Minor health emergencies at home - Essential Five Point Checklist 2020

Published on: 4th April 2022
Medically reviewed by: General Practitioner at First Response Healthcare

This article provides a handy checklist for handling minor health emergencies that occur at home.

Unnecessary visits to a hospital or clinic should be avoided. If you have any of flu symptoms (fever, cough, sore throat) and any history of recent travel from a COVID-19-affected country or close contact with someone with such travel history or anyone who has now tested positive you must immediately go to the nearest government facility which is providing a COVID-19 test PLEASE VISIT DUBAI HEALTH AUTHORITY WEBSITE FOR MORE ON COVID-19

What is minor about an emergency? This term has been necessitated by the changing scope of healthcare facilities. Hospitals are no longer the only places you can go to get around-the-clock care for an urgent health matter. Urgent care at home by First Response’s doctor on call service offers an alternative to off-hour hospital visits. We come to your home fully equipped to handle what is called a minor health emergency. So, what is a minor emergency? It is a serious illness or injury that requires immediate attention but is not life-threatening.

Life Threatening Emergencies

Life-threatening illness and injuries that require a Hospital Emergency Room (ER) include the following:

Radiating chest pain (such as that with a heart attack)
Sudden severe headache (which may be an aneurysm or stroke)
Altered mental state or loss of consciousness
Severe abdominal pain on the right-hand side (appendicitis)
A newborn with a fever or injury
Difficulty breathing
Seizures
Serious burns

All of the above symptoms can lead to a life-threatening condition. That is when an emergency room would be necessary. None of these are considered minor health emergencies.

For emergencies you should call the Dubai Emergencies Helpline Number 999 and an ambulance from Dubai Corporation of Ambulance Services will reach you.

When You Can Choose Doctor On call Services at Home over a Hospital ER

Can you think of an ailment that is urgent but not life threatening?

First Response Doctor on Call Services can be used for minor health emergencies, particularly when you cannot get into your family doctor. This would be if appointments are full, on the weekends or after hours. If an illness gets worse and causes a high fever that will not go down or an injury occurs that causes limited movement or minor to moderate bleeding, those can be treated with an urgent attention by asking our medical team to visit your home. A few incidents appropriate for urgent care facilities include:

Asthma attacks
Severe sore or swollen throat
Severe stomach symptoms
Sprains and minor fractures
High fever and/or flu symptoms
Cuts and bleeding which is mild or moderate
Falls
Back pain and muscle pain with unexplained causes
Injuries from minor falls

If you have a minor injury or illness and need a doctor at home immediately, Book an appointment, contact First Response Healthcare now.

Minor accidents at home can happen anytime and you should be prepared in advance for these sudden minor health emergencies. When a medical emergency arrives unalarmed, being deprived of the basic amenities might adverse the impact of the physical damage. It is recommended to be equipped with first aid kit that will enable you to maintain complete peace of mind in case of a medical urgency. The market is flooded with first aid kits that are specially designed for minor medical conditions that strike while you’re enjoying the comfort of your home. You can find these kits in a wide range of shapes and sizes.

The important point is to keep the first aid kit in the right place. Make sure your kit is easy to carry and everyone in the household knows where it is. Keep it in a backpack, duffle bag or suitcase with wheels, in an easy-to-reach, accessible place, such as your front-hall closet. If you have many people in your household, your emergency kit could get heavy. It’s a good idea to separate some of these supplies in backpacks. That way, your kit will be more portable and each person can personalize his or her own grab-and-go emergency kit.

Being prepared in advance may save you from severe health issues. After treating at home for minor health emergencies, you must also call a doctor to visit you from the First Response Doctor On Call Services to make sure that you have been treated appropriately.

Essential Five Point Checklist for minor health emergencies at home

You should be active and alert to prevent any uncertain injury or medical health issue.

These are some of the things you should keep in your checklist for minor health emergencies at home.

1. Crepe bandages of varying diameters

Whether you’re a sports freak or have young kids inclined towards sports; crepe bandage is a medical aid you can’t afford to skip. People belonging to different age groups are in need of crepe bandages that are available in an array of sizes. An immobilization bandage can prevent any further damage that may pour in due to sports injury.

2. Cold packs

You must keep cold packs at your home, in case if you get leg or knee sprain, as it brings significant relief. With cold packs available at your home, you can easily reduce the pain and swelling that result out of sprain. You can reduce the pain and swell with ice if you do not have a cold pack with you. Applying the cold pack for about 10 to 20 minutes, for three times a day, would reduce the pain commendably.

3. Adhesive dressing strips

If you’ve bruised your knee/ finger and there’s bleeding; an adhesive dressing strip will be of quick help. You just need to clean the wound under lukewarm running water, pat dry and cover it using an adhesive dressing strip. Under specific situations, wherein the bleeding is more; simply call up First Response Healthcare Doctor On call Service which will send a doctor to treat your wound effectively.

4. Basic pain reliever medications

In addition to having a digital thermometer for keeping a check on the fever, it is imperative to have a good stock of all the basic pain reliever medications such as paracetamol, ibuprofen etc. for getting rid of the fever and pain.

5. Save the Number 0505050387

To arrange a First Response Doctor on Demand to you – Call us at 0 50 50 50 387 or Click Here to Book Online. We have dedicated round the clock 24/7 services we provide every day of the year. Our home visit doctor will be traveling to you on demand to provide an urgent highly personalized private consultation and immediate quality medical care treatment.

First Response Doctor-on-Call team is comprised of highly trained, qualified and licensed home doctors, which can diagnose and treat any medical problems, conditions, and/or injuries. No prior appointment needed and we reach you in 30* minutes anywhere in Dubai. Treatment and follow-ups are done with personalized attention and our Home Doctors treat you and your loved ones, like family. Our team’s compassionate and caring approach ensures a stress-free healthcare services delivery to you in the comfort of your own home.