Calling an ambulance for excessive drinking and falling down the stairs?

[LaChatte]

AIBU in thinking if you find someone you know at the bottom of a flight of stairs, conscious but pretty much incoherent and extremely drunk, and that they tell you they fell down the stairs, you phone for an ambulance, bearing in mind you don't know if they lost consciousness or not, and that if they vomit it might be because of the alcohol.

I probably would call an ambulance but would also worry I was wasting the ambulances time.

I would, yes. But people are aware that A&E are over stretched and its self inflicted so many wouldn't.
What happened OP?

Yes phone an ambulance in those circumstances. Being drunk doesn't preclude serious injury. In fact a drunk person might feel less pain from an injury, sickness may be due to alcohol or it may be due to injury. The person would need to be medically assessed.

No, i wouldn't necessarily call an ambulance. I might, but not necessarily.

Not sure I would necessarily call for an ambulance but I agree I would seek medical attention and possibly take to hospital myself. Depends though.

I'd call an ambulance for anyone that fell down the stairs. Being drunk doesn't mean that someone hasn't suffered a serious injury. In fact, being drunk tends to produce the sort of reactions that mask serious injury.

I guess if I waited with the accident prone incoherent drunk for a while they might become less incoherent?

If the drunk had clearly only grazed a knee falling down some stairs then I wouldn't call an ambulance. But the drunk might need to be a little coherent to explain his injuries.

I would call an ambulance. What's the alternative? That they have sustained an injury that could be life threatening? Doesn't matter if they were drunk when they did it, they need to be checked over.

So yes I would phone an ambulance and would let them assess

Of course being drunk doesn't preclude someone from sustaining a serious injury. But falling down the stairs would not always require a 99 call imo.
So i wouldn't not call an ambulance just because they were drunk. But they might not need emergency treatment either.

If you suspect injuries (such as breaks or spinal damage or head injury) or are unsure if there was loss of consciousness (which may suggest a head injury) it is best to get them checked by a Dr. However whether you ring 999 depends on whether they seem able to get up easily on their own without doing themselves any further injury ( for example I fell down the stairs - not drunk honest- and was able to get up and hobble to the car so DH drove me to A&E with a suspected broken foot and wrist).
If you are very worried by their condition though 999 is the way to go. If there is a serious risk of spinal and head injuries you should not mess about with it.

I would because I wouldn't know if they'd lost consciousness or injured themselves seriously as the affect of the alcohol could be masking all sorts of injuries.

However at the back of my mind I'd be concerned that I'd be wasting the ambulances and A&E's time.

If it turned out we had wasted their time I'd (depending on the person and circumstances) probably be a bit pissed off at the person for being drunk etc

I have fallen down the stairs several times. (Clumsy)
Never drunk. But never needed to call 999 either.

Falling down the stairs is not a reason for calling an ambulance, unless that person is significantly hurt. I broke my thumb falling down the stairs and completely sober! I walked to the hospital, got my thumb x rayed and bandaged up. I did not need an ambulance.

I think you have to decide if the person is in a life threatening situation or not. Is it likely the person has a spinal injury? Otherwise I would put them into the recovery position and make them as comfortable as possible. It is relatively safe to vomit in the recovery position.

Falling down the stairs covers a wide range of events from falling the length of a staircase to slipping down the last couple of stairs. Carpeted stairs might be less injurious than concrete or stone ones. So I think the context matters.

I think I would. You don't necessarily know if they are drunk or in a Hypoglicaemic state.

Even if they are drunk, if they've fallen down the stairs then they could have sustained a number of injuries.
Better safe than sorry.

Thursday evening DS's DDad fell down the stairs because he was drunk. His XP found him, dragged him onto the sofa, changed his clothes as he had wet himself, put another log on the fire and left him sitting there. She came back the next morning and found him sitting in the same position, stone dead. I'm trying so hard to not hate her for not calling an ambulance, she was just so used to seeing him totally drunk that it didn't occur to her that a fall down a full flight of stairs was potentially fatal.

Calling for an ambulance doesn't mean that one will immediately be dispatched. I'd call and let the 999handler prioritise the call, its what they are there for. If the situation should deteriorate your drunk is already on their system and they will respond as appropriate.

If you can't rule out a head injury then I might, yes. Manhandling into a car in that state could be impossible. Otoh, being that drunk means you fall limply and so tend not to hurt yourself the same way as if you were sober and had been able to try to brace yourself.

That's horrible op, really sorry to hear that.

What I would ask is, at this point you won't know the cause of death, do you? So it might not by anything to do with the fall.

Oh my goodness that's awful

I am sorry that this has happened. It is utterly tragic.

LaChatte I am sorry that your son has lost his father.

Just seen your update. He may have choked. Do you not know the cause of death yet? So sorry.

I'm an A&E nurse. Definitely call an ambulance.