How are you in an emergency?

qo2cj1dsne8y4k · 14-09-2016 12:07PM #1

Recently I was alone with someone who had a pretty bad accident. I heard some screaming, and found the person laying on the ground, with limbs distorted into unnatural positions.

Now, when calm, I would know don't move the person and call an ambulance, but taking one look at her, I could not even think. I took one look at her and ran away from her. I actually had to talk myself into going back in because she was by herself. Though the second time I went to help her wasn't much more successful. She was still bent into a very odd shape.

I went and found a calmer adult who was amazing. She kept both of us calm, told me to call an ambulance and stayed with the injured person keeping her calm until the ambulance arrived.

It got me thinking though, what's the most gruesome thing you've witnessed, and how good at staying calm are you? Or are you like me, would you run away and hope it fixes itself?

sullivlo · 14-09-2016 12:10PM

I tend to be okay in an emergency. A girl collapsed outside of work one day and I helped put her in the recovery position and rang an ambulance. She started to fit so I put something soft under her head and supported her so she didn't damage herself.

However if there was blood involved, I'd probably pass out myself. I'm super squeamish.

But in general incidents, I tend to be quite practical in getting help/contacting the right people.

andekwarhola · 14-09-2016 12:11PM

Last emergency I was in (my kid choking), I was pretty mediocre. My wife was excellent and saved the day. She's really good at stuff like that. Hopefully I'll be better next time.

Shenshen · 14-09-2016 12:17PM

The one time that comes to mind would be when someone had a heart attack - and I was actually so calm it still freaks me out. I rang the ambulance, stayed on the phone with the operator while waiting for the first response team to arrive, followed instructions about giving aspirin, help the person into a semi-comfortable position and packed them a bag for hospital.

I don't know what my brain thought was happening, but it kept everything ticking over nicely as if I was just doing a bit of housework or something.
The person in question was someone very, very dear to me, but I felt no panic, I was calmly focused as if I'd done the exact same dozens of times.
Looking back, it's just weird.

livedadream · 14-09-2016 12:19PM

Grand i reckon, my Dad choked in a restaurant years ago, cue my sister brother and mother screaming somebody call a doctor, hes choking, around the place and trying to grab a waitress, (surprisingly all the staff disappeared very quickly, assholes)

i pushed pass my sister, grabbed him, pushed him over the back of the chair and he coughed it back up. i remember telling him to try to breathe though his nose, have no idea where the idea came from...

all was grand bar the glob of food now stuck to the chair and my dad looking ban.

my mother was amazed i was calm, im the least expected to be able to handle myself...

i tore the face off the manger as we left though, without paying, as we had been ignored totally by the staff, it was a total disgrace, we waited for 15 minutes to get a glass of water for him after it happened, a woman approached us as we were laving and told us she was a nurse and was on her way over when she saw me grabbing the chair, and knew we were grand, but to keep on eye on him for the rest of the night, apparently alot of people who have an incident like that and are older are prone to a heart attack later on due to the shock.

Tefral · 14-09-2016 12:19PM

Driving to Dublin one day from Limerick it was the old road before the motorway; was coming out of Moneygall when a car came around one of the bends but instead of turning flew straight across the road into a ditch. I genuinely didn't believe what i had just saw.

Autopilot took over. I pulled over and ran to the car. Found one of her kids face down knocked out in the passenger wheel well, the other baby upside down while still in his car seat.

I couldn't open the drivers door open so broke the back window and got the baby out first who was screaming his head off. The mam woke up and started screaming. No noise out of the bigger child in the passenger side. I got the two kids out and away from the car as there was smoke coming out of it. I managed to open the drivers door by reaching in and unlocking it, I asked the mother if she had any pain but all she kept doing was screaming about her babies. I told her i had them out of the car. I was conscious of the smoke so i decided i better try get the mother out. I got her out anyway and by that time a nurse had arrived off duty and then a Garda Car.

Honestly the whole thing was over with in my mind in a split second. An ambulance arrived and then i sat back in my car. The Garda asked me to wait for a statement so i waited. All of a sudden both my hands started shaking. I literally had to wait 15mins before I could drive off again they were shaking that much.

Your Face · 14-09-2016 12:22PM

I'm class in any situation.

Tilly · 14-09-2016 12:24PM

I'm very calm and together when it's something life or death or something serious (this has been pointed out to me too) but lose my shít if i cant find my phone or keys.

livedadream · 14-09-2016 12:27PM

Tilly wrote: »

I'm very calm and together when it's something life or death or something serious (this has been pointed out to me too) but lose my shít if i cant find my phone or keys.

+1

preach!

livedadream · 14-09-2016 12:28PM

Tefral wrote: »

All of a sudden both my hands started shaking. I literally had to wait 15mins before I could drive off again they were shaking that much.

im surprised they didnt have you checked out as well just to make sure you were okay, shock can be really serious especially if you were allowed drive off without being checked.

well done though, fast responses are key in a situation like that.

Tefral · 14-09-2016 12:31PM

livedadream wrote: »

im surprised they didnt have you checked out as well just to make sure you were okay, shock can be really serious especially if you were allowed drive off without being checked.

well done though, fast responses are key in a situation like that.

Someone said that to me afterward actually that they were surprised they left me drive away. Its the weirdest feeling to look back on it. I can remember everything clearly now, but at the time the whole thing was a blur. Thankfully I have never been in that situation since!

Letree · 14-09-2016 12:33PM

LexieOnRale wrote: »

Recently I was alone with someone who had a pretty bad accident. I heard some screaming, and found the person laying on the ground, with limbs distorted into unnatural positions.

Now, when calm, I would know don't move the person and call an ambulance, but taking one look at her, I could not even think. I took one look at her and ran away from her. I actually had to talk myself into going back in because she was by herself. Though the second time I went to help her wasn't much more successful. She was still bent into a very odd shape.

I went and found a calmer adult who was amazing. She kept both of us calm, told me to call an ambulance and stayed with the injured person keeping her calm until the ambulance arrived.

It got me thinking though, what's the most gruesome thing you've witnessed, and how good at staying calm are you? Or are you like me, would you run away and hope it fixes itself?

I don't know what to say about the bolded bit.

livedadream · 14-09-2016 12:38PM

Letree wrote: »

I don't know what to say about the bolded bit.

it pretty common,

not everyone in the world is good in an emergency, not everyone can come across a dead body or person after a horrific incident and know what to do.

same as people walk past people passed out on the street, the: its none of my business or, its just a junkie or someone else will help or i dont know what to do.

happens all the time that ambos or firemen have to keep witnesses calm as well as the victim.

seamus · 14-09-2016 12:39PM

I'm generally pretty good, I go into some hyper-focused mode where suddenly everything I ever learned about this kind of emergency becomes fresh in my brain. I appear outwardly calm even if my body is screaming at me.

That is, when I'm not struck by the bystander effect. I'm really bad for that. Loads of people standing around them? Ah shure, they're grand, they don't need my help. And I move on. I would like to think that now I'm aware of it I would consciously make an effort to break it, but in an emergency you never know what you'll do.

So, if you are going to have a heart attack, make sure you do it in front of me, in a quiet place. Do it on a busy street and I might end up leaving you to it.

qo2cj1dsne8y4k · 14-09-2016 12:47PM

Letree wrote: »

I don't know what to say about the bolded bit.

She had a pretty bad fall and was laying with limbs in positions I've never seen limbs in before. She wasn't moving. She wasn't even talking. I didn't know what to do. It was terrifying. I didn't know if she'd broke her neck or her back or something less serious. It was a horrible fright

robindch · 14-09-2016 12:51PM

LexieOnRale wrote: »

It got me thinking though, what's the most gruesome thing you've witnessed, and how good at staying calm are you?

A few months back, I saw a guy run (literally) into a low metal bar and bounce off it and back onto the ground, banging his head hard against concrete surface causing a head wound which bled heavily - spurting like something out of a Tarantino movie. I dropped my bike which I'd been locking to a bike rack and ran over and saw that he was conscious but not in any condition to move, so I got him to sit up (to reduce blood pressure to the head, and hence reduce bleeding), then got onto emergency services and kept him talking for the twenty minutes or so it took for them to arrive. As soon as he was sitting up and ES were on their way, I ran over to a nearby garage and got some clean cloths and he was able to press these against the back of his head to cut down on the bleeding, mostly successfully. Spoke with his wife and workplace to explain what happened, but otherwise kept him chatting and calm and regularly asking whether he was feeling light-headed, confused or having trouble seeing things (could indicate lack of blood, so it would have been necessary to put him into the recovery position and try harder to staunch the bleeding).

Anyhow, as soon as emergency services arrived, they wrapped his head up in an enormous bandage and carted him off to Vincent's and what I hope was more competent medical care than mine. No idea what happened after that - hope he's ok.

In all fairness, it wasn't all that gruesome, just lots and lots of blood everywhere - all over the ground, running down his hands, and all over the rest of him. Not sure what would have happened if he'd managed to knock himself out and I'd not seen him fall - he was well hidden from general view behind the bikes in the bike rack.

Letree · 14-09-2016 12:54PM

LexieOnRale wrote: »

She had a pretty bad fall and was laying with limbs in positions I've never seen limbs in before. She wasn't moving. She wasn't even talking. I didn't know what to do. It was terrifying. I didn't know if she'd broke her neck or her back or something less serious. It was a horrible fright

Sorry lexie i just had a vision of you sitting like del boy in only fools and horses when his wife was giving birth and the nurse said that you'd need a cup of tea after that (meaning the wife) and delboy thought it was for him. Meaning you were taking up valuable resources from the helper to calm you down sort of thing.

cajonlardo · 14-09-2016 12:57PM

People should download one of the first aid apps onto their phones if they are untrained or likely to panic.

BTW - a good habit is to review all your actions after an emergency.

Have a good think about what you did well and what you could do better next time - its one of the best ways to learn.

" You can't teach Experience "

qo2cj1dsne8y4k · 14-09-2016 12:57PM

Letree wrote: »

Sorry lexie i just had a vision of you sitting like del boy in only fools and horses when his wife was giving birth and the nurse said that you'd need a cup of tea after that (meaning the wife) and delboy thought it was for him. Meaning you were taking up valuable resources from the helper to calm you down sort of thing.

The real adult was only reassuring me no vital limbs would need to be amputated and nobody was going to die.

Winterlong · 14-09-2016 12:59PM

I am pretty useless in these situations. Luckily 'Adrenaline me' kicks in and saves the day.

Brakes failed in a classic car I was driving as it approached traffic at the lights. Real me would freeze and close my eyes. Thankfully Adrenaline me took over, navigated the car in to the oncoming lane and then thru the junction avoiding everything and used the handbrake to stop the car at the far side. Leaving real me to change my underwear.

Another time a baby was chocking on something, going blue in the face. The real me would consult the internet, figure out what to do and then try to do it. Adrenaline me grabbed the baby, inverted it and applied a wee smack in the right place saving the wee tiddler.

deisemum · 14-09-2016 01:04PM

I tend to be very calm and just deal with the situation but then when it's over I might start shaking though now always. I've been doing occupational first aid for over 30 years so I've had a few things to deal with but nothing major, I've had to deal with a choking child, woman having a grand mal epileptic fit while I had my hands in her mouth taking dental impressions, cuts, fractures, fainting and shock.

razorblunt · 14-09-2016 01:11PM

livedadream wrote: »

Grand i reckon, my Dad choked in a restaurant years ago, cue my sister brother and mother screaming somebody call a doctor, hes choking, around the place and trying to grab a waitress, (surprisingly all the staff disappeared very quickly, assholes)

i pushed pass my sister, grabbed him, pushed him over the back of the chair and he coughed it back up. i remember telling him to try to breathe though his nose, have no idea where the idea came from...

all was grand bar the glob of food now stuck to the chair and my dad looking ban.

my mother was amazed i was calm, im the least expected to be able to handle myself...

i tore the face off the manger as we left though, without paying, as we had been ignored totally by the staff, it was a total disgrace, we waited for 15 minutes to get a glass of water for him after it happened, a woman approached us as we were laving and told us she was a nurse and was on her way over when she saw me grabbing the chair, and knew we were grand, but to keep on eye on him for the rest of the night, apparently alot of people who have an incident like that and are older are prone to a heart attack later on due to the shock.

That's a hell of a risk she took. Looks to me like she's not great in an emergency herself!

Boom_Bap · 14-09-2016 01:27PM

I witnessed 2 childbirths. They were fairly gruesome!

Mrs. Bap was bringing her friend to hospital when her contraptions started, they didn't make it out of the apartment block and Mrs Bap ended up delivering the baby in the hallway. I'd say that was fairly horrible but she kept her cool.

Childbirth is some gory sh*t.

livedadream · 14-09-2016 01:35PM

razorblunt wrote: »

That's a hell of a risk she took. Looks to me like she's not great in an emergency herself!

i think she was saying she was ready to jump in but i reacted the right way so she didnt bother.

fair enough to her like my sister was near hysterical and my older brother was mute.

feckin no use they are.

qo2cj1dsne8y4k · 14-09-2016 01:47PM

Boom_Bap wrote: »

I witnessed 2 childbirths. They were fairly gruesome!

Mrs. Bap was bringing her friend to hospital when her contraptions started, they didn't make it out of the apartment block and Mrs Bap ended up delivering the baby in the hallway. I'd say that was fairly horrible but she kept her cool.

Childbirth is some gory sh*t.

I read something once that compared childbirth to being like someone burning his favourite pub to the ground

TerrorFirmer · 14-09-2016 01:55PM

Not as cool as I thought I would have been. Someone collapsed near me at work, I honestly was frozen, didn't know whether to run to their aid or immediately call an ambulance, took the latter option and when I got back someone else was tending to the person, who was unconscious and foaming at the mouth.

My boss immediately gave out to me for using the landline because we'd be billed for the ambulance and made a thing about it.

Don't mind the fact that a man was lying potentially dying on the floor....thankfully he was OK, he had suffered a paralyzing seizure.

livedadream · 14-09-2016 01:59PM

TerrorFirmer wrote: »

My boss immediately gave out to me for using the landline because we'd be billed for the ambulance and made a thing about it.

your boss is a prick.

Widdershins · 14-09-2016 02:25PM

Another angle to this is onlookers, rubber-neckers and have-a-go-heroes. Sometimes you can't help and you'd only be getting in the way.

Overheal · 14-09-2016 02:33PM

IvyTheTerrible · 14-09-2016 02:35PM

I'm grand if no blood is involved. Once blood is involved, I'm about as useful as a chocolate teapot.
(My son's nose started bleeding when I was driving the car and I'm lucky we didn't crash because I got faint when I saw the blood in the rearview mirror).

Turtyturd · 14-09-2016 02:38PM

I fell off a ladder once and blacked out, so not good.

How are you in an emergency?

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