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Assisting the patient
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| In an excursion to mount Tupungato, near Santiago, a participant suffered a heart attack. Before the helicopter arrived, two days had passed, in other words a lot of time filled with fears and uncertainties. Mountaineer mates and trekkers don’t have, in most cases, medical or psychological training, and have not thought about how to react when faced with injured people in these extreme situations. It could be thought that in these situations calm is lost easily. But with most people quite the contrary automatically happens. Logic thinking can save lives, besides, a serene behavior calms down the patient. Empty promises from a lay person about a speedy improvement or a quick rescue, are immediately detected and produce more suspicion than trust. The person taking care of the patient should not pretend to be cheerful, neither overtly express his fears, but to calmly recognize his modest knowledge and explain, based on arguments, every step to take. Neither pity, nor alcohol or quieting pats will have the desired effect. |
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