Don’t feel bad, this is the reaction most people will have in a medical emergency.

As others have said, you need actionable knowledge and practice. Experienced emergency providers don’t have to think much to stabilise a patient, its all ingrained and practiced, almost like a reflex. A good team can deal with most emergencies efficiently without communication (not that they should).

Of all the interventions you could do during an emergency, heres the most important ones, find a way to practice them:

• Assess safety (this includes not touching blood with bare hands) and Call for help. Even experienced providers forget this, because noone practices this. Your first instinct should be this in any emergency. When you practice, you should always practice this step too even if you just audibly day “I check for safety and look for help”, ideally you practice yelling for help.

• Quality chest compressions, minimise downtime. Mouth to mouth is great, but not as important and not mandatory for bystanders, although it becomes more important in drowning and in younger people.

• Asphyxiation - back slaps (strong, not pats) and abdominal thrusts.

• Applying pressure to a bleeding wound. With gloves or the sole of your shoe on dressing.

• Stable side laying position - in any unconscious person without the need for any of the above. This is the one and only thing you do during epileptic seizures too. Do not shove things into unconscious peoples mouths…

• Ideally you know how to free up an airway via chin lift.

If you can practice these, you can actually save a life in an emergency.