Emergency protocols questioned after elderly individual revived in Helsinki incident

A situation recently came to light involving a person over the age of 70 who experienced seizures and fainted. A group nearby placed the individual on their back and raised their legs; however, these actions were ineffective. The person had no detectable pulse. Bystanders initiated resuscitation efforts, and after two strong compressions, the patient regained consciousness. One of the helpers called the emergency number during the incident. As the patient revived, the emergency dispatcher spoke with them and determined that an ambulance was unnecessary. This decision sparked confusion among the group of several dozen individuals present, with a general consensus that the patient’s health status should have been verified.

Ari Ekstrand, Sector Director at the Emergency Response Center, noted that new national guidelines for handling emergency calls were implemented in November of last year. The updated protocol has defined more situations where an ambulance does not need to be dispatched, adding a fifth option focused on advisory roles alongside four urgency categories. Ekstrand emphasized that the primary goal remains providing the best possible assistance in emergencies as quickly as possible.

He acknowledged the shift in perspective, stating, “Resources no longer allow for traditional overestimation of risk.” Although risks are acknowledged, there is a pressing need for tools to monitor these situations effectively. The individual in this instance was largely unaware of the events and considered other people’s reactions exaggerated. Ekstrand indicated that trained emergency dispatchers can assess patients even over the phone, but minimizing overreaction could lead to underreaction. He admits that this risk exists, though he believes underreactions have not increased significantly; rather, the number of unnecessary dispatches has noticeably declined. Emergency medical services have reported improved operations due to reduced workload.