What To Do If There Is A Medical Emergency At The Gym

Guys, quick, get help, there is a sick person on the gym floor.

Do you know what to do if there is a medical emergency at the gym? Odds are, if you work at a fitness facility, that you are already CPR certified, or you should be! There should always be several CPR\AED certified individuals on hand at the gym at any given time.

The first step I took when I decided that I wanted to get involved in group fitness was to get my CPR\AED cert. I did the class with one of our instructor\managers who informed me that he was conducting on site training. I did it there for a very reasonable price, and it put me one step closer to my latest goal of teaching. I jumped at the opportunity, because it committed me, and it was a further investment towards making the goal real. Also, it would create further cohesiveness and connection between myself and my instructor. I’m all about forging those powerful bonds. However, that’s a story for another post, this is about the medical emergency procedures.

So when I heard this, I thought, I’ve been trained for this. We are to direct someone to get on a call with 911, immediately check on the victim to determine the best course of action. If the victim is conscious, then talk to the victim, relay all and any information to the person talking to 911. If necessary, begin performing CPR or AED treatments. In this case, the victim was conscious, she was laying down and appeared highly irritated by our presence, she has a person who appears to be her medical aide with her. Hey, I know that older lady, I just helped her out with her cell phone up front earlier. Small world aint it?

The old lady says that her patient is okay. She tells us that the woman has epilepsy and that this is a normal episode for her. She told us not to worry, that it will pass.

I’m with her all the time in case this happens, don’t worry.

Well, as one of the guys who was present, I can appreciate that mam, but she has taken ill on these premises, and we have to take steps to ensure her safety. We are required to help, and document this, even if she doesn’t like it.

As I spoke with the 911 operator, the woman and her aide began to exit. I asked her, are you okay? She gave me a dirty look and kept walking. The aide said, “thank you for your help,” as she trailed behind her client.

We said, we have to fill out a form, but she didn’t stop to provide any information for the paperwork. She also walked away from the guys while they were trying to talk to her on the floor. She completely ignored us and walked out. The aide repeated, don’t worry, this is why I am here, you don’t have to do anything. I asked the 911 operator if we should try and make her stay, they stated that if she is leaving, there is nothing further for us to do. Once again, I asked “so we are good on this end?” They said yes, okay, have a nice day.

She walked out of her own accord, she refused to provide any information, she refused medical attention from the 911 staff, and she didn’t say one word to anyone. I’d say that we followed procedure and did all that we could. Never mind her behavior, the main takeaway from all of this is the process to follow.

So how’s that for a Sunday afternoon?

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