Many Dont' Understand When Not to Call 911: Study

Summary of Article:

An online survey of 150 adults in the U.K found that most people know they should call an ambulance when someone appears to be having a heart attack or other life-threatening medical emergencies but many don't understand when an ambulance is not needed for less urgent situations like going into early stages of labour.  This survey presented 12 common medical scenarios, five that require an ambulance to be called and five that would not.  Almost all participants correctly identified at least three of the five scenarios in which  911 call is needed but, however, one in four did not recognize the need to call for an ambulance in the case of a possible stroke.  The scenarios that required 911 assistance are middle-aged man with pains in his chest, possible acetaminophen overdose, traffic accident victim, Older person slurring his words after not having had any alcohol (possible stroke), and 4-year-old with high temperature and stiff neck (possible meningitis).  When it came to situations when a 911 call is not needed, the respondents didn't do so well.  Most only could pick up two out of the seven scenarios in which there would be no need for an ambulance.  These were the scenarios when no 9-11 call is needed:  Women going into the early stages of labour, man with chronic back pain who has run out of painkillers, Drunk man being sick (but not unconscious), 3-year old with a toy stuck up his nose, an episode of blood in the urine, toddler with a bruise on his head, and knife cut on the palm of the hand that is not bleeding heavily.  Between 5% and 48% would have dialed 911 for these situations.  Authors conclude that more widespread education on when to call for emergency care would be useful and would help cut costs from unnecessary ambulance calls.  It would also ensure that those who do need emergency assistance can get it.

My Opinion of Article:

Although some people may believe this is an issue that is not useful and not important, I believe it is the opposite.  Many people are not aware when to call 9-11 or don’t know when they shouldn’t call 9-11.  Many lives would be saved if people knew when to call 9-11, but because we don’t know when to, many lives are often lost.  I could also say the same about people who do not know when they shouldn’t call 9-11.  As said in the article, tons of people call everyday about situations that could be solved without 9-11 assistance. This is extremely important as people who do need the assistance of 9-11 can get it.  If people do not know when to call 9-11 and when they shouldn’t call 9-11, lives are being thrown away recklessly.  This does not only go for other people, but for me as well.  I am also not 100% sure when to call 9-11 and I feel that a memo or website that shows when to call 9-11 would really help me out.  It is good how these authors are raising the awareness of this problem and it is something that should be discussed with everyone.