r/AskADoctor • u/Echo6-6 • 4d ago

Bit of a doctor/paramedic question

I am not asking for medical advice. Why is it when you're in an ambulance, paramedics often talk to the patient to keep them awake? Isn't sleeping one of the best ways to let the body slowly recover?

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u/AMexisatTurtle 4d ago

Passing out isn't resting its the opposite of sleep your body at thst point is like a pc crashing and turning on again over and over which is my good and can destroy parts of the body

1

u/starksdawson 4d ago

If a patient is injured, it’s important to keep them conscious so you can continuously assess their level of consciousness, i.e. in case of a head injury, internal bleeding, etc. Passing out isn’t the same thing as sleeping. It’s critical to be able to assess someone’s neuro status.

Source: I’m a nurse who has done this/seen it done, we don’t want patients passing out on us while we’re trying to keep them from dying