What to do in a medical emergency

Overview

In the stress of an actual emergency, having a clear mental checklist in advance helps. This article sets out the practical order of actions, so you're not trying to figure it out in the moment.

Requirements

• Applies to anyone in Spain facing or witnessing a genuine medical emergency

Step-by-step process

• Assess immediate danger — move yourself or the person away from any ongoing danger if it's safe to do so
• Call 112 immediately for anything life-threatening (severe injury, chest pain, difficulty breathing, loss of consciousness, and similar)
• Give your exact location clearly to the 112 operator, and follow any first-aid instructions they give you while help is on the way
• If the situation is urgent but not life-threatening, go to the nearest hospital's urgencias department instead of waiting for an ambulance
• Once safe, gather the person's health card, ID and any regular medications they take, if available, to bring along or share with responders

Required documents

• None needed to receive emergency treatment — but a health card, ID and list of regular medications help once things stabilise

Common mistakes

• Trying to drive an unstable patient to hospital yourself instead of calling 112 for cases where an ambulance and paramedic care en route genuinely matter
• Not knowing basic details (address, what happened) clearly enough to communicate quickly under stress — this is worth mentally preparing for in advance

Practical tips

• Save 112 and your own address (in Spanish format) somewhere quick to find on your phone
• If you or a family member has a chronic condition or allergy, consider carrying a card or phone note stating it clearly, in Spanish, for use in an emergency

How Tuchati can help

Tuchati can't replace emergency services, but afterwards can help you navigate follow-up care, paperwork, or understanding what happened.