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Basic instructions
What to do when you see some guy lying on the street in the rain.
Step 1: Dither a bit and hope that someone else will deal with it
Step 2: Realise that everybody else has gone for step 1 and ended there so walk over to the guy and try to rouse him.
It is possible that he will be roused. If not then go to step 3
Step 3: Check he's still breathing. Try and find a pulse. Shake him gently.
Step 4: Call an ambulance (The number is 112 works in most places I'm a traditionalist so I went with 999*) . The nice lady (or gentleman) on the other end of the phone has some basic medical training and can tell you what to do.
Step 5: Wait for the ambulance to arrive. This isn't going to take too long. Once they are there they can deal with the situation better than you.
END
In hindsight, I should probably have skipped step 1. But I'm only human.
No idea what I'd do in step 3 if there was no pulse/breathing.
I really should get off my arse and learn some emergency first aid. I need to be free when there's a course and to work out which course I want to do. Given that I do LARP and Cons and things, an actual qualification might be useful.
There does seem to be this social convention that nobody else is doing anything so everyone else goes along with it. Damn herd mentality.
I seem to feel this sense of guilt that I've breached some sort of social convention.
I was told by the 999 person to put him on his back. This seemed odd. Isn't the recovery position the right thing to do here?
I think most people assumed he was homeless and drunk or on drugs or something. Thinking about it though, he could easily have been diabetic or something (although didn't seem to sweating, which I think is what you expect). He hadn't been sick or anything. His clothes weren't exactly pristine but nor were they rags.
*Alternatively try 0118 999 881 999 119 725 3 - we're not just the emergency service. We're your emergency service.
Step 1: Dither a bit and hope that someone else will deal with it
Step 2: Realise that everybody else has gone for step 1 and ended there so walk over to the guy and try to rouse him.
It is possible that he will be roused. If not then go to step 3
Step 3: Check he's still breathing. Try and find a pulse. Shake him gently.
Step 4: Call an ambulance (The number is 112 works in most places I'm a traditionalist so I went with 999*) . The nice lady (or gentleman) on the other end of the phone has some basic medical training and can tell you what to do.
Step 5: Wait for the ambulance to arrive. This isn't going to take too long. Once they are there they can deal with the situation better than you.
END
In hindsight, I should probably have skipped step 1. But I'm only human.
No idea what I'd do in step 3 if there was no pulse/breathing.
I really should get off my arse and learn some emergency first aid. I need to be free when there's a course and to work out which course I want to do. Given that I do LARP and Cons and things, an actual qualification might be useful.
There does seem to be this social convention that nobody else is doing anything so everyone else goes along with it. Damn herd mentality.
I seem to feel this sense of guilt that I've breached some sort of social convention.
I was told by the 999 person to put him on his back. This seemed odd. Isn't the recovery position the right thing to do here?
I think most people assumed he was homeless and drunk or on drugs or something. Thinking about it though, he could easily have been diabetic or something (although didn't seem to sweating, which I think is what you expect). He hadn't been sick or anything. His clothes weren't exactly pristine but nor were they rags.
*Alternatively try 0118 999 881 999 119 725 3 - we're not just the emergency service. We're your emergency service.
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But thanks. I found the situation kind of confusing. I knew it was the right thing to do, but surely the other half dozen people who walked past when I was busily dithering, and the other dozens of people who must have walked past before also knew this.
There's the whole psychology thing of The Bystander Effect whch I sort of get but not quite. I mean I'd have been way happier leaving this to someone else myself, but just leaving some guy potentially at risk didn't seem justified.
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A lot of people wouldn't.
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Various other complex reasons for posting.
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Did they give any indication of what was wrong with him?
No idea what I'd do in step 3 if there was no pulse/breathing.
Exactly they same thing thing - dial 999 :)
(& possibly freak out a little!)
To be honest I'm glad I know enough to save a life if it came down to it but I wouldn't start mouth-to-mouth on a random stranger I found unconcious on the streets as there is a risk of hiv/aids/any other nasty infection etc. If I saw someone collapsed or there were people who had seen it that is another matter... by then you run into legal trickery if they don't recover or you crack a a rib with CPR or something. Seriously, it sounds like more trouble than it's worth sometimes!
If you do a course go for St Johns. The original & best! :)
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Would the full 3 day certified training course be worth doing?
Oh and do you know what the deal was with putting the guy on his back?
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I don't know why they'd tell you to put him on his back, though, that's actually quite dangerous (particularly if he was already on his front and you could rearrange him into the recovery position). Choking on anything aside, lying on your back it's easier for your chin to come towards your chest and compress your airway.
*this happens less than the Daily Fail makes out, most people are pathetically grateful not to be dead.
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Although from my time in St John we did get storying about people getting shirty about cracked/bruised ribs, We were also taught if the casualty is wearing glasses put them somewhere safe as they have had complaints about broken/scratched glasses! It was a small percentage of treatments though.
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Step 1: Does he look like a bum/drunk/homeless person/thug If yes go to step 2 if no step 3
Step 2: Cross the road and try not to wake him in case he stabs you or is sick
Step 3: Commence emergency first aid etc...
You should really think hard about step 2 - it is an actual and real danger and you could easily end up with a dirty needle stuck in your hand or something. It should be possible to make a reasonable guess about his bum-like statis from his apperance.
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On the other hand, I did pass a bloke lying on the pavement on the road which leads into town from our house. However, he looked perfectly happy - he was smoking a fag. Why his trousers were around his ankles, I did not enquire. But I made the decision that he was conscious, not asking for help, not in distress, and not being a particular nuisance, so I left him alone. Right or wrong? Still not sure.
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Shit like that makes me sick. I've had to call the police or the ambulance for my alcoholic neighbor a lot of times, and yes, it's annoying to have to stay awake and give them a statement, but I don't really think there's any other choice, you know?
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One of the reasons I posted. They do know what to do and were taught when they were about five. See if they're okay, and if not, call an ambulance.
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Well done for going over and making that call!