When serving as the Race Director, here are the suggested guidelines for dealing with a Medical Emergency.
If the patient is unconscious or in need of emergency treatment, immediately ask someone to call 911, or do it yourself. Advise the 911 dispatcher of your exact location and the type of emergency that you are dealing with. Stay on the 911 line until released.
Perform a quick situational review, ask any bystanders or runners what occurred, and if they witnessed any activity prior to the incident. This would include the patient having a mechanical fall, fainting, having a seizure, losing consciousness, or any unusual circumstance at the incident. If 911 hasn’t been called and this review merits call 911. Take quick notes.
If the patient is unconscious, check for a carotid pulse, by feeling alongside the neck with your middle and index fingers. If there is a suspicion of a spinal injury do not move the patient otherwise if your patient is pale and has a strong pulse, immediately lay the patient down on the ground. Do not leave them in a sitting position unless they refuse your help. If you cannot feel a pulse, then according to the new 2010 American Heart Association Guidelines, you would start CPR. Help control any bleeding of your patient.
If the patient is transported to a hospital, have one of the family members, if present, accompany the patient or meet the patient at the hospital. Ideally someone should accompany the patient or go to the hospital where the patient is transported. Document the time of transport, the company doing the transport and hospital they were transported to. Insure that a family member is contacted.
Write down what happened, including all witnesses and all actions taken to assist the patient and provide this write up to a DSE Officer..