A medical emergency is an injury or illness that poses an immediate threat to a person's health or life. It needs immediate help from a doctor or hospital. The doctor's training in emergency medicine includes ways to react to medical emergencies, and the resuscitation of patients.

What to do

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If you dont know how to do first aid

• Do not put yourself, or anyone else in danger.
• If you cannot eliminate the thing where the danger comes from, make it well visible.
• Call for medical assistance,as quickly as possible. The number for emergencies is given below. Calls to emergency services are free of charge. Phone booths allow such calls at any time, even without credit.
  • 112 in most of Europe
  • 911 in the United States and Canada
  • 999 in the United Kingdom
  • 119 in South Korea and Japan
  • 000 in Australia
  • 111 in New Zealand.

If you know how to do first aid

1. Look that there is no danger to those helping.
2. Try to see what happened. You will need to tell that to emergency services.
3. Give assistance to any injured people. Those who cry loudest need the least help.
   • Help in those ways you can. Do not put yourself in danger.
   • Do not be afraid to do something, because you fear it is wrong. Unless you do harm on purpose, you can not be held responsible for possible damage you do.
4. Call for medical assistance. The number for emergencies is given below. Calls to emergency services are free of charge. Phone booths allow such calls at any time, even without credit.
   • 112 in most of Europe
   • 911 in the United States and Canada
   • 999 in the United Kingdom
   • 119 in South Korea and Japan
   • 000 in Australia
   • 111 in New Zealand.
5. Ask any person to help (or to call emergency services). They must help you in any way they can. Not to help in a medical emergency situation is a crime in many countries.

Statistics

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Most emergencies are quite unspectacular. They will happen to people you know, and not to complete strangers.

• 53% happen at home (or when doing a hobby)
• 15% happen at school
• 6% are traffic accidents

Of all emergencies:

• 49% are illnesses (a stroke, problems with the heart)
• 10% are intoxications (alcohol, other drugs, mushrooms,..)
• 12% are accidents (traffic accidents, accidents in the house)
• 17% are muiscellanea (finding someone without residence frozen in the park)
• 15% are false alarms.

Notfall | Medical emergency | Medicina de emergencia | Premiers secours