What to Do In Any Medical Emergency at PV

An accident has happened. A stranger, a friend or a member of your family is hurt, sick, or unconscious, and may have only moments to live. You may be the only one there and even if you aren't, you may be the only one who can help. How do you handle this medical emergency?

Calm down!

Firstly, it is imperative that you remain calm. It doesn't matter whether anyone else is remaining calm or not. Forget them for the moment. In this situation, it is your #1 job to keep your wits about you. Take a few seconds to be scared if you must, but then tell your fear to come back later. You've got work to do.

Call Emergency Medical Service providers at PV!

EMTs from the Paradise Valley Urgent Care center closest to you are only minutes away. Make sure you call them immediately and describe the medical emergency. If you can't make the call yourself, grab a specific person close to you and instruct them to do it- -do not just yell "Call 911" to the crowd at random, because then everyone will wait for someone else to do it.

Give first aid

Now that the EMTs are on their way, the next few minutes depend on you. Look over the victim quickly but closely. Are they breathing? Are they bleeding? Are they conscious? Do you know what happened to them? Respond carefully but quickly with first aid. Apply hard pressure to any bleeding. If you know the victim is having a lethal allergic reaction, find their EpiPen and use it. If they aren't breathing, make sure their airway is clear. If they have no pulse, give them CPR. If you need help, or don't know how to do some of these things, grab a specific person for help or yell for a specific need like "I need a doctor" or "I need CPR."

Keep at it

Beginning to administer first aid is only half of your job. The other half is to KEEP administering first aid, and don't stop until you are relieved by an EMT or other medical personnel, or until you are literally too exhausted to continue. Even if all you can do is press on a wound and call for help, don't stop pressing or calling until help arrives. The life of your victim will depend on your perseverance and tenacity.

If you do these four things, the chances of the victim surviving until help arrives are much, much better than if you don't.