One in three people don’t understand an ambulance isn't necessary to handle basic medical conditions, a survey indicates.

The survey shows most people today know when to call an ambulance for serious medical crises such as a heart attack. Still, most people do not realize when an ambulance isn't needed for less urgent conditions such as a woman entering the initial stages of labor.

When to Call for Help

In an analysis, the participants were presented with 12 standard situations that may need urgent care and requested to identify if they would call for an ambulance or take other actions, such as seeking information, self-medicate, or do nothing.

The study showed that almost all could accurately recognize that an ambulance was required in at least three from the following five medical crises:

• A guy with pains in his heart (possible heart attack)
• An older adult stammering his words after not having drunk any alcohol (potential stroke)
• Acetaminophen (painkiller) misuse
• Traffic incident victim
• 4-year-old with higher temperature and rigid neck (possible meningitis)

But researchers say one in four didn't recognize the need to call for an ambulance in the event of a potential stroke.

 When Not to Call an Ambulance

When it came to understanding when an ambulance was not required, researchers found the results were not as promising. Most participants only explicitly recognized two from the following seven non-urgent medical conditions, and between 5% and 48% would have called for an ambulance in these cases:

• A woman moving into the first stages of labor
• Man with severe back pain has finished his painkillers
• The drunk individual being ill (but not unconscious)
• 3-year-old having a piece of Lego stuck in his nose
• A single episode of blood from the urine
• Toddler having a bruise on his head
• Knife cut on the palm that is not bleeding heavily

All of these situations may need medical advice or help, which range from first aid at home to a primary emergency department visit. Still, none involves ambulance presence," write the researchers.

Researchers discovered those respondents who had some first aid training were more prone to identify medical emergencies correctly and suggest more extensive first aid training may support limit unwanted ambulance calls.

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