I’m an ER doctor, these are the deadly mistakes people make during a medical emergency

When a friend or loved one has a medical emergency, it’s easy to panic.

More Americans are avoiding the emergency room, with nearly four in 10 delaying medical treatment due to financial concerns, according to a Gallup poll in January.

However, ER doctors say that if you take someone to the hospital yourself instead of waiting for an ambulance, they could be denied essential medical care.

Calling an ambulance can save lives and prevent complications.

Speed ​​is also essential. Research shows that someone who has a stroke loses 1.9 million neurons every minute they are left untreated.

Dr. Robert Femia, chairman of emergency medicine at NYU Langone Health, told DailyMail.com about the three mistakes people make in an emergency that could cost a life.

Don’t put off calling 911

Calling 911 is the first thing anyone should do in an emergency so that the patient can get help as quickly as possible

This is Dr. Femia’s number one tip, especially since “a lot of the things we can do are time sensitive,” he said.

“There’s a golden hour where the sooner you can get patients, say to a trauma center, their chances of survival are much higher,” he said.

Calling 911 as soon as possible is the first step in getting someone to take care of you.

In situations such as stroke, timely care is key to preventing lasting consequences, including memory loss, mobility, and speech problems.

“You really want to activate the 911 system to get people treated on the spot by healthcare professionals or get them to the hospital as quickly as possible,” Dr Femia said.

Do not call the person’s loved ones or friends until 911 has been contacted and emergency services are on their way.

“If it’s really an emergency, you don’t necessarily want to waste time calling a friend who’s in healthcare, or a GP’s office. If it’s really an emergency, call 911,” Dr. Femia said.

Do not control the person yourself

Doctors say taking someone to hospital delays treatment as ambulances are equipped with medical devices that can help them

While it may instead seem like a good idea if there are ambulance delays, Dr Femia said trying to drive someone to the hospital yourself could extend treatment further.

With an ambulance, you bring care directly to the patient in a way that is not possible with any other means of transport.

“The EMS system contains a lot of life-saving drugs,” he said.

This includes defibrillators, IV fluids, and heart medications.

The emergency medical services also know where the best hospitals are to bring patients with specialized symptoms. For example, if someone has a stroke, paramedics are more likely to know where the nearest stroke center is.

“All of those things can really help save a life,” Dr. Femia said.

He said this applies to any life-threatening condition.

Find an AED

An automated external defibrillator (AED) does not require medical training to use

Dr. Femia recommends that if other bystanders are busy calling 911 and monitoring the person, scan the area for an automated external defibrillator (AED).

An AED is a user-friendly medical device intended for someone who goes into cardiac arrest.

“A lot of public places now have AEDs on the wall,” Dr Femia said. “Someone should look for that while someone else calls 911.”

This device requires no previous medical knowledge, he said, and it has instructions to guide a person through the process.

In public, these are often stored near stairs or elevators, in lobbies, or at entrances.

Do not move the person

Moving a patient without medical expertise can lead to permanent damage

This is especially dangerous if you don’t know exactly what happened to the person. If they have a traumatic injury, moving them can lead to permanent effects, such as paralysis.

You may get the instinct to move someone closer to your car or to a different area so you can transport them more easily, but Dr. Femia said that could do more harm than good because you’re not calling 911.

“Not only could you injure them, but you’re just delaying proper care for them,” he said.

To avoid this, leave it to emergency medical services to safely move the patient.

These strategies can be used in most emergency situations, but saving someone’s life from a drug overdose requires more specialized measures.

…and how to stop a fentanyl overdose

Narcan, the brand name for naloxone, is a nasal spray that has been shown to quickly reverse an opioid overdose by blocking the path of fentanyl to the brain

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is up to 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine.

It binds to opioid receptors in a person’s nervous system, which are responsible for giving the body a pleasant sensation when activated.

It takes a negligibly small dose of fentanyl to cause a fatal overdose. Just two milligrams, the equivalent of five grains of salt, is enough to cause death.

The National Institutes of Health estimate that fentanyl deaths among young people will increase 182 percent between 2019 and 2021.

The drug has become the leading cause of death for Americans ages 18 to 49. It has also caused the average life expectancy in the US to drop from 78.8 in 2019 to 76.4 in 2021. Experts have described this drop as “dramatic” and “substantial”.

Due to this widespread epidemic, overdose has become one of the most common medical emergencies in the US.

Bystanders can administer Narcan, a nasal spray that has been shown to quickly reverse an opioid overdose.

It has been shown to prevent fatal overdoses of fentanyl, as well as drugs such as oxycodone and heroin.

Narcan is administered through a nasal spray.

The person’s head should be tilted back with neck support before inserting the tip of the mouthpiece into one nostril.

Your fingers on either side of the mouthpiece should be against the bottom of the person’s nose.

Firmly press the red plunger to deliver the dose, then remove it from the nostril. It takes two to three minutes for the dose to work. If there is no change after three to five minutes, administer a second dose.

Narcan only lasts between 30 and 90 minutes, so it’s possible another overdose could occur. Remain with the person and wait out the risk period so that another dose can be administered accordingly.

If the person goes into cardiac arrest, their chances of survival decrease the longer the arrest lasts.

Always seek medical attention after administering the dose.

Record FOUR in 10 Americans postponed medical care last year due to cost concerns – amid inflation

High costs of medical care keep Americans away from the doctor’s office, a survey finds.

A poll published Tuesday by Gallup found that 38 percent of Americans are delaying medical treatment due to financial concerns — the highest number on record and 12 percent more than last year.

An analysis by the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) found that insurance premiums — the monthly cost of coverage — rose 47 percent from 2011 to 2021, while deductibles — the amount a person must pay before insurance kicks in — are 68 percent higher than that period.

This is accompanied by dizzying jumps in prescription drug prices, with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) reporting price increases of more than 1,000 percent between 2016 and 2022.

Experts point to rising inflation that has impacted nearly every facet of American life — coupled with the upward pressure the Covid pandemic has had on healthcare costs in recent years.