How to Handle a Medical Emergency

A medical emergency is when a kid or an adult is sick or hurt and needs care from a doctor right away. The most important thing you can do in an emergency is call for help.

How Do I Make an Emergency Phone Call?

If you make an emergency phone call, here's what to do:

• Take a deep breath to try to feel calm.
• Call 911.
• Tell the operator there's an emergency.
• Say your name and where you are. Give the exact address if you know it.
• Explain what happened. Be sure to say how many people are hurt or sick and any other details.
• Follow the operator's instructions. Listen carefully to what they tell you to do.
• Stay on the line. Don’t hang up until the operator says it's OK.

What Should I Do After Making an Emergency Call?

• If the area isn’t safe: Don’t go near the person who needs help. Instead, wait in a safe spot until a grown-up or an emergency team arrives. Try to stay calm.
• If the area is safe: Stay with the person who needs medical help and wait for help to arrive. Don't move the injured person if you know that they fell, or they hurt their neck or a bone. Moving someone like that can make their injury worse. Try to stay calm.

How Can I Be Prepared for an Emergency?

You can prepare for an emergency by knowing what to do before one happens. Here’s how:

• Know how to call 911 or your local emergency number (if it isn’t 911). Make sure you know how to do it on a cellphone that has a locked screen in case that’s the only kind of phone around.
• Learn first aid. Ask a parent to help you find a basic first-aid class. Many organizations teach them, like your local Red Cross, the YMCA or YWCA, the Boy or Girl Scouts, 4-H clubs, or your local hospital. You can also ask your school nurse to teach a first-aid class just for students in your school.

If someone needs help in an emergency, you can make a big difference when you know what to do.