Emergency response is functional and effective when quick attention and care are provided to emergency victims while in transit. It is not enough that victims are transported to the hospital as quickly as possible rather it is more important that emergency victims are given emergency treatment needed to keep the victims alive even before getting to the hospital for adequate medical treatment. Hence, the importance of effective ambulance services and first response cannot be overemphasized.
The types of emergency treatments used in an ambulance depend on whether the ambulance is certified as BLS (basic life support) or ALS (advanced life support). BLS ambulances services are staffed by Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT-B) while Advanced Life Support ambulances are staffed by professional paramedics.
Services Provided by BLS are:
- Provision/ application of oxygen
- Heart monitoring
- Care and immobilization of traumatic injuries
- Administering Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and emergency defibrillation with the use of Automated External Defibrillator (AED)
Services Provided by ALS are:
- Starting of intravenous lines (IVs)
- Perform needle chest decompressions
- Perform emergency cricothyrotomies
- Defibrillate a patient’s heart
- Reset major fractures
- Administration of medications including medications that can alter blood pressure and heart rate as well as tracheal intubation.
The provision of effective emergency response to the emergency victims while you rush to the hospital can make all the difference of either increasing the victim’s chances of survival, reduce the victim’s pain and ultimately prevent ‘needless’ death.
Yes, you might not be a paramedic or an emergency technician but your quick and correct response to an emergency victim can save that precious life. You can’t afford to sit on the fence or stay ignorant of first responder skills. Get trained or sponsor person(s) to be trained.
To Register, click here.
