Summoning emergency services approved emergency telephone numbers in the world: For emergencies starting outside medical care, a key component of providing proper care is to summon the
emergency medical services (usually an
ambulance), by
calling for help using the appropriate local
emergency telephone number, such as
999,
911,
111,
112 or
000. After determining that the incident is a medical emergency (as opposed to, for example, a police call), the emergency dispatchers will generally run through a questioning system such as
AMPDS in order to assess the priority level of the call, along with the caller's name and location.
First aid and assisting emergency services Those who are trained to perform
first aid can act within the bounds of the knowledge they have, whilst awaiting the next level of definitive care. Those who are not able to perform first aid can also assist by remaining calm and staying with the injured or ill person. A common complaint of emergency service personnel is the propensity of people to crowd around the scene of a victim, as it is generally unhelpful, making the patient more stressed, and obstructing the smooth working of the emergency services. If possible, first responders should designate a specific person to ensure that the emergency services are called. Another bystander should be sent to wait for their arrival and direct them to the proper location. Additional bystanders can be helpful in ensuring that crowds are moved away from the ill or injured patient, allowing the responder adequate space to work.
Legal protections for responders To prevent the delay of life-saving aid from bystanders, many states of the USA have "
Good Samaritan laws" which protect civilian responders who choose to assist in an emergency. In many situations, the general public may delay giving care due to fear of
liability should they accidentally cause harm. Good Samaritan laws often protect responders who act within the scope of their knowledge and training, as a "reasonable person" in the same situation would act. The concept of implied consent can protect first responders in emergency situations. A first responder may not legally touch a patient without the patient's consent. However, consent may be either
expressed or
implied: • If a patient is able to make decisions, they must give expressed,
informed consent before aid is given. • However, if a patient is too injured or ill to make decisions – for example, if they are unconscious, have an
altered mental status, or cannot communicate - implied consent applies. Implied consent means that treatment can be given, because it is assumed that the patient would want that care. Usually, once care has begun, a first responder or first aid provider
may not leave the patient or terminate care until a responder of equal or higher training (such as an
emergency medical technician) assumes care. This can constitute abandonment of the patient and may subject the responder to legal liability. Care must be continued until the patient is transferred to a higher level of care; the situation becomes too unsafe to continue; or the responder is physically unable to continue due to exhaustion or hazards. Unless the situation is particularly hazardous and is likely to further endanger the patient,
evacuating an injured victim requires special skills, and should be left to the professionals of the emergency medical and fire service.
The chain of survival During a medical emergency in which a patient is
no longer breathing and
does not have a pulse, survival is predicated on adherence to the
chain of survival, which has four components: • Early access to emergency care • Early
cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) • Early
defibrillation • Early
advanced life support (ALS) ==Clinical response==