Refresher: What To Do In A Medical Emergency?

EMERGENCY STUFF HAPPENS And You're Not Alone If You're Still Not Sure  What To Do When It Does. A recent news story about a Good Samaritan saving a tourists' life in NYC after performing CPR on him in the critical 4 minutes after a heart attack, sparked us to reprint this blog. Some things you should refresh your memory about are below.

USA Weekend's HealthSmart Column Advice from The Doctors (Daytime TV Show ) says...

There are a whole bunch of free medical manuals you can download from The American College Of Emergency Physicians (emergencycareforyou.org)

What To Do In A Medical Emergency

How To Perform CPR

How To Prevent Medical Emergencies

Holiday And Seasonal Safety

AND ...

Medical Consent and History Forms for Each Family Member!  
Having medical information is critical in an emergency and may save a life.  Download these forms for free at emergencycareforyou.org to record your family’s medical history or provide consent-to-treat.  Take them with you when you seek emergency care.

Some First Aid Basics They Suggest You Have On Hand?

Supplies in one well stocked bag rather than searching while you're dripping blood.

You should have one well stocked emergency bag in the house  - and one in your car.

Also...

Update Your List of Emergency Numbers

Doctors//Poison Control Center/ Local Emergency Services

Re: Aspirin

Kids under 19 should not take it, but adults having a heart attack might need it. If you're experiencing symptoms call 911 in spite of the fact that most babes won't call 911 for themselves. 

 The operator might tell you to chew an aspirin.

(It will suck if you don't have one) So Toss 2 packets of tablets in your kit (and one in your purse) plus non-aspirin pain relievers and allergy medications.

Re: Bandages.

About 25 in assorted shapes and sizes. You also want elastic wraps, gauze rolls and pads and adhesive tape.

Re: Cleansers.

Keep antibiotic ointment, (we love neosporin heals fast) hydrogen peroxide and antiseptic solution for disinfecting and alcohol based hand sanitizer for your car kit so you can clean your hands before and after treating injuries .

Re: Itch and Irritation Relievers

For bug bites, poison ivy and some rashes get hydrocortisone cream.

Calamine lotion helps with itchy skin and minor irritations.

Aloe Vera gel works well on burns.

Re: Tweezers and other tools.

To pluck out splinters stingers and more get first aid tweezers. The other tools include latex free gloves, sharp scissors with rounded tips, and a thermometer. (You'll likely find the tweezer somewhere in the front seat)