​Parent Guide for Medical Emergency

When Calling 911

  1. Speak calmly & clearly.
  2. Give your name & phone number you are calling from.
  3. Give address, & directions to find person.
  4. Describe the victim’s condition.
  5. Answer all questions.
  6. Follow instructions; DO NOT HANG UP!
  7. Continue First Aid until ambulance arrives

Call 911 immediately if …

  1. NOT breathing. Begin Rescue Breathing (911 operator will guide you)
  2. Choking (911 operator will guide you)
  3. Skin or lips look blue, purple or gray or unable to speak
  4. Unresponsiveness (unable to wake up person) or decreasing responsiveness
  5. Severe Bleeding
    • Cold, clammy pale skin; rapid, weak pulse; dizziness
    • Wound (apply direct steady pressure
    • Coughing or vomiting blood or passing blood in urine or stools
  6. Heart Attack or Hear Attack Warning Signs such as:
    • Severe squeezing pains, crushing pain or heavy pressure in chest
    • Pain that radiates from the chest into either arm, the neck or jaw
    • Shortness of breath
    • Sweating and weakness, nausea or vomiting
    • Prolonged “indigestion” type pain
  7. Warning Signs of Stroke (sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body; sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding; sudden trouble seeing; sudden trouble walking, dizziness, or loss of balance or coordination; sudden severe headache with no known cause)
  8. Seizure (Place person on their side and do not restrain them or put anything in the mouth)
    ONLY call 911 when:
    • Person is injured, pregnant, or has diabetes
    • For person with KNOWN Seizures if they do not resume breathing after seizure; or if seizure lasts 5 minutes; or have another seizure shortly after first one; or consciousness does not return after seizure.
  9. Electric Shock (Do NOT touch the person)
  10. Large burns or chemical burns
  11. Poisoning (including alcohol and drug overdose)
    • If unconscious Call 911
    • If conscious, call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222
Poison Help Line - 1 (800) 222-1222

For a child always call 911 if …

  1. Severe stiff neck (unable to put chin to chest)with headache and fever
  2. Severe dehydration with sunken eyes, lethargy, no tears, and not urinating
  3. Suddenly spreading purple or red rash

Seek medical attention immediately

  1. After a head injury, if the person has decreasing level of alertness, confusion, headache, vomiting, or difficulty walking
  2. Fever in a child of any age who looks more than mildly ill
  3. Elevated temperature for a child who is younger than 2 months, with an axillary (armpit) temperature of more than 100.5°F (38.1°C) or 101°F (38.3°C) rectally
  4. Appearing and acting very ill for a child of any age
  5. Severe vomiting and/or diarrhea
  6. An injury that may require medical treatment, such as a cut that does not hold together after it is cleaned
  7. Any animal bite that breaks the skin
  8. Venomous bites or stings with spreading local redness and swelling, or evidence of general illness
  9. Broken bone (Do not move the person; or try to push the bone back in place if bone is sticking out; or try to straighten out a broken bone). Call 911 for broken bone to upper leg or thigh (femur).

When performing First Aid or CPR remember to practice universal precautions to prevent exposure to blood or any body fluid. Wear Gloves! ​

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