Breathing Emergencies & How to Help

Breathing Emergencies or Respiratory Distress as known by many health care providers refers to a person who can’t breath properly, is having difficulty breathing or has stopped breathing “Respiratory Arrest“. Each of these breathing emergencies pose a potential threat to a persons life as once oxygen has been cut off from the brain, brain cells begin to deteriorate. On average brain cells will begin to degrade within 4-6 minutes, in essence “Don’t Waist Time” with Breathing Emergencies.

Common Causes of Breathing Difficulty:

• -Hyperventilation
• -Asthma
• -Allergic Reactions or even Anaphylaxis
• -Chest Injuries
• -Anxiety or Distress

Some common causes of Hyperventilation the upset of oxygen and carbon dioxide within the body are : Excitement, fear or anxiety, Asthma, Head / Brain injuries, exercise, severe bleeding, injury / intense pain, medical conditions & illness

What to watch for:

• – Rapid shallow breaths
• – A suffocating feeling like they are not getting enough air
• – Fear or anxiety & confusion
• – Numbness, dizziness tingling in the fingers or toes

How to Help:

1. 1) Make sure the area is safe for you to help the victim “Protect Yourself!!!” If safe to do so check the victim.
2. 2) “Call 911!!!” or have someone like a bystander assist and Call 911 for you if there are injuries or potential underlying medical conditions while you provide care.
3. 3) “Don’t Waste Time!!!” Help the victim to relax in a position of comfort and breathe slowly, assist with medications if they have their own for this specific reason. Treat the cause of the breathing emergency if it is known, often hyperventilation can be slowed or stopped by simply offering comfort, warmth and reassurance.
4. 4) Double check and perform a secondary survey while waiting for medical aid and treat any non life threatening conditions.

• *) If you are Alone and the victim becomes unconscious or the hyperventilation does not stop Call 911 yourself, get an AED if possible and then return to provide care while awaiting medical aid.

Preventing Breathing Emergencies:

Some people tend to hyperventilate with anxiety, panic disorders, stress or fatigue due to exertion. To help with these try to practice breathing exercise or relaxation techniques to help slow your breathing rate as well as relax your mind. Remember once a person has breathing trouble panic is a natural response which will increase their breathing rate. Victims with Asthma can usually breath “ IN ” but have trouble breathing “ OUT “.

We never know what can happen, its always good to be prepared and have the knowledge we need to help those who need it.

“This material is for information purposes only and is taken from The Canadian Red Cross / Alberta Heart & Stroke Foundation & Alberta Health Services. This information should not be used in place of medical, Technical advice, instructor, and/or treatment. If you have questions, speak to your local Physician or Safety Training Facility.”

Just Remember:

• Protect Yourself!!! Call 911!!! Don’t Waste Time!!!

Learn First Aid Today & Save a Life Tomorrow with Saving Grace Medical Academy Ltd.

Choking, Larger or Pregnant Victim what to look for & How to help:

As we have mentioned in our previous posts Choking is an emergency that can affect anyone of any age, size or gender. For this post we will focus on those with unique situations like being pregnant, beings seated or just being a larger person. These special scenario’s are designed to help you gain extra knowledge to aid a variety of victims of any nature.

The most common causes of chocking include trying to swallow large pieces of food, eating while talking, walking or playing, being under the influence of an intoxicant or elicit substance while eating.

What to look for:

• -Inability to speak, cough or breath
• -Change in face color like bluish, red, or paler than normal
• -Look of panic with wide eyes “Fear“
• -One or both hands clutching the throat or flailing
• -High pitch whistle or noise when they attempt to breath or cough
• -They may suddenly attempt to rush to the restroom

For the Pregnant or Larger Person:

As mentioned in the Post “Choking, What to look for & How to Help” perform your 5 FIRM BACK BLOWS but instead of giving abdominal J thrusts perform 5 CHEST THRUSTS. Alternate between your 5 FIRM BACK BLOWS & 5 FIRM CHEST THRUSTS until the object comes free or the person begins to breath, cough or becomes unconscious.

To Perform the Chest Thrusts:

1. 1) Stand behind the victim and wrap both arms around the person’s chest under the armpits.
2. 2) Make a fist and place the thumb side of your fist in the center of the victims chest “Above the bosoms“
3. 3) Place your other hand over your first and pull back towards you sharply 5 Times.
4. 4) Continue until the object comes free or the victim becomes unconscious, if the victim becomes unconscious call 911 & Begin CPR 30 Chest Compression 2 Breaths watching for the object to come free. If you can see the object remove it, never perform a blind finger sweep!

For the Seated Victim:

• -For the person in a wheelchair “Lock the wheels in position“

1. 1) Kneel or crouch behind the victim
2. 2) wrap your arms around the victim placing a fist “Thumb side in” against the abdomen just above the belly button.
3. 3) Grip your fist with your other hand and pull sharply in and up in a “ J ” like motion 5 times.
4. 4) Move your fist to the center of the victims chest and grip your first with your other hand pulling sharply in 5 times
5. 5) Alternate your 5 Abdominal ” J ” Thrusts & 5 Chest Thrusts until the object comes free or the victim becomes unconscious.

We never know what can happen, its always good to be prepared and have the knowledge we need to help those who need it.

“This material is for information purposes only and is taken from The Canadian Red Cross / Alberta Heart & Stroke Foundation & Alberta Health Services. This information should not be used in place of medical, Technical advice, instructor, and/or treatment. If you have questions, speak to your local Physician or Safety Training Facility.”

Just Remember:

Protect Yourself!!! Call 911!!! Don’t Waste Time!!!

Learn First Aid Today & Save a Life Tomorrow with Saving Grace Medical Academy Ltd.

Choking Infants, What to Look For & How to Help:

For many new parents choking can be one of the potentially biggest threats to a life of their newborn or infant. It can happen so fast and can be caused by just about anything as little ones seem to have a knack for putting just about everything into their mouth. Many Doctors will refer new parents to take a First Aid course prior to the arrival of their newest Minion to help prepare and arm them with the best techniques and knowledge in case of emergencies.

Age Groups can be tricky so we have the following break down, infants are from the age of 0-1 or when they begin to wear toddler size pants and are ambulatory, Children are from 1 to pubescence or 8 years old, anyone with signs of pubescence on is classified as an Adult. For this Post we will focus on Infants or Babies age 0 to 1.

Recognize Chocking in Infants:

Infants just like all age groups have a way to communicate and their basic language once you figure it out can be invaluable to any parent. All infants are equipped with the same “Body Language” which gives us as parents or guardians an edge on how to communicate with any infant. “Pooping Face is Pooping Face” no matter where your place of birth is, just like Choking face is Choking Face. Babies or Infants all have relatively the same reaction to Choking and the signs are easy to spot once you’ve seen them and been informed about them.

• -The Baby will stiffen their arms either up above their head or straight out clenching their fist or have open palms
• -The Baby will lean forward
• –The Baby will attempt to clear their own airway with a strained “cough” sound
• -If the Babies airway is completely blocked no sound will be heard and rapid face color change may occur then unconsciousness.

For the Conscious Choking Baby “Don’t Waste Time“

1. 1) Crouch down & Sandwich the baby between your forearms supporting the head
2. 2) Turn the Baby face down with the head lower than the body “Draw them in close to your body like a clutch or football“
3. 3) Lower your forearm with the baby onto your thigh so the head is lower than the feet and the infants back is facing you.
4. 4) Deliver 5 FIRM BACK BLOWS between the shoulder blades to dislodge the object.
5. 5) If the object has not been dislodged, while supporting the head roll/turn the baby face up with your supporting arm on your thigh.
6. 6) Place 2 fingers on the middle of the chest just below the nipple line and “Push hard, Push Fast” about 1/3rd the depth of the chest delivering 5 FIRM CHEST THRUSTS.
7. 7) Repeat the 5 FIRM BACK BLOWS & 5 FIRM CHEST THRUSTS until the object comes free or the infant becomes unconscious.

If the Baby becomes unconscious place them on a firm flat surface “Floor” and begin CPR immediately! 30 Compression 2 breaths, the object may come free once CPR has began. If you can see the object Never attempt to Grab it between your fingers & never perform a “Blind Finger Sweep” you only want to sweep for an object if you can see it.

To Perform a Finger Sweep:

1) Using your Pinkie Finger “Hook” your finger into their mouth using their cheek as a guide to slip your finger between the cheek and gums to the back of the throat behind the object.

2) “Roll” your wrist so that your pinkie finger is positioned under the object.

3) “Flick” the object free

• -HOOK / ROLL / FLICK & BE QUICK That is the Pinkie Trick.

We never know what can happen, its always good to be prepared and have the knowledge we need to help those who need it.

“This material is for information purposes only and is taken from The Canadian Red Cross / Alberta Heart & Stroke Foundation & Alberta Health Services. This information should not be used in place of medical, Technical advice, instructor, and/or treatment. If you have questions, speak to your local Physician or Safety Training Facility.”

Just Remember:

Protect Yourself!!! Call 911!!! Don’t Waste Time!!!

Learn First Aid Today & Save a Life Tomorrow with Saving Grace Medical Academy Ltd.