In a bid to improve emergency care here, Qatar recently unveiled an emergency services campaign that, among other things, asks drivers to move out of the way of ambulances on the road.

But residents can do more than call 999 in the event of a life-threatening emergency at home, a health official affiliated with Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar has said.

According to Dr. Hina Ghory, assistant attending physician at New York Presbyterian Hospital (NYPH) and clinical instructor in medicine at Cornell’s home and Qatar campuses:

There are also several management steps that patients and/or their companions can take at home prior to EMS arrival that can significantly decrease medical complications and make the difference between life and death.

Here are tips on handling some common emergencies:

• Skin wounds: Wash gently with clean tap water. Visit a doctor for deep wounds greater than 1cm so that they can be sutured within 18-24 hours, and watch out and seek medical care if there are signs of infection, including yellow discharge, redness, warmth and fever.

• Burns: Keep burns clean and dry, without intentionally breaking any blisters.

• Medication overdoses: Speak to a physician or call EMS in all cases of medication overdose and inform them of all medications/empty pill bottles the patient has access to. Do not force the patient to vomit.

• Chest pain: Chest pain can also be due to multiple causes, including a heart attack, a collapsed lung, or rupture of the aorta. Call EMS for any new onset chest pain lasting longer than 5 minutes. If the patient is taking aspirin for heart problems, have them chew the aspirin while waiting for EMS.

Here’s the full list:

Thoughts?

Credit: Photo by Ed