save their life. This article describes the warning signs of a medical emergency and how to be prepared.
According to the American College of Emergency Physicians, the following are warning signs of a medical emergency:
- Bleeding that will not stop
- Breathing problems (difficulty breathing, shortness of breath)
- Change in mental status (such as unusual behavior, confusion, difficulty arousing)
- Chest pain
- Choking
- Coughing up or vomiting blood
- Fainting or loss of consciousness
- Feeling of committing suicide or murder
- Head or spine injury
- Severe or persistent vomiting
- Sudden injury due to a motor vehicle accident, burns or smoke inhalation, near drowning, deep or large wound, or other injuries
- Sudden, severe pain anywhere in the body
- Sudden dizziness, weakness, or change in vision
- Swallowing a poisonous substance
- Severe abdominal pain or pressure
BE PREPARED:
- Determine the location and quickest route to the nearest emergency department before an emergency happens.
- Keep emergency phone numbers posted in your home where you can easily access them. Also enter the numbers into your cell phone. Everyone in your household, including children, should know when and how to call these numbers. These numbers include: fire department, police department, poison control center, ambulance center, your doctors' phone numbers, contact numbers of neighbors or nearby friends or relatives, and work phone numbers.
- Know at which hospital(s) your doctor practices and, if practical, go there in an emergency.
- Wear a medical identification tag if you have a chronic condition or look for one on a person who has any of the symptoms mentioned.
- Get a personal emergency response system if you're an older adult, especially if you live alone.
WHAT TO DO IF SOMEONE NEEDS HELP:
- Stay calm, and call your local emergency number (such as 911).
- Start CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) or rescue breathing, if necessary and if you know the proper technique.
- Place a semiconscious or unconscious person in the recovery position until the ambulance arrives. DO NOT move the person, however, if there has been or may have been a neck injury.
Upon arriving at an emergency room, the person will be evaluated right away. Life- or limb-threatening conditions will be treated first. People with conditions that are not life- or limb-threatening may have to wait.
CALL YOUR LOCAL EMERGENCY NUMBER (SUCH AS 911) IF:
- The person's condition is life threatening (for example, the person is having a heart attack or severe allergic reaction)
- The person's condition could become life threatening on the way to the hospital
- Moving the person could cause further injury (for example, in case of a neck injury or motor vehicle accident)
- The person needs the skills or equipment of paramedics
- Traffic conditions or distance might cause a delay in getting the person to the hospital
Medical emergencies - how to recognize them
American College of Emergency Physicians website. Know when to go. www.emergencyphysicians.org/article/know-when-to-go/know-when-to-go-overview. Accessed April 22, 2021.
Blackwell TH. Emergency medical services: overview and ground transport. In: Walls RM, Hockberger RS, Gausche-Hill M, eds. Rosen's Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 9th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2018:chap 190.
Updated by: Jesse Borke, MD, CPE, FAAEM, FACEP, Attending Physician at Kaiser Permanente, Orange County, CA. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
Good Samaritan laws offer limited protection to someone who attempts to help a person in distress. Common examples might include someone who is experiencing chest pains or fell and hit their head on the sidewalk. Good Samaritan laws are written to encourage bystanders to get involved in these and other emergency situations without fear that they will be sued if their actions inadvertently contribute to a person’s injury or death. This is important as seconds often count in an emergency and giving first aid before the ambulance arrives can be the difference in whether someone lives or dies.
Protection Varies
Good Samaritan laws exist in both the U.S. and Canada, but the legislation isn’t uniform. Most laws don’t apply to medical professionals when they are on the job, but do offer some protection when they respond to an emergency off the clock. Many Good Samaritan laws, such as those in Virginia, Pennsylvania and Delaware, cover anyone who attempts to help in an emergency, while others are specific to certain situations. For example, Alabama’s law only extends to trained rescuers and public education employees unless the emergency is cardiac arrest, at which point anyone can get involved. In Oklahoma, Good Samaritan protection only covers bystander emergency assistance related to CPR or controlling bleeding.
Statutes typically don’t protect a person who provides care, advice or assistance in a willfully negligent or reckless manner. However, like any type of legislation, Good Samaritan laws are interpreted in court and the results may not benefit the bystander.
For example, a bystander in California who witnessed a car accident and pulled the victim from the vehicle out of concern that it would catch fire was later sued by the victim, who was left permanently paralyzed. The bystander won the lawsuit but the decision was later reversed by an appeals court that ruled she didn’t provide medical assistance. California has since changed its Good Samaritan law to include providing non-medical assistance at the scene of an emergency.
Good Samaritan Overdose Prevention Laws
Unintentional drug overdose is a leading cause of death in both the U.S. and Canada and construction workers are among those most at risk. Witnesses to an overdose often don’t call for emergency assistance because they’re afraid of being arrested for drug-related crimes. In response, some states and Canada have enacted Good Samaritan laws that provide some legal protection for people who call for help. For example, they may offer protection from being prosecuted for low-level drug offenses like sale or use of a controlled substance or paraphernalia. However, as with other Good Samaritan legislation, overdose protection isn’t uniform and varies by location.
Do You Have to Give Assistance?
In most instances, a bystander can’t be held liable for not providing assistance. However, there are exceptions. Good Samaritan laws in Vermont, Minnesota and Rhode Island require bystanders to act in some limited capacity. In Canada, residents of Quebec can also face legal consequences for not giving aid. However, that doesn’t mean putting yourself in danger like entering a burning building or moving a person who has fallen and may have injured their neck – in both cases it’s best to wait for emergency medical personnel. In more common emergency situations, like assisting someone who is feeling dizzy or confused, Good Samaritan assistance can be as simple as providing a blanket, offering water or calling 911.
Good Samaritan legislation won’t always stop someone from filing a civil lawsuit, but when you understand what you can and can’t do, it’s less likely you’ll get sued, as it’s harder for the other party to win. If you are someone who would stop and try to help in an emergency situation, make sure you understand the Good Samaritan laws where you live. Click here for more information about Good Samaritan laws in your state, here for more on the laws in Ontario and here for more on the laws in Quebec.
[Janet Lubman Rathner]