Emergency Health Care
Tuesday, October 2, 2007 at 07:04AM 
Now that we can see the role of the soulwinner as a paramedic, the sinner as a patient, and our entire purpose as bringing the sick, diseased and injured to a state of health, let’s look at how to implement our plan. There are two aspects of this model: urgent and non-urgent care. Time, of course, is the significant difference between them in both physical and spiritual dimensions, but urgent cases also cause more stress, demand different personalities, and require different objectives for the patient. We must recognize these differences and learn to adjust our intervention procedures accordingly.
Physical Emergency Health Care
The American Medical Association publishes a book entitled “Handbook of First Aid and Emergency Care”, a step-by-step guide to dealing with medical emergencies. In his introduction to the book, James S. Todd, M.D., Executive Vice-President of AMA, makes a statement that sounds strange coming from a professional:
“Beyond the serious illnesses and injuries, we hope the encouraging message conveyed in this new edition is that many of the first-aid measures we learned as children and now use as adults simply require common sense: washing a wound on a scraped arm or leg, stopping minor bleeding with gentle pressure, or adding a kind word or extending a hand if someone has tripped or fallen. Your first reaction, instinctively, is oftentimes the correct one.”
In urgent care, the chances are remote that a trained professional will be the first one to the side of the victim. Lay people like you and me are more likely to be present at the moment of the emergency. Dr. Todd tells all of us that we can do some basic things to save lives, even if we didn’t go to medical school, nursing
school, or even take Biology 101. The rule seems to be that whoever is present should do whatever they can to help. Concerned people will make sure that what they do in an emergency is right. Todd goes on to say, “And when you perform first aid correctly, it enables paramedics and physicians to provide their care more effectively.” In fact, the more knowledgeable we become in providing urgent care, the more we can do the job of the paramedic.
The AMA handbook refers to a three-step set of instructions that should be followed in any emergency. These steps are called the ABC’s of urgent care. The letters refer to airway, breathing and circulation. They are the three basic steps in the procedure known as Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR). (The steps are listed and explained in abbreviated form on the following page for illustrative purposes only.)
After taking these basic steps, the caregiver should look for symptoms (a listing of certain conditions, such as pain, nausea, and swelling, that indicate a certain injury or illness may exist). Upon recognizing certain symptoms, the victim needs immediate treatment. After the immediate treatment has been successfully carried out, continued care should begin.
These first aid steps are basic things to check in every emergency. Many other procedures may also be involved, depending upon the specific need. The Heimlich Maneuver (to assist choking victims), dressings, bandages, splints, ice packs, warm towels or blankets and other procedures or applications may be necessary to save a life. Proficiency in these areas comes with learning and experience.
How does the caregiver know what specific action to take? He/she must become aware of the different symptoms and what they mean. The AMA lists symptoms in two groups: common and alarming.
Common Symptoms. There are several symptoms that show up in everyone from time to time.
1. Fever indicates that something is wrong in the body. Most likely, an infection is present. Chills may also precede a fever.
2. Nausea is a sick feeling in the stomach and incurs the desire to vomit. Nausea may accompany almost every disorder from excessive eating to heart attacks.
3. Headache pain is caused by the tightening of muscles under the scalp, often the result of emotional tension. It may also be symptomatic of infection, high blood pressure or a brain tumor.
ABC’s of Urgent Care)
Alarming Symptoms. Certain other symptoms indicate serious medical conditions. Trained caregivers need to be called as soon as possible. The first-aid caregiver must remain calm so that his/her reaction does not frighten the victim.
1. Convulsions occur as a result of acute infection (due to a sharp rise in body temperature) or a malfunctioning of brain cells. The first aid caregiver’s primary objective is to keep the victim from harming himself/herself.
2. Severe headaches may indicate the presence of a critical condition such as meningitis, stroke or tumor.
3. Sudden loss of consciousness may mean stroke or heart attack. Perform CPR.
4. Severe chest pain may signal a heart attack and should be considered a life-threatening emergency.
5. Loss of vision in one eye may be the onset of a stroke.
6. Loss of sensation or motion in an extremity may result from a stroke or a brain tumor.
7. Shortness of breath may mean congestive heart failure or another medical emergency.
8. Presence of blood in normal body functions may signal an infection, an ulcer or a malignancy.
Reader Comments (1)
A caretaker should be aware of the symptoms of a certain disease that may take place, as mentioned in the article you have discussed the difference between non urgent and urgent care, which is time and stress. Urgent care centers in Ashburn provide immediate care when this kind of emergency takes place.