Responding to a Medical Emergency
A colleague suddenly collapses in the office, showing signs of a heart attack. You need to assess the situation, call emergency services, and provide initial first aid until paramedics arrive.
Dialogue
Listen and follow along with the conversation
Vocabulary
Essential words and phrases from the dialogue
collapsed
Past tense of 'collapse', meaning to suddenly fall down because of illness or injury. Useful in emergencies to describe someone fainting or falling.
responding
Present participle of 'respond', meaning to react or answer. In emergencies, 'not responding' means the person is unconscious and not reacting to calls or touches.
clutching
Present participle of 'clutch', meaning to hold something tightly, often in pain. Here, it shows the person is holding their chest due to heart pain.
unconscious
Adjective describing someone who is not awake and cannot think or react. Important for medical emergencies to tell responders.
heart attack
Noun phrase for a serious medical emergency when blood flow to the heart stops, causing chest pain. Common in dialogues about sudden collapses.
shallow
Adjective meaning not deep or full. Used for breathing that is light and not strong, a sign of distress in emergencies.
gasping
Present participle of 'gasp', meaning to breathe quickly and with difficulty, often making short sounds. Describes labored breathing in crises.
loosen
Verb meaning to make something less tight. In first aid, you loosen clothing to help breathing during emergencies.
AED
Acronym for Automated External Defibrillator, a device that shocks the heart to restart it in cardiac arrests. Essential knowledge for office safety.
paramedics
Noun for trained medical workers who arrive in ambulances for emergencies. Use this when calling for professional help.
Key Sentences
Important phrases to remember and practice
Oh my god, John! Are you okay? He just collapsed!
This shows an exclamation of shock using 'Oh my god' for surprise, a question 'Are you okay?' to check on someone, and 'just' for recent action. Useful for immediate reactions in emergencies to alert others.
John? John, can you hear me? He's not responding.
Repetition of the name gets attention, followed by a yes/no question 'can you hear me?' to test consciousness. 'Not responding' uses present continuous for ongoing state. Practical for assessing if someone is awake.
Call 911, Sarah, now!
Imperative sentence commanding action with 'call' verb, direct address 'Sarah', and 'now' for urgency. In the US, 911 is the emergency number; use this pattern to urgently request help.
Tell them we have an unconscious male, possible heart attack, at the office.
Imperative 'tell them' with object clause describing the situation using commas for details. 'Possible' shows uncertainty. Useful for giving clear info to emergency services over the phone.
He is, but it's very shallow and gasping.
Short affirmative answer 'He is' to a yes/no question, contrasted with 'but' and adjectives describing breathing. Demonstrates how to report symptoms precisely during a call.
Try to loosen his tie or any tight clothing around his neck.
Imperative 'try to' suggests action politely, with infinitive 'loosen' and alternatives 'or any'. Includes prepositional phrase 'around his neck'. Key for first aid instructions in crises.
Paramedics are on their way, estimated 5-7 minutes.
Present continuous 'are on their way' for ongoing movement, with 'estimated' for approximate time using numbers. Useful to update others on help arrival time.
Keep an eye on his breathing. Don't move him unless absolutely necessary.
Imperatives for advice: 'keep an eye on' is an idiom meaning watch closely, negative 'don't move' with conditional 'unless'. Shows safety instructions while waiting for help.