A new public poll conducted by the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) reveals shocking news that most US adults are not prepared for a medical emergency. Also, they don’t have the confidence to help if any medical emergency occurs to anyone around them.
The American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) is a national level medical society that represents emergency medicine and case handling. It has more than 40,000 emergency physician members.
This poll was conducted by “Morning Consult” on behalf of ACEP from October 7 to October 8, 2019. Approximately 2201 adult participants were involved in finding answers.
William Jaquis, MD, FACEP, president of American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) says that it is possible for everyone to be the first responder in an emergency. But the first person in the event of a medical emergency is rarely a medical expert. So there are a few basics that every person should learn so that in case of an emergency, he can help till the professionals arrive.
There is no way to predict when and where would a medical emergency take place. However, the response of people can be predicted if only everyone knows the basics of emergency medical care.
It is ethically and morally correct to respond in such a situation until professional help arises. The poll results showed that majorities of people are not confident that they would be able to offer help and assistance in emergencies like;
Mass shooting at a public place (68 percent)
Someone being shot with a bullet (62 percent)
Someone feels difficulty in breathing and stops breathing (52 percent)
Someone is bleeding severely (50 percent)
Approximately 80% of adults said that they can to effectively communicate with 911 operators in case of an emergency. But they were feeling unprepared to deliver a “hands-on” help while waiting for the expert medical team.
Also read- APMA Announces New Campaign for Nerve Damage Awareness In Diabetes
Less than half of these participants were prepared to step up and do something that practically helps. A major reason that people hesitate to show a response in these medical emergencies is that they lack any basic medical training. So their fear of making the situation worse is natural.
The emergency physicians are encouraging people in local communities to be confident about such an emergency situation. ACEP has developed a free, one-hour training plan called Until Help Arrives. It is open for everyone and requires no fee. This small training would help people to learn the basic responses to save a life in an emergency crisis.
Upon asking about “Until Help Arrives”, 90% of the participants said that they would like to help if they are trained via this program. Eight out of ten adults share a hypothetical situation that if they are in such a problem, they would trust someone certified in the “Until Help Arrives” program.
This program is currently in its pilot phase and is available in two languages; English and Spanish. Physicians who want to help in this initiative can also teach online. The site offers safety kits for teaching the emergency response courses.
Everyone who wants to teach or learn the medical emergency response can find information by CLICKING HERE.
