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Emergency Medicine & First Aid vocabulary · Emergency Assessment (ABC)

Bystander

Meaning in emergency medicine & first aid, with examples

/ˈbaɪstændər/nounCommon term

In emergency medicine & first aid, bystander means: A member of the public who happens to be present when someone collapses or is hurt, and who is not part of the emergency services.

In Turkish: olay yerindeki kişi, çevredeki kişi, tanık

How it is used

Common in resuscitation research and guidelines: bystander CPR, bystander defibrillation. Crews ask bystanders what happened or for help, and sometimes have to move them back. The 'bystander effect' describes how people in a crowd may wait for someone else to act.

Example sentences

  1. A bystander started CPR within a minute of his collapse.

  2. Can you ask the bystanders to step back and give us some room?

Common collocations

  • bystander CPR
  • bystander effect
  • witnessed by bystanders
  • bystander help
  • first aidThe help given straight away to someone who is injured or suddenly ill, before a doctor, nurse or ambulance crew arrives and takes over.
  • CPRShort for cardiopulmonary resuscitation: chest compressions, often with rescue breaths, given to someone whose heart has stopped, to keep blood and oxygen moving to the brain.
  • chain of survivalA series of linked steps that give a person in cardiac arrest the best chance of living: early call for help, early CPR, early defibrillation and good care afterwards.
  • casualtyA person who is injured or suddenly ill and needs first aid; in news reports, also a person killed or injured in an accident, disaster or war.

More terms: Emergency Assessment (ABC)

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not medical advice.