4 ms·

How should one help someone who unexpectedly collapses? I have no idea what I would do. I can only envision myself going up and dumbly asking "Are you OK?" whic

by eel 16y ago

How should one help someone who unexpectedly collapses? I have no idea what I would do. I can only envision myself going up and dumbly asking "Are you OK?" which I am not sure is the best way to help.

reduxredacted 16y ago
How should one help someone who unexpectedly collapses? Exactly what you said. Walk up to the person and loudly ask "Are you OK?". If you get a response, then you can ask further questions and provide help. If you get no response, your next move is to use first aid skills and call emergency services. If you are trained in CPR, proceed. Your loud voice might also catch the attention of someone with the appropriate training, or someone who can call emergency services while you administer CPR. ... But this wasn't someone collapsing at a mall, on the street or somewhere else where they might not be noticed. This was someone collapsing on stage. Standing up, rushing the stage and attempting to help could just as easily have caused a riot of well meaning folks and could have gotten in the way of staff who should be trained to deal with this sort of circumstance. I'm not accosting staff for not being prepared, I'm just defending those in the audience who didn't rush to help. As a child, I did a lot of community theater (the sort where you pay $5 to participate and your mother may need to sew your costume), and there was always someone with the appropriate training to handle a circumstance like this (usually our lone director, or a member of tech). Thankfully, we never had an incident, but this makes me wonder ... would they have responded within 15 seconds or waited to see if I tripped and could ad-lib my way back into character? I really don't know.
InclinedPlane 16y ago
Why do you not have any idea what to do? It's well within your power to get trained. First aid and CPR classes are cheap and don't take much time (first aid certs last 3 years, CPR certs 1 year). Even if you let your certification lapse you'll still have a better idea of how to recognize and respond to potentially life threatening situations. I'll spoil some of the training though. Unconsciousness should always be treated as a life threatening condition. If someone goes unconscious you should walk up to their body (assuming its safe to do so), tap them lightly (the shoulder is a good place) and ask if they are OK. Don't move them or otherwise touch them but if they still appear to be unconscious call 911. Anyone can do that, and sometimes it can save lives.

by eel 16y ago

reduxredacted 16y ago

How should one help someone who unexpectedly collapses? Exactly what you said. Walk up to the person and loudly ask "Are you OK?". If you get a response, then you can ask further questions and provide help. If you get no response, your next move is to use first aid skills and call emergency services. If you are trained in CPR, proceed. Your loud voice might also catch the attention of someone with the appropriate training, or someone who can call emergency services while you administer CPR. ... But this wasn't someone collapsing at a mall, on the street or somewhere else where they might not be noticed. This was someone collapsing on stage. Standing up, rushing the stage and attempting to help could just as easily have caused a riot of well meaning folks and could have gotten in the way of staff who should be trained to deal with this sort of circumstance. I'm not accosting staff for not being prepared, I'm just defending those in the audience who didn't rush to help. As a child, I did a lot of community theater (the sort where you pay $5 to participate and your mother may need to sew your costume), and there was always someone with the appropriate training to handle a circumstance like this (usually our lone director, or a member of tech). Thankfully, we never had an incident, but this makes me wonder ... would they have responded within 15 seconds or waited to see if I tripped and could ad-lib my way back into character? I really don't know.

InclinedPlane 16y ago

Why do you not have any idea what to do? It's well within your power to get trained. First aid and CPR classes are cheap and don't take much time (first aid certs last 3 years, CPR certs 1 year). Even if you let your certification lapse you'll still have a better idea of how to recognize and respond to potentially life threatening situations. I'll spoil some of the training though. Unconsciousness should always be treated as a life threatening condition. If someone goes unconscious you should walk up to their body (assuming its safe to do so), tap them lightly (the shoulder is a good place) and ask if they are OK. Don't move them or otherwise touch them but if they still appear to be unconscious call 911. Anyone can do that, and sometimes it can save lives.