Recognizing and Responding to a Medical Emergency
What would you do if your coworker or a student suddenly collapsed at work or was severely injured? While calling 911 for help is essential, it may not be enough to save the life of a person who experiences a sudden medical emergency in the workplace. Knowing first aid and being prepared to quickly come to the aid of a person in need can make all the difference.
This course is not intended to replace a CPR and first-aid certification classes, nor does it provide all of the knowledge or confidence to manage some of the more complicated medical emergencies. The intent of this brief training course is to provide you with some basic knowledge necessary to properly respond to and manage a medical emergency until help arrives. The main focus is to assess for immediate life-threatening problems, activating 911, and rapidly providing priority care. In many situations, your only role may be to call for help and provide supportive care to the injured or ill person.
The essential roles and responsibilities of a first aid provider are:
Recognize a medical emergency exists
Being prepared to help
Identifying scene hazards to ensure personal safety
Calling 911 for advanced medical assistance
Providing supportive, basic first aid care
The outcome of an injury or illness depends on the severity of the injury, available first-aid care, and medical treatment. Prompt and properly administered first aid may mean the difference between rapid or prolonged recovery, temporary or permanent disability, and even life or death.