Sooner or later, each person is faced with the need to call an ambulance for himself or his relatives. In this case, it is important to know the time of arrival of the brigade, how to prepare for its arrival and the further algorithm of actions. Many people know that an ambulance arrives on a call within 20 minutes. But what if the time frame is broken or the doctors are not going to help you? What other nuances can you encounter?
When is it necessary to call an ambulance?
In accordance with the procedure for providing emergency medical care, including specialized, the reason for making an ambulance call is sudden sharp pain, exacerbation of chronic diseases and other conditions that threaten the life and health of the patient. Among them:
- impaired consciousness;
- impaired breathing;
- poor circulation;
- mental disorders, which are accompanied by actions on the part of the patient, representing a danger to himself or others;
- pain
- injuries of various origins: injuries with concomitant bleeding, poisoning, damage to internal organs;
- burns of varying severity (chemical, thermal);
- bleeding
- childbirth, the threat of miscarriage.
What is the difference between emergency and emergency care, how much does the ambulance go to the call?
The reasons for calling an emergency ambulance are:
- Suddenly acute conditions, diseases or their exacerbations that require immediate medical attention without obvious signs of a threat to life;
- death statement (the exception is hours of admission to medical institutions providing medical care in an outpatient setting).
How is call urgency determined?
The type of emergency call or emergency call is determined at the time of its reception by the paramedic responsible for calls, and the dispatcher transferring the call to the ambulance team. After this, the urgency of the call is determined by the head physician of the station and the dispatcher-tow truck.
An ambulance must come quickly to calls that have been accepted in an emergency. In other words, when there is a threat to the life of the patient. When an emergency call arrives, a nearby free general team is sent to it, provided that there are no emergency calls at this time.
Ambulance arrival time
The procedure and terms for the provision of first aid are regulated by law, including the order of the Ministry of Health and Social Development “On Approving the Procedure for Providing Emergency Medical Aid”. According to the ambulance regulations on the time of arrival, in emergency cases, the medical team must come to the call within 20 minutes.
The arrival time for an emergency call is not regulated, the wait can be up to an hour.
What to do while the car is on the go?
We found out the arrival time of the ambulance. But what to do before the brigade arrived?
Doctors recommend preparing in this way:
- It is important to follow the advice of the dispatcher, in some cases, he switches the patient to a medical consultant. Naturally, it is impossible to cure a person remotely, but coordinated actions can save the patient's life.
- In order not to waste time searching for a house and entrance, it is recommended that someone close to meet an ambulance brigade at the nearest landmark. This will save time. You can also ask to meet an ambulance from one of the neighbors. The dispatcher is informed in detail about the route to the house.
- The necessary conditions are prepared for the doctor: a chair, a table or a stool for a suitcase with tools and medicines, a towel and soap for hands. Pets should be isolated. In slushy weather, cover the floor with old newspapers or rags so that the doctors do not take off shoes and do not stain the floor.
- Beforehand, it is worth preparing the necessary documents and a bag with things in case of hospitalization. Among them: personal hygiene items, a telephone and charging, replaceable clothes, money for the return trip.
If the ambulance does not accept the call or not the car for a long time
Many people are interested in not only the time of arrival of the ambulance crew, but also the procedure for dealing with some difficulties. For example, what to do if the dispatcher does not accept the ambulance call.
First you need to make sure that the patient really has a good reason for calling emergency assistance, because it saves lives in cases of threat and serious conditions. In this case, we are talking about asphyxiation, extensive burns, severe injuries, accidents, an acute abdomen, injuries, childbirth, cramps, childhood diseases, coma, heart pathologies, mental disorders, which can be dangerous to others. In all these cases, the paramedic has no right to refuse to call an ambulance.
The senile age of the patient is a reason for refusal.
On the street, the patient or lives in a high-rise building, an ambulance must arrive. If the dispatcher does not accept the call and hang up, you should call back. There is a Department of Health “hot line” for complaints.
If a lot of time has passed since the call, and the ambulance has not arrived, it is worth calling 112 and clarifying why there are no brigades. In some cases, it is advisable, without waiting for the doctors, to go to the dispensary, while the call must be canceled. It makes no sense to find out what the reason is: staff negligence or traffic on the roads.
If there is a conflict with doctors
It is necessary to call an ambulance, where all incoming calls are recorded, and report the situation in such cases:
- ambulance arrival standards are violated;
- assistance was not provided properly;
- hospitalization denied to the patient;
- ask for a fee for services;
- the doctor was intoxicated, etc.
You can also call other well-known hotline numbers.
It should be clarified that the ambulance team has the right to refuse hospitalization if the patient’s diagnosis is clear and does not raise any concerns about the threat to human life. In such cases, treatment at home is indicated. If the refusal was based on the age of the patient, it is considered unreasonable. It is also noted that caring for a patient who has had a stroke and is in serious condition is not considered a reason for hospitalization.
To call an ambulance and receive first aid, it is not necessary to have an identity card and insurance policy. The requirement of the policy is illegal, including for emergency hospitalization, especially if there is a serious threat to life.
Before you make a complaint to medical personnel, you should know that it is not within the competence of the emergency team:
- polyclinic-type calls when the patient is able to independently turn to a medical institution;
- deterioration of well-being in the presence of chronic diseases that do not pose a threat to the patient's life;
- deterioration in a patient under observation by an attending physician.
Also, the ambulance team does not eliminate the hangover syndrome and does not carry out any planned procedures. They do not treat toothache, do not come to examine a corpse, do not write out certificates, sick leave, do not issue prescriptions for medicines.
If the ambulance did not arrive at all
We found out how long the ambulance should arrive - it is 20 minutes. What to do if more than an hour has passed and the car is gone and the dispatcher is not responding?
In this case, you can safely contact the police. In accordance with the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, the refusal of medical staff to send an ambulance to a patient is regarded under Art. 124 "Refusal of assistance" or under Art. 125 "Abandonment". Law enforcement officials will contact a medical facility that was denied assistance. The threat of criminal punishment, as a rule, disciplines the medical staff.
If the dispatcher accepted the call, while not in a hurry to send an ambulance to the patient, it is worth reminding him of the criminal liability and that in case of failure to fulfill his direct duties, a corresponding application will be sent to law enforcement agencies. If the team arrived, but does not provide the necessary assistance, you need to call the medical institution from which the ambulance was sent, or by number 103, and ask to contact the chief doctor or, if he is absent, the doctor on duty, and state the problem.
Ambulance procedure and time
After a call to the emergency service, the call is instantly processed by the dispatcher and transferred to the ambulance substation located closest. Several dozen brigades are on duty around the clock, so the call cannot remain unanswered.
The dispatcher, in turn, depending on the complaints of the victim, sends a team specializing in the provision of specific assistance: psychiatric, pediatric, narcological, etc. To provide targeted assistance, you must accurately indicate the problem, otherwise the wrong team will be sent to the patient. Even in cases of an accident when calling an ambulance, it is imperative to indicate the exact number of victims and the presence of a special category of people among them (children, disabled people, etc.)
The medical team must arrive within 20 minutes after registering the call.
Can a person go to the hospital on his own?
In cases where the patient needs urgent medical care, but is able to independently reach the nearest medical center or hospital, then it is not necessary to worry about how long the ambulance should arrive.
In the hospital, in any case, all the necessary assistance will be provided, and in severe cases, on the recommendation of the doctor on duty, the patient can be hospitalized.
Can I get an emergency consultation?
Not many people know that by calling an ambulance, you can get advice on first aid. By minimum estimates, at least 2,000 people need an ambulance call every day. Any of them can apply for information, qualified specialists will answer all questions regarding first aid and ease the physical condition of the patient, as well as tell you whether it is advisable to call a team in this case and for how long an ambulance should arrive.
Among other things, by calling 103, you can find out the addresses and contact information of the nearest medical institutions regarding the place of residence. To do this, you need to ask the dispatcher to switch the call to the help desk. An ambulance and help desk call is free.
Assistance Algorithm
After making a call, the following actions are performed:
- A call is received from the patient, registered and sent to the appropriate ambulance team.
- How long should the car arrive? Emergency help arrives within 20 minutes after the call, emergency - 1 hour. Doctors make a diagnosis and provide emergency therapy, if necessary, hospitalize.
- Severe patients ambulance medical workers transported to a car on a stretcher. The presence of a legal representative or family member is permitted. If the patient is under 14 years old, parent support is required.
- During hospitalization, the patient is transferred to the clinic’s doctors, meanwhile, the ambulance medical officer draws up the “Accompanying List”. It indicates the patient’s personal data, diagnosis, time of arrival at the hospital, and assistance provided. The patient must have a policy and identification card with him, however, their absence is not a reason for refusing to provide assistance.
- The patient is determined in the department for further treatment.
It is worth noting that sometimes emergency situations occur, and the car simply cannot arrive on time. Before you sound the alarm and complain, try to find out the information from the dispatcher who received the call.