Accidents are every parent’s nightmare–your toddler falls down the stairs and gets a deep cut on his chin, your preschooler trips into the pool, your daughter falls out of the tree and hits hard on a rock, your son steps on a nail that goes into his foot. When an emergency happens, it’s natural to expect Dad to save the day.
But not every man instinctively knows what to do in every situation. To help you on your way to fatherhood stardom, here are 3 things every man needs to be able to do in an emergency.
- Fast assessment of the injury
Knowing just how serious the situation is can be a tough call. When your child is wailing at a sonic pitch, the blood seems to be never-ending and everyone is panicking, it’s hard to discern how bad it really is.
Start by noticing everything. Is the child dizzy or losing consciousness? Is his breathing rapid, shallow, irregular? Are his eyes fixed and vacant? Is he nauseated or throwing up? These are all signs that you need to get him to the ER right away.
- Act appropriately
Now it’s time to take action. If an ambulance is needed, assign one person to call 911. If bleeding needs to be controlled, get a clean cloth and apply pressure to the wound. If breathing has stopped, start CPR. If there’s an object impaled in the flesh, leave it alone and get to Advance ER. If poison has been ingested, call Poison Control Center or Advance ER. Don’t give the child anything to eat or drink before getting a doctor’s examination. For all of these situations, focus on getting to the nearest emergency room.
Don’t know if it’s that serious? It’s a good rule of thumb to come to the ER whenever there is an injury or a medical condition. At Advance ER, we are available 24/7 to do an assessment to determine the extent of the injury or medical condition.
- Know your emergency room choices
Nothing is more frustrating than racing your child to the nearest ER only to be shown the waiting room where you then have to wait. Or worse, wasting time going to an Urgent Care facility only to discover you need an emergency room.
At Advance ER, we’ve pioneered No Wait service by taking our patients directly to a private bed and conducting bedside check-in. When time is of the essence, Advance ER is the fast access, freestanding emergency facility.
At Advance ER, you’ll get the right care at the right place at the right time. And we’ll let you take all the credit as Dad of the Year.
Advance ER is available in two locations for your convenience:
Advance ER – Galleria Area
12338 Inwood Road Dallas, TX 75244
Advance ER – Park Cities
