How to Recognize and Handle Your Own Medical Emergency

It can be easy to miss the signs of your own medical emergency. Many times people trivialize their own conditions and ignore obvious symptoms. The mild headache you attribute to a lack of a goodnight’s sleep could be the sign of something more grave. The chest pain and irritation you dismiss as indigestion could be a warning sign of a cardiac arrest. People often have the tendency to ignore their own medical symptoms of an emergency, and in many cases, the results can be fatal.

Here are some conditions that can be signs of a medical emergency that should never be ignored :

1. Dull chest pains and shortness of breath

This obvious sign of a heart attack is often hand waved away as indigestion or acid reflux. Another common mistake is to assume it isn’t a heart attack because the pain isn’t located in the middle of the chest. In addition to chest pain, you should also keep an eye out for non-chest pain symptoms, such as discomfort in one or both arms, nausea or dizziness, cold sweats, shortness of breath, and pain in the back, neck, shoulder, or jaw.

How to handle the situation :

Always call an ambulance. It is better to be cautious, even if it doesn’t turn out to be a heart attack. The ambulance crew is equipped to be carried out the necessary tests to determine what your exact condition is.

2. Extreme abdominal pain

This can be a sign of appendicitis, or in the case of women, an ovarian cyst. Appendicitis doesn’t always start with the classic pain in the right lower quadrant of your abdomen. You might have pain around your belly button, be queasy, lose your appetite, or feel discomfort when you move. These are all signs of irritation of the lining of your abdomen, which can signal that something serious is going on.

How to handle the situation

Head to the hospital if belly pain comes on suddenly or if it keeps you from sitting, walking, eating, or drinking. If you also get a fever or start vomiting, lie down, and call your doctor, describing the symptoms in detail so proper medicine can be prescribed

3. Headaches

These can be signs of ailments ranging from eyesight problems to concussions. Sadly, despite varying severity, headaches are all lumped together and ignored as a mild inconvenience accordingly. Yes, your headache might go away after a cup of hot tea, or you might start bleeding from your nose soon and start losing consciousness. Loss of consciousness, repeated vomiting, and a worsening headache warrant immediate attention.

How to handle the situation

If any headache feels exceptional (it’s more intense than normal, say, or it comes with dizziness or vomiting for the first time), book it to an ER. The faster you get treatment, the better. Don’t be embarrassed if it’s a false alarm.

4. Bleeding following cuts

It’s hard for someone who’s not a doctor to know which wounds need stitches and which don’t, but the majority will heal without treatment. However, an especially deep cut could result in damaged nerves or tendons. And any bleeding that doesn’t stop eventually, no matter how small, is an emergency.

How to handle the situation

Put direct pressure on the wound for at least 10 minutes. It might be possible that in addition to the heavy bleeding there is damage to tendons or muscles, which will require more than mere stitches. You should request the services of an ambulance in such a case.

Medulance offers Online Ambulance Booking service in the Delhi-NCR area, providing a user-friendly way to request and track ambulances close to you. With an increasing emphasis on promoting independent living today, having access to the nearest ambulance to you can provide much-needed peace of mind in a worst-case scenario.

Why Families with Patients are Opting for ICU at Home

Home Health care is being prioritized in Indian cities. Medulance, an Online Ambulance booking platform based in the Delhi-NCR region, provides a full-fledged ICU at Home service that delivers critical care to patients in the comfort of their homes.

Medulance turns one’s bedroom into an intensive care unit, assists in post-operative recuperation, and takes care of post-delivery care. The reason one would opt for ICU at home service is the drastic reduction in cost and not having to deal with the hassles of a hospital. This care is not only to limited critically ill or aged patients; patients seeking short-term diagnoses also opt for it. Thus, patients are able to receive the required care in the sanctuary of their home and can cope with the treatment at their own pace with the intensive and personalized attention of professionals.

Such services require an effective centralized monitoring system that ensures quality patient management. According to their requirements, patients must be assigned an appropriate medical practitioner be a nurse, physiotherapist, or attendant. Technology makes managing patient databases and assigning required clinicians professional and simple. Another major advantage of such service is constant patient monitoring which enables as well as immediate feedback and suggestions submission.

The staff is sourced from hospitals. Skill training centers, nursing academies and are trained in their respective specialties and matched to patient needs. This ensures post-hospitalization care is given by quality management with a focus on positive outcomes.

Medulance’s services provided include critical care nurses, medical equipment, bedsore management, Physiotherapy, Stoma care, Infusion, Tracheostomy care.

4 Advantages of Air Ambulance Services in Critical Situations

Air Ambulance Services are used when ground transport could endanger a patient’s life. They are also indispensable when the patient is in an inaccessible location and time is critical. Medulance, a Delhi-NCR-based Online Ambulance Booking service, provides Air Ambulance Services for speedy and safe transport.

Benefits offered by Air Ambulance Service in critical situations:

1. Eliminates the risk of road congestion and traffic:

Vehicular traffic is rising in volume at an alarming rate in Indian cities. There is a continuous rise in the number of road accidents, posing a threat to life. This increases the pressure on emergency response teams as they have to reach the victim as quickly as possible. Air ambulance services can eliminate this risk altogether. This is a preferred alternative In life or death situations, where the unpredictability of Indian road traffic can make things even worse.

2. Offers all the provisions of a traditional BLS ambulance:

Like a traditional BLS ambulance, an air ambulance is equipped with basic life-saving equipment like an oxygen cylinder, BP monitor, and stethoscope. The qualified professionals riding along on the helicopter are skilled to perform necessary pre-hospitalization care for the patient.

3. Helps in cases of multiple casualties:

It plays a crucial role in the life and death of patients in case of massive accidents with multiple casualties. Many of those hurt can be airlifted at the same time. Most patients with severe trauma or life-threatening injury, die within the first one hour, a period referred to as the Golden Hour. The Air Ambulance can transport these patients to an advanced health care facility within this golden hour thus saving a life.

4. Aids in organ transportation:

Air ambulances are of great importance in organ transportation, especially urgently needed organs in life-saving transplant surgeries. Very often there is the risk of the organ being damaged or degraded during transport and air ambulance helps to nullify this risk.

Medulance air ambulance services can be contacted on either their website or mobile application. They get in touch with their aircraft partners and confirm logistics, after which the caller is called back by the command and control staff, and detailed information is shared, including costs and estimated time to reach the patient/caller. Air ambulance is dispatched immediately upon confirmation of charges and logistics by caller/patient.

Everything You Need to Know to Select the Best Ambulance

There are different types of ambulances operating in India, catering to different necessities. In some cases, there are also different numbers to contact specific types of Ambulances. Online Ambulance Booking services like Medulance simplify navigating through these complicated protocols. Medulance offers a convenient platform to engage with ambulances operating in your vicinity and also offers these services according to categories. All ambulances are equipped with basic life-saving equipment and medicines for emergencies.

Four categories that Ambulances can be classified into are –

1.  Basic Life Support (BLS) Ambulance:

BLS Ambulance provides service to patients who are non-ambulatory, bed-confined, and have non-life-threatening conditions. They are suitable if you do not require cardiac monitoring or advanced medical support on your way to the hospital. They are equipped with basic equipment such as oxygen cylinders, stretchers, and BP monitors. A typical BLS ambulance, staffed by caregivers transport, can serve lower extremity fractures, discharges to home and sub-acute care facilities (nursing homes), medical and surgical patients who do not require cardiac monitoring, and psychiatric patients.

2. Advanced Life Support (ALS) Ambulance:

ALS ambulances are used to transport patients who require a higher level of care until they reach the hospital. These emergency ambulance services are staffed with two paramedics who are qualified to render advanced life support to patients and are equipped with advanced life support supplies like cardiac monitors, IV supplies, defibrillators, and resuscitation kits. Patients who typically require ALS transport include medical/surgical patients on continuous intravenous treatment, patients on a cardiac monitor, patients with potential airway compromise, any patient deemed to have a potential complication during transport when reported by the sending facility, and life-threatening medical emergencies (For example respiratory distress, stroke, seizure, or chest pains).

3. Patient Transfer Ambulance:

PTA ambulances are for patients who require continuous clinical monitoring but do not need a time-critical emergency response or those that need mobility assistance. Patient Transport Service provides ambulances to patients who need support to reach their healthcare appointment, or for their admission to and discharge from the hospital, due to their medical/clinical needs.

4. Mortuary Ambulances:

A mortuary van is a funeral vehicle used to carry a deceased patient from hospital to home or to cremation grounds.

This categorization helps users determine which ambulance they want to book online. In addition to these, Medulance also offers Air Ambulances, Freeze boxes, and ICU at-home services. Medulance aims to optimize medical emergency response services and provide you and your loved ones with convenient and comfortable transport.

What Should a Child Do in a Medical Emergency?

Emergency preparedness inculcation for children, especially in medical situations, can prove to be lifesaving. Even preschool children can be taught about what should be done in case of a medical emergency, and Online Ambulance Booking Services like Medulance, a Delhi-based startup providing ambulance services as well as air ambulance transport, make it easier for children to deal with such conditions.

This training begins with teaching the child what an emergency is and how to identify it. Children have the innate ability to understand when something is not right and should be educated to identify the signs and symptoms of such conditions. If the parents, some relatives or friends, or even the children themselves have certain medical conditions such as allergies, they should be made aware of these conditions and what might trigger them. Then they can be trained in how to handle such situations. It is important for any such training to be carried out in a conducive environment; the importance of being calm under stress must be stressed upon the child. Families must participate in this activity together to help the kids cope with such stress and react in an appropriate manner. It is crucial to teach kids to follow certain steps to prepare them for dealing with medical situations. In preparing kids to handle a medical emergency one must:

  • Train them to identify signs and symptoms of medical conditions and assess if the situation is an emergency.
  • Teach them about various different types of emergencies, the services that must be contacted to deal with them, and the contacts of such services.
  • Explain what type of information should be given to the operators once they’ve contacted the relevant service
  • Prepare them to handle the patient until the ambulance arrives

Modern technology makes it easier for a child to handle such emergencies. Online Ambulance Booking is extremely convenient for children and parents can easily teach them how to do so. MedTech services like Medulance ensure that children can be active participants in adverse situations rather than passive spectators. Medulance even provides a DIY First Aid tips page.

Children today, are adept at handling modern appliances like smartphones, and apps offer a user-friendly navigation experience. This makes it easier for them to contact relevant services when they are needed.