Until the Ambulance Arrives

By Chelle Cordero

This booklet is intended as a guide to help you get through a medical or trauma crisis – it is not intended to replace professional medical or emergency response or advice.

New Edition includes chapters of Chelle Cordero's EMS Novels, Final Sin and Hyphema. 

Until the Ambulance Arrives gives information for the consumer on how to handle emergencies Until the Ambulance Arrives.

I have been an Emergency Medical Technician, CPR and First Aid Instructor, and volunteer with a local ambulance corps for nearly three decades. I’ve responded to numerous emergencies, performed CPR, delivered babies, transported trauma victims and sometimes just offered comfort to a patient enroute to the hospital.

People deal with emergencies differently, but no matter how serious or minor the event may seem to someone else, each person who experiences pain, fear or loss for themselves or a loved one is dealing with a true crisis. It is my hope that this booklet will give a little comfort when it comes to dealing with an emergency.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Vanilla Heart Publishing
• Release date: Jun 16, 2016
• ISBN: 9781533747068

Book preview

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Until the Ambulance Arrives

A Helpful Guide to Caring for Yourself and Others

by Chelle Cordero

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INCLUDES FREE PREVIEW CHAPTERS OF

FINAL SIN and HYPHEMA

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Until the Ambulance Arrives

by Chelle Cordero

Copyright 2015 Chelle Cordero

Published by: Vanilla Heart Publishing

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Ebook Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then you should return to the retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system without written permission from the publisher, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in a review.

Table of Contents

An Introduction

When To Call For Emergency Help

Calling 9-1-1

So You’ve Called The Ambulance

Sample Patient Info Card

Simple As A-B-C

Simple First Aid

preview chapters

FINAL SIN

HYPHEMA

More Great Books by Chelle Cordero

Author Bio

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An Introduction

This booklet is intended as a guide to help you get through a medical or trauma crisis – it is not intended to replace professional medical or emergency response or advice.

I have been an Emergency Medical Technician, CPR and First Aid Instructor, and volunteer with a local ambulance corps for nearly three decades. I’ve responded to numerous emergencies, performed CPR, delivered babies, transported trauma victims and sometimes just offered comfort to a patient enroute to the hospital.

People deal with emergencies differently, but no matter how serious or minor the event may seem to someone else, each person who experiences pain, fear or loss for themselves or a loved one is dealing with a true crisis. It is my hope that this booklet will give a little comfort when it comes to dealing with an emergency.

It is also recommended that everyone look into taking CPR and First Aid classes for use in their personal lives. Contact your local ambulance squad or fire department to see if they offer any courses. And while you are at it, why not ask about volunteering?

Stay healthy.

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When To Call For Emergency Help

Too many people worry that calling for an ambulance is either an over-reaction or an acknowledgement of something very wrong they don’t want to admit to. Use good sense, and call if you need assistance. Better to let the professionals make the decision that it isn’t serious or to have them there if it is serious or life-threatening.

Generally when it comes to slight fevers, mild congestion, short term diarrhea, nausea, mild stomach aches, strains, and other annoying but not too scary ailments, start by calling your personal physician for advice. Kids and adults will get sick with upper respiratory infections, upset stomachs, generalized aches and pains, headaches and more. Your doctor will be able to tell you what to watch for and how to treat these common illnesses, or if you should seek more immediate care. Previous medical history may also play a factor in the doctor’s advice.

However there are times when it is not practical to wait to speak to your doctor. There are times when an illness or accident may have life threatening consequences. Do not hesitate to call your local emergency access number, usually 9-1-1. Give the dispatcher as much information as possible and confirm the location you are calling from. Identify yourself and remain on the line, the dispatcher may be able to talk you through some life-saving procedures while you wait for the trained ambulance crew (emergency medical technicians, paramedics, etc.) to arrive.

If your loved one suddenly seems confused, has slurred speech, is unable to smile equally or move one side of his body, call for an ambulance immediately. You would know the normal behavior of your friend and should recognize a sudden shift in personality, coherence, abilities, or loss of consciousness. Altered mental status can be caused by a variety of reasons including stroke, head injury, alcoholism, diabetes, poisoning, infection, or oxygen deprivation. Be sure to monitor the patient’s airway and assist their breathing if necessary. This is a true medical emergency.

If the patient is having chest pain or pressure, difficulty breathing, pain in the shoulders and neck, is sweating and nauseous, have them sit and rest immediately and call 9-1-1. These are the classic symptoms of a heart attack, however the patient may have none of these. They will often be in denial and have a feeling of impending doom. If the patient has a cardiac history and a prescription for nitroglycerine, help them to take their medication while they are waiting quietly for the ambulance. If they don’t have a nitro prescription but there is baby aspirin available, have them suck on two baby aspirin. Notice if the pain subsides while resting and report that to the rescuers.

If the patient is complaining of having difficulty breathing have them sit in a position of comfort, often upright, feet down and leaning forward. Loosen any tight, restrictive clothing. They may or may not have audible wheezing or other sonorous breathing sounds and their lips might be bluish tinged. Call 9-1-1. Often the person with respiratory distress may have trouble speaking more than a few words at a time. Keep them calm. If they have asthma medication, help them to take it. A severe allergic reaction, or anaphylaxes, may present with a swollen tongue, hives, rapid breathing, and extreme respiratory difficulty – this is a true, life-threatening emergency. Some people who have a history of severe allergic reactions have epi-pens, help them use it if they do.

Most cases of trauma like falls will not require emergency response. However, on the average, if the fall is greater than the patient’s standing height, if there are obvious deformities to the bones, partial or full paralysis, altered mental status or open fractures (bone protruding through the skin), then call 9-1-1. In the meanwhile don’t try to move the patient unless it is absolutely necessary for safety reasons. Cover the patient with a light blanket to keep them warm and monitor breathing.

If there is major bleeding, gently press bandaging over the wound to stop the flow. If the bleeding is caused by an object protruding into the body, do not pull the object out, but pack it with bandages so it does not move. Call 9-1-1. A small child or an elderly person can bleed out very quickly so it is important to slow or stop the bleeding and get help immediately. If the injury is to the eye, cover the injured eye loosely, use a small paper cup if there is anything protruding, and then cover the other eye to prevent eye movements. Explain what you are doing and keep the patient calm.

There are different ways a patient can be burned: thermal burns can be caused by heat transference such as an iron or hot skillet or an open flame; electrical burns may also cause cardiac arrhythmias and internal damage along the route; chemical burns may be caused by things like caustic cleaners,