First aid is the immediate care given to an injured or sick victim to preserve life, prevent the condition from worsening, and promote recovery. While basic life support is the most crucial step in patient care management, handing over the case to paramedics is necessary for most cases because healthcare professionals have advanced medical training, equipment, and authority to provide specialized care and transportation. Hence, ERT Leaders and On Scene Commanders must make sure the victim handover to paramedics is smooth to greatly increase the chances of survival and recovery.
Ensure a safe vicinity and clear access for ambulance arrival
Making sure that the victim is receiving help within a safe vicinity is the important first step to prevent further injuries to both the victim and first aiders, and subsequently to arriving paramedics. Additional casualties caused by hazards in the vicinity such as fire, electrical hazards, or unstable structures can complicate the incident as responders become the victims, too.
Clear access without obstruction due to vehicles or crowds allows the paramedics to reach the victim swiftly so that medical intervention can commence as soon as they arrive.
Initiate continuous basic life support until the arrival of paramedics
In cases where the victim collapses and stops breathing, basic life support must be initiated and maintained until the arrival of paramedics. High quality CPR and usage of AED are keys to ensure that the victim’s brain still receives oxygen to stay alive.
If no trained first aiders are available in the vicinity, bystanders can get advice from 999 dispatchers through the phone on steps to carry out basic life support.
Perform complete patient assessments for reporting and handover to paramedics
Besides information on the incident like the number of casualties and possible causes, patient assessments should be conducted so that the information can be relayed to paramedics so that they can make swift and informed decisions when taking over the victim. If there are multiple casualties, this information helps them with prioritization.
Some important components of Patient Assessments are:
- Primary assessment for responsiveness, breathing, and circulation.
- Secondary assessment if the victim is stable to collect information such as symptoms, allergies, medications, and medical history.
- Physical examination to check for deformities, open wounds, tenderness, swelling (DOTS), and signs of shock.
The victim should be monitored and any changes should be updated in the Patient Assessments.
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The Emergency Response Plan of a workplace should include the handover process to paramedics so that all responders are familiar with the process through medical emergency drills. Besides that, the workplace Emergency Response Team (ERT) must maintain a close relationship with the nearest hospital because paramedics familiar with specific potential incidents in your workplace can provide efficient help immediately. It is ideal to involve them in drills as exercises to improve the process.
