If a loved one suddenly collapses at the park or stops breathing during dinner, your instincts can quickly take over.
But doctors say you could save a life if you resist the urge to let your emotions get the best of you.
Dr. John Torres, an emergency physician at Premier Urgent Care in Colorado Springs and a senior medical associate at nbc newshas revealed his list of the top four mistakes patients make in an emergency.
It comes after rapid CPR was credited with saving the life of Buffalo Bills footballer Damar Hamlin, who suffered an abnormal heart injury that led to cardiac arrest on the field.
Dr. John Torres, an ER physician at Premier Urgent Care in Colorado Springs, has revealed his list of the top four mistakes patients make when rushing to the hospital in an emergency.
Don’t call your loved ones first
Believe it or not, when disaster strikes for many people, their first response is to call a loved one (parent, child, or sibling) for help.
But Dr. Torres says the first point of call should always be the 911 emergency number instead.
He said calling someone else wastes valuable time, which could be used to help treat the patient.
“Once you get to the hospital, you can call everyone you want,” Dr. Torres said. ‘You have plenty of time.’
Doctors say that taking someone to the hospital actually delays their treatment because ambulances are equipped with medical devices that can help them.
Don’t take anyone to the hospital
With an average ambulance ride now costing $1,277, according to FAIR HEALTHmany choose to take their loved ones to the hospital.
But Dr. Torres points out that while this may seem faster, it actually slows down the patient’s treatment.
This is because the ambulances are equipped with medical devices and have medical professionals to help the patients.
Onboard devices can include heart rate monitors and defibrillators, suction cups or aspirators that can clear airways, and incubators to keep patients warm.
Dr. Torres adds that taking someone to the hospital can be very distracting for the driver, increasing the risk of accidents.
Hospitals in Wisconsin estimate that about 20 percent of patients who come to their ER are taken there, reports WOWwith numbers likely to be similar in other areas of the country.
You should never leave a patient once they arrive at the hospital, but rather be available to explain to the doctors what happened.
Leave no one in the emergency department
Once you’ve taken someone to the ER, it can be tempting to think your job is done.
But Dr. Torres says he should stay with them to make sure they’re okay and answer questions from the doctors and nurses about what happened.
He said: ‘They’re not going to think straight, especially if they’re suffering. So (it’s important) to have someone there who can ask questions.’
He added: “It’s okay to be aggressive, but it’s not okay to be nasty.”
There have been a number of medical situations where patients say they only got the care they needed after pushing their doctors.
One of the most common mistakes people make is forgetting their phone chargers.
Don’t forget your phone charger
We all do it: Whether it’s at the office or on a night out.
However, if you can remember, it is vital that you take the charger with you in the event of a medical emergency.
Dr Torres said, ‘I can’t tell you how many times people walk in and their cell phones die because you’re going to be there for six, 10 or 12 hours.’
The average wait time in the emergency room is about two hours nationwide, but the time to see a doctor can be considerably longer.
Sometimes patients can end up staying in the hospital for days along with family members there to support them.
For comparison, the average phone can last between 10 and 17 hours between charges, depending on usage.
Record FOUR in 10 Americans put off health care last year due to cost concerns, amid inflation
High health care costs keep Americans away from the doctor’s office, according to a survey.
A Gallup poll released Tuesday found that 38 percent of Americans are putting off medical treatment because of financial concerns, the highest number ever recorded and up 12 percent from last year.
An analysis by the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) found that insurance premiums, the monthly cost of coverage, rose 47% between 2011 and 2021, while deductibles, the amount a person must pay before insurance takes effect, increased 68% over that period.
This is coupled with staggering jumps in prescription drug prices, with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) reporting price increases of more than 1,000 percent from 2016 to 2022.
Experts point to skyrocketing inflation that has impacted nearly every facet of American life, combined with the upward pressure the covid pandemic has placed on health care costs in recent years.
