Accident Emergency Room in El Paso
What to do
If someone is injured you should:
first check that you and the casualty aren't in any danger, and, if possible, make the situation safe.
If you are experiencing a life-threatening or a limb-threatening emergency due to accident, call 911 or go to the nearest ER.
If someone is unconscious and breathing
If a person is unconscious but breathing, and has no other injuries that would stop them being moved, place them in the recovery position until help arrives.
Keep them under observation to ensure they continue to breathe normally, and don't obstruct their airway.
If someone is unconscious and not breathing
If a person isn't breathing normally after an incident, phone 911 and start CPR straight away. Use hands-only CPR if you aren't trained to perform rescue breaths.
Bleeding
In accident emergency, If someone is bleeding heavily, the main aim is to prevent further blood loss and minimize the effects of shock (see below).
First, phone 911 and ask for an ambulance as soon as possible.
If you have disposable gloves, use them to reduce the risk of any infection being passed on.
Check that there's nothing embedded in the wound. If there is, take care not to press down on the object.
Instead, press firmly on either side of the object and build up padding around it before bandaging, to avoid putting pressure on the object itself.
If nothing is embedded:
apply and maintain pressure to the wound with your gloved hand, using a clean pad or dressing if possible; continue to apply pressure until the bleeding stops
use a clean dressing to bandage the wound firmly
if bleeding continues through the pad, apply pressure to the wound until the bleeding stops and then apply another pad over the top and bandage it in place; don't remove the original pad or dressing, but continue to check that the bleeding has stopped
A medical professional cleans the wound and administer a tetanus or booster shot. In some cases, a doctor will prescribe an oral antibiotic.
If a body part, such as a finger, has been severed, place it in a plastic bag or wrap it in cling film and make sure it goes with the casualty to hospital.