How to call 120 in case of sudden illness

Calling 120 is one of the main emergency measures for sudden illness. Some patients are alone when they suddenly fall ill, and some patients are unable to cooperate with the operator to explain their condition and address clearly due to illness. In this case, the ambulance cannot arrive at the scene in time, and the patient cannot receive timely treatment, resulting in serious consequences and even loss of precious life.

So, how do you call for help when you suddenly fall ill and are alone? First, if you have an emergency contact, you should contact that contact first. When the patient is unable to communicate due to illness, such as loss of language function or coma, the emergency contact can quickly call 120, inform the operator and the ambulance doctor of the patient's condition, and guide the ambulance to the scene.

Of course, if you cannot contact the emergency contact, you should call 120 as soon as possible and explain your condition and address in the shortest possible time. The condition includes the main symptoms such as headache, chest pain, abdominal pain, etc., as well as the cause of injury such as car accident, fall, etc. The address should be from the province (city) level to the house number to avoid ambulance drivers being confused and taking the wrong road due to the same district, street, and community name. Don't rush when speaking, and make sure the operator can hear and record it clearly. It should be noted that if you are able to, you should open the door so that the emergency doctor can enter the house directly when he arrives at the scene.

The emergency call methods mentioned above require us to be prepared in advance to deal with emergencies. Here are some things we need to prepare.

1. Determine the emergency contact. The emergency contact can be your relatives, colleagues, property management or neighborhood committee staff, or your neighbors. In short, you should choose an emergency contact based on your work unit, community, and family situation. It is recommended to find one at work and one at home so that you have someone to contact in different environments.
2. Inform the emergency contact of your basic situation in advance, such as previous illnesses, medications taken, etc., and confirm a "code" with the emergency contact for use in an emergency, such as "I'm not feeling well, please call an ambulance for me" or "I'm not feeling well, please help me." It is best to let the emergency contact know the patient's situation in just one or two sentences, and even know that the patient is asking for help without saying too much. The emergency contact can also confirm the patient's location and situation in the shortest possible time.
3. Configure emergency contact devices. Some electronic devices such as mobile phones and smart watches on the market can set emergency contacts, and you can call emergency contacts immediately with simple operations. It is recommended to set up the call program in advance and master the operation method in case of emergency. In addition, you can also install call alarms and other devices at home. The alarm equipment can be set next to the toilet in the bathroom, in the kitchen, at the bedside, next to the sofa in the living room, and other places where sudden illness or accidents are likely to occur.
4. For other elderly people, especially those with chronic diseases such as stroke and coronary heart disease, it is best to have someone accompany them in their daily lives and avoid being alone at home or going out, so that there will be no one to help in case of accidents.

Unexpected situations always happen in life, whether it is a sudden illness or an injury. Some things cannot be predicted in advance, but you can plan ahead and be prepared through drills so that you can get help as soon as possible when an accident occurs.