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Please HN, there are a few comments in this thread talking about "taking action" if you happen to be a bystander during an emergency. Let me implore you. If th

Please HN, there are a few comments in this thread talking about "taking action" if you happen to be a bystander during an emergency. Let me implore you. If the area isn't safe, do not even attempt to enter the scene. Fires can instantly flare up and engulf a room in seconds. Rivers can be so cold they cause shock upon entering the water and, in some cases, they cause cardiac arrest. Tiny pieces of broken glass can cause deep, sometimes life-threatening lacerations. An accident on the side of the road can immediately escalate into a multi-vehicle incident if another driver doesn't pay attention. What we don't want to happen is for you, the hero, to become another patient. Not only are you putting your life in danger, you're also increasing the risk for your rescuers as well. What you can do is this: 1. Secure the scene. If the accident occurred at the side of the road, park behind the accident and turn your hazards on. Wave at traffic to slow down and be cautious around the accident. If there is a house fire, try to find the gas shut-off valve and turn it off. 2. Assist the location of the scene. It's often difficult for EMS to locate the scene of the emergency. Standing near the front of the building or the entrance to the parking lot and flagging the ambulance/PD/fire down helps a ton. Leading them directly to the scene is just as important. 3. Use your common sense. Don't let the panic take hold of you. Be rational, reasonable. I'm not saying you should never try to help someone, just make sure that YOU are safe FIRST before heading in to assist. I hold EMT/Paramedic certs and volunteer in my spare time. Thanks. Edit: I also want to point out that there is generally very little anyone can do aside from basic management of the ABC's (airway, breathing and circulation) without equipment. Some of that equipment is located onboard a fire truck or an ambulance. Most of that equipment is usually found inside the operating room of your local hospital. The faster the patient is moved safely to the local ED, the better it is.

nawitus 12y ago
>Rivers can be so cold they cause shock upon entering the water and, in some cases, they cause cardiac arrest. While that's true, I don't think it's that dangerous. Winter swimming, for example, is not considered especially dangerous for healthy persons. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winter_swimming http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winter_swimming
- watwut 12y ago
  Those people do not just suddenly jump into cold river after years of swimming in hot water exclusively. At least in here, people who engage in that activity start in summer and basically continue until winter. Beginners also tend not to do January swimming first year. They skip the coldest months first year taking cold showers at home instead. The theory is that the body needs time to get used to it. Also, they do not just jump into water out of nothing, they take little exercise before, try to keep their hair not wet in water etc. Edit: wiki you linked states the same in the health risks chapter: "Winter swimming can be dangerous to people who are not used to swimming in very cold water."
  - oe 12y ago
    Ice swimming is easier in the coldest months when the water is a lot warmer than the air. Only the most hardcore swimmers do it in April when the air is warmer than the water. Also I have never heard of someone taking cold showers at home to prepare for ice swimming. I would say most just start when there's enough ice to cut a hole in it, without practicing it for months. Source: Finnish.
    - watwut 12y ago
      People here who are into cold water do it every day. It is supposed to be healthy. Cold water swimming on itself is not usually goal for people in here, it is more of a next steps when cold showers do not feel satisfying for them anymore. Most of them keep cold showering every day, but stop going into lake for some months. I do not know when exactly they resume activity, I never cared enough about it.
- nathannecro 12y ago
  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cold_shock_response http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cold_shock_response
tomjen3 12y ago
>I also want to point out that there is generally very little anyone can do aside from basic management of the ABC's (airway, breathing and circulation) without equipment When I took CPR causes we were told to start doing cpr before calling an ambulance, unless we thought it was a heart attack (since the person would be death by the time the ambulance arrived otherwise). Was this wrong?
- mrestko 12y ago
  You're usually taught to yell for help as you start CPR. There's not really a way to tell if a person has a had a heart attack without an EKG or labs. You can assess for cardiac arrest (that's the whole reason for CPR), and any time the heart is stopped, the best chance for the patient is immediate, high quality CPR. The only exception to this rule is if you are in an area where no one will find you unless you call for help yourself. For example, if you are home alone with someone and you start CPR, you will probably need to stop out of exhaustion before someone will hear you cries for help. In this case, you need to call 911 first. If you're in a mall or something, then leave the emergency call to someone else and get started on chest compression.
- nathannecro 12y ago
  According to the American Heart Association (and every other source I've read), this is the proper way for anybody to perform CPR: 1. Check for signs of life. Vigorously tap (hit) your patient a few times. Generally, we like tapping their upper chest, right below the shoulders when we do this. Yell, "Are you OK?" a few times. If the patient does not react at all, it's time for you to become a hero. 2. Call for help. In training, this is normally emphasized by having the student point at someone and yelling "Call 911!". If you know that there is a defibrillator in the vicinity, this is also the perfect time to yell, "Grab the defibrillator!". 3. Begin chest compressions. Take one hand, splay your fingers out (so it looks like you're making a "five" symbol). Take your other hand, fit each finger between the other finger; your thumbs should be at the very end and your fingers should interleave. You want to begin compressions about the middle (or slightly higher) of the patient's sternum - that's the central bone where your ribs connect to. Try to get about 100 compressions per minute. It's the tempo of a fast, upbeat song. 4. IF YOU ARE TRAINED: You may begin to perform head-tilt chin-lift, 2 rescue breaths every 30 compressions. 5. Continue compressions until better trained rescuers arrive.

nawitus 12y ago

>Rivers can be so cold they cause shock upon entering the water and, in some cases, they cause cardiac arrest. While that's true, I don't think it's that dangerous. Winter swimming, for example, is not considered especially dangerous for healthy persons. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winter_swimming http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winter_swimming

watwut 12y ago
Those people do not just suddenly jump into cold river after years of swimming in hot water exclusively. At least in here, people who engage in that activity start in summer and basically continue until winter. Beginners also tend not to do January swimming first year. They skip the coldest months first year taking cold showers at home instead. The theory is that the body needs time to get used to it. Also, they do not just jump into water out of nothing, they take little exercise before, try to keep their hair not wet in water etc. Edit: wiki you linked states the same in the health risks chapter: "Winter swimming can be dangerous to people who are not used to swimming in very cold water."
- oe 12y ago
  Ice swimming is easier in the coldest months when the water is a lot warmer than the air. Only the most hardcore swimmers do it in April when the air is warmer than the water. Also I have never heard of someone taking cold showers at home to prepare for ice swimming. I would say most just start when there's enough ice to cut a hole in it, without practicing it for months. Source: Finnish.
  - watwut 12y ago
    People here who are into cold water do it every day. It is supposed to be healthy. Cold water swimming on itself is not usually goal for people in here, it is more of a next steps when cold showers do not feel satisfying for them anymore. Most of them keep cold showering every day, but stop going into lake for some months. I do not know when exactly they resume activity, I never cared enough about it.
nathannecro 12y ago
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cold_shock_response http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cold_shock_response

tomjen3 12y ago

>I also want to point out that there is generally very little anyone can do aside from basic management of the ABC's (airway, breathing and circulation) without equipment When I took CPR causes we were told to start doing cpr before calling an ambulance, unless we thought it was a heart attack (since the person would be death by the time the ambulance arrived otherwise). Was this wrong?

mrestko 12y ago
You're usually taught to yell for help as you start CPR. There's not really a way to tell if a person has a had a heart attack without an EKG or labs. You can assess for cardiac arrest (that's the whole reason for CPR), and any time the heart is stopped, the best chance for the patient is immediate, high quality CPR. The only exception to this rule is if you are in an area where no one will find you unless you call for help yourself. For example, if you are home alone with someone and you start CPR, you will probably need to stop out of exhaustion before someone will hear you cries for help. In this case, you need to call 911 first. If you're in a mall or something, then leave the emergency call to someone else and get started on chest compression.
nathannecro 12y ago
According to the American Heart Association (and every other source I've read), this is the proper way for anybody to perform CPR: 1. Check for signs of life. Vigorously tap (hit) your patient a few times. Generally, we like tapping their upper chest, right below the shoulders when we do this. Yell, "Are you OK?" a few times. If the patient does not react at all, it's time for you to become a hero. 2. Call for help. In training, this is normally emphasized by having the student point at someone and yelling "Call 911!". If you know that there is a defibrillator in the vicinity, this is also the perfect time to yell, "Grab the defibrillator!". 3. Begin chest compressions. Take one hand, splay your fingers out (so it looks like you're making a "five" symbol). Take your other hand, fit each finger between the other finger; your thumbs should be at the very end and your fingers should interleave. You want to begin compressions about the middle (or slightly higher) of the patient's sternum - that's the central bone where your ribs connect to. Try to get about 100 compressions per minute. It's the tempo of a fast, upbeat song. 4. IF YOU ARE TRAINED: You may begin to perform head-tilt chin-lift, 2 rescue breaths every 30 compressions. 5. Continue compressions until better trained rescuers arrive.