Be ready for a medical emergency in France

Could you get caught out and lose valuable time in a medical emergency? Are you prepared for that moment?

It’s so easy to predict that each day will be as healthy as yesterday, and overlook some simple actions that could save your life or someone else’s. That’s why today, you will be discovering:

• The simplest of actions to be ready for a medical emergency in France
• Some vital questions you could be asked by the medics
• Where you can get speaking practice in French to support your learning and confidence in spontaneous situations. 

Let’s start!

What’s the emergency number in France?

If there’s a number you should memorise, it’s 15. This number allows you to be attended by firemen who can handle medical emergency in France.

They will arrive as soon as possible and know what to do to save the victim(s). However, there are things you can do in order to give them some crucial data or simply if you are sick. Check out the following tips:

What to take if you have a fever.

Avoid any emergency and do your best with simple precautions. For instance, should you have a fever, you can lower it by taking some tablets such as Doliprane. It removes your pain and works against the fever.

It's always good to have some Doliprane to hand.

By the way, if you want to express some pain or the exact position where it hurts, have a look at this article:

How to say you are sick when in France

An essential tool to have to check your health.

Something else you should have with you is a thermometer. This tools will confirm if you have a fever or not. In addition, knowing your temperature is a sure way to check if you are sick or not. Based on this data, you will know what to do…

By the way, you will help the SAMU (firemen trained for medical urgencies) immensely by providing this data as well.

Never forget to have this number in your phone.

Apart from the 15 number you should have in your phone, don’t forget your ICE (contact number in case of emergency).

Who is it? A family member? A neighbour? A friend?

Let’s review some vocabulary together of people who may be your next of kin.

• mon père >>> my father
• ma mère >>> my mother

• mon frère >>> my brother

• ma soeur >>> my sister

• mon oncle >>> my uncle

• ma tante >>> my aunt

• mon grand-père >>> my grand-father

• ma grand-mère >>> my grand-mother

• mon /ma cousin(e) >>> my cousin

• mon beau-père >>> my father-in-law
• ma belle-mère >>> my mother-in-law

• mon beau-frère >>> my brother-in-law

• ma belle-soeur >>> my sister-in-law

• un(e) ami(e) >>> a friend

• un(e) voisin(e) >>> a neighbour

A tool everyone should have at home.

We already mentioned the thermometer. Still, investing in a blood pressure monitor really is worth it. Not only can you verify your blood pressure for your personal use but you can also save someone’s life.

In a case of emergency, you would be able to give precious data to the SAMU!

Are you ready to understand the instructions on the phone?

So far, you've grabbed a few tips about medical emergencies. Now, as far as your French is concerned, you should be ready to understand things under pressure.

Indeed, you may be put through to an answering machine before speaking directly to an operator.

Therefore, there are common instructions you should know when listening to a machine.

You would usually speak with an operator. However, if there are too many calls at the same time, you may hear prerecorded instructions. In that case, you have to be prepared.

Here are some examples:

• Pour une urgence vitale, composez dièse (#) >>> For a vital emergency, dial hash
• Si vous êtes un professionnel  de santé ou si votre appel concerne une pharmacie de garde, faîtes étoile (*) >>> If you are a health professional or if your call is for a pharmacy on duty, dial star
• Sinon, préparez-vous à nous donner votre nom, l’adresse et le motif de votre appel >>> If not, be ready to give us your name, address and reason of your call

• Nous vous rappelons que toutes les communications sont enregistrées >>> As a reminder, all the communications are recorded

• Restez en ligne s’il vous plaît >>> Hold on the line please

• Vous allez être transféré à… >>> You will be put through…

• …le médecin du SAMU  >>> …the SAMU doctor

• Ne raccrochez pas >>> Don’t hang up

The sentences in French to know in case of emergencies.

Let’s imagine that you are lucky and speak directly to the operator or even a nurse or doctor. Apart from the basic questions about your name, address and reason of your call, you can expect many technical / medical questions.

It is pretty important for you to understand each of the following medical questions:

1. Quelle est sa tension artérielle ? >>> What’s his / her arterial blood pressure?
2. Il / elle respire facilement ?  >>> Can s/he breathe easily?
3. Quel est son pouls (pou) ? >>> What’s his / her pulse?
4. A-t-il / elle du diabète ? >>> Does s/he have diabetes?
5. A-t-il / elle des allergies ? >>> Does s/he have allergies?
6. Est-il / elle épileptique ? >>> Is s/he have epileptic?
7. Pensez-vous que ça pourrait être une réaction allergique ? >>> Do you think it could be an allergic reaction?
8. A-t-il / elle déjà pris des médicaments ? >>> Did s/he have already taken any medicine?
9. A-t-il / elle une pathologie médicale existante ? >>> Does s/he have an existing pathology?
10.  Semble-t-il / elle en souffrance ? >>> Does s/he seem to be in pain?

What to do to document the patient situation.

Your answers when describing the patient(s) will certainly help a lot. In addition, you could do an extra step and record a short video to document the situation.

Be sure to focus on the following details:

• the skin colour
• the breathing
• any medications taken
• any body part injured…

Remember that all details matter and can save a life.

What to do while waiting for the ambulance.

Bravo! You managed to answer all the medical questions in a highly stressful situation. Now, you must gather more courage during the waiting time.

Expect like an average of 45 minutes before the SAMU arrives.

In the meantime, you need to keep the patient(s) comfortable.

By the way, avoid moving the person if they are not in a dangerous position. You could place the person in the recovery position (on the side) which is “la position latérale de sécurité” in French.

Of course, we are all stressed and react in a different way in a case of emergency. The more prepared you are, the better. You know that any accident can happen, so you’d better be ready for it, especially if it happens in a French-speaking country.

Should it happen when you are with me during an immersive homestay, I know what to do and will take care of you.

If there’s something specific you would like to know regarding a medical situation, feel free to get in touch! I always love to help.