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| When to call and ambulance
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When should you call an ambulance instead of driving to the emergency department?
Ask yourself the following questions:
- Is the victim's condition life-threatening?
- Could the victim's condition worsen and become life-threatening on the way to the hospital?
- Could moving the victim cause further injury?
- Does the victim need the skills/equipment of paramedics or emergency medical technicians?
- Could distance, traffic or weather conditions cause a delay in getting to the hospital?
If the answer to any of these questions is yes or you're not sure, call an ambulance. Do this even if you think you can get to the hospital faster by driving than by calling an ambulance. Emergency crews are trained to begin medical treatment on the way to the hospital. The EMT can also alert the emergency department to the patient's condition in advance.
- When you call for help (usually by dialing 911):
- Speak calmly and clearly
- Give name, address, phone number, exact location of victim and nature of problem
- Don't hang up until the dispatcher tells you it's
okay
Back to Emergency
This
page was last updated on 8/8/07
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