What does a threat to health and life mean? In such situations, it is necessary to call for medical help

If you or someone else needs immediate help, call one of two emergency numbers: 999 or 112. In what situations is it possible or even necessary to use the help of a medical rescue team (ambulance)? A detailed list of such situations is published in the Patient Navigator, a free guide published by the Patient Ombudsman and the Polish Society of Family Medicine. You can download the Patient Navigator here.

What does a threat to health or life mean?

The experts who developed the guidance say we may suspect a threat to life or limb if you or another person encounters, for example:

• cardiac arrest - no reaction, no breathing,

• loss of consciousness,

• loss of consciousness and convulsions,

• head injury and impairment of contact, e.g. amnesia, disorientation,

• a very severe, sharp headache, especially if it is accompanied by symptoms such as confusion, slurred speech, problems with limb mobility,

• stroke symptoms: slurred speech, disorientation, weakness on one side of the body, drooping corner of the mouth, difficulty moving limbs (especially if they occur on one side of the body, such as the right arm and right leg) - remember, even if the symptoms have disappeared, you should contact see a doctor, since such temporary symptoms can often be a harbinger of a stroke;

• shortness of breath (you can’t say a single sentence while exhaling),

• chest pain and you spit up a large amount of bloody secretion,

• chest pain that is severe, constant, radiating to the left upper limb or jaw - this pain is especially concerning if you have a known heart condition (for example, coronary artery disease) or have already had a heart attack,

• A heart attack may (but not necessarily) be accompanied by: a feeling of uneven heartbeat; cold sweat, lightheadedness, nausea, vomiting,

• sudden sharp abdominal pain, persistent vomiting of blood or thick matter, massive rectal bleeding or black tarry stools,

• bleeding that you cannot stop and/or you are also taking medications that affect blood clotting,

• massive bleeding from the genital tract,

• rapidly progressing labor

• acute and severe allergic reactions resulting from taking medications, bites or stings of poisonous animals - they are manifested by rapidly progressing swelling, breathing problems, and may be accompanied by urticaria and abdominal pain;

• poisoning with drugs, chemicals or gases,

• extensive burns, heat stroke, hypothermia, electric shock, flooding or drowning,

• aggression caused by mental illness, suicide attempt,

• fall from a great height,

• an extensive wound resulting from trauma, as well as damage to the lower limb that prevents independent movement.

IMPORTANT: The dispatcher always decides whether to send an ambulance to the scene (in case of refusal, he must indicate the reason), and the dispatcher must be the first to hang up.

When should you not call an ambulance?

Unwarranted calls and requests to call an ambulance are a daily occurrence for emergency dispatchers. Do not call 911 if you need, for example, a prescription for a drug, a health certificate, an examination, a referral to a specialist, additional tests or specialist advice.