First aid for respiratory arrest

Most people take the respiratory system for granted and only with certain medical conditions may experience regular breathing problems. Difficulty breathing is almost always a medical emergency. The exception is feeling weak from normal activities such as exercise. There are cases when a person may not be aware of his hidden diseases, then a sudden attack and respiratory arrest against the background of fear complicate the situation of self-help. In any case, it is necessary to know what the first actions are, because even if this happens to a person often, it is not known whether everything will go away by itself this time.

What is respiratory arrest?

When breathing, air enters the lungs, saturates them with oxygen and releases carbon dioxide when the exhaust air is exhaled. Blood vessels located in the lungs deliver oxygen to all cells in the body. The average human lung capacity is 4 to 6 liters. Respiratory arrest is a life-threatening condition that is only tolerated for a few minutes, if it lasts longer, vital organs begin to suffer.

As a rule, after breathing stops, the process can be resumed if it is stimulated by a rescuer who blows air into the lungs. However, the casualty’s condition can worsen, with spasm and cardiac arrest possible, and brain damage occurring only minutes after oxygen is cut off, so it is imperative that rescuers quickly and correctly resuscitate the casualty and ventilate the lungs.

First aid for respiratory arrest

First of all, you need to know the exact symptoms that indicate a stop in the respiratory process. A person who has difficulty breathing is often in a bad condition. Naturally, if he lost consciousness and fell, then something is clearly wrong with him, but still there are several symptoms that are warning signs. A timely response to them will help prevent the development of severe suffocation. The main symptoms before stopping breathing can be:

• rapid breathing;
• unable to breathe while lying down or having to take a seated position in order to breathe;
• increased feeling of anxiety;
• tired, exhausted look;
• dizziness;
• pain;
• fever;
• cough;
• nausea;
• vomiting;
• cyanosis of lips, fingers and nails;
• impaired movement of the chest;
• muffled voice or difficulty speaking;
• coughing up blood;
• fast or irregular heartbeat;
• profuse sweating;
• there may be a rash or swelling of the face, tongue, or throat.

If the person is unable to breathe, call 30 immediately. Then you need to perform rescue operations. Check airways and pulse. Loosen any tight clothing before assisting. Help the person use the prescribed medication (asthma inhaler or home oxygen). Continue to monitor your breathing and pulse until medical help arrives, if you lose consciousness and stop breathing completely, start artificial respiration. Proper artificial respiration is carried out in several steps. First, make sure the airway is clear and pinch the victim’s nose with two fingers. Take a breath and press your lips tightly against the victim’s mouth. Release the air, while his chest should rise at this moment, and then fall again, the procedure must be repeated XNUMX times until consciousness and breathing are restored.

Don’t rely on a person’s condition to be completely improved just because you no longer hear abnormal sounds such as wheezing. If you find open wounds on the victim’s neck or chest, they should be closed immediately, especially if air bubbles appear in the wound. A deep chest wound allows air to enter the chest cavity with each breath, which can lead to lung collapse. Cover the wound with a sterile or clean dressing and then with a Vaseline-coated plastic bag or gauze, leaving one corner open. This will allow trapped air to escape from the sternum, but the dressing will prevent air from entering the sternum through the wound.

Inexperienced rescuers can harm the victim with their attempts to help, so you need to know what you absolutely cannot do. It is forbidden to give a person food or drink, do not move him if there is an injury to the sternum or respiratory tract, as this will only increase blood flow and open the wound. Many inexperienced rescuers try to put the victim’s head on something soft. Doing this is strictly prohibited. Do not use a pillow under your head as this may block your airways. Wait until the person’s condition improves before getting medical help.

Causes of respiratory arrest

There are many different causes of breathing problems. Common causes include certain health conditions and sudden clinical emergencies.

Breathing problems can cause:

• anemia (low red blood cells);
• suffocation;
• chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), emphysema, or chronic bronchitis;
• heart failure;
• lung cancer or cancer that has spread to the lungs
• respiratory infections, including pneumonia, acute bronchitis, whooping cough and others;
• pericardial effusion (fluid surrounding the heart and impairing its function);
• pleural effusion (fluid surrounding the lungs and compressing them);
• a blood clot in the lungs (thromboembolism);
• a collapsed lung (pneumothorax);
• myocardial infarction;
• trauma to the neck, chest wall, or lungs;
• severe allergic reaction;
• drowning, in which fluid builds up in the lungs.

Problem prevention

Stopping breathing can be prevented, for this, first of all, you need to monitor your health. If you feel any changes in your body, you need to undergo a medical examination. Remember that even simple difficulty breathing is an indicator of illness. Consult your healthcare professional if you have a cold or other respiratory infection or are having difficulty breathing. You may have a cough that does not go away after 2 or 3 weeks, or you may be coughing up blood. In addition, it makes sense to be examined if you notice weight loss for no reason or night sweats, difficulty sleeping at night. If you get short of breath when you climb stairs (and you never did before), also tell your doctor.

Below are options you can take to help prevent breathing problems. If you have a history of severe allergic reactions, carry an epinephrine pen (a syringe filled with adrenaline) and a medical tag with you. Your health care provider will teach you how to use the epinephrine pen. If you have asthma or allergies, eliminate household allergens such as dust mites and mold. To avoid respiratory arrest, do not smoke and stay away from passive smoking areas. If you have asthma, follow and follow your allergist’s advice. Vaccinate your child against whooping cough in a timely manner – this will help prevent the disease, accompanied by respiratory arrest. Make sure you and your child are vaccinated against tetanus.

When you travel by plane, get up and walk around every few hours to avoid blood clots in your legs. As you sit down, circle around your ankle and raise and lower your limbs, toes, and knees to increase blood flow to your legs. Clots can break off and travel to the lungs. If you are driving, stop and walk regularly. If you are overweight, then you should consider losing weight, as you will most likely feel exhausted when you are overweight. You are also at greater risk of getting heart disease or a heart attack. You must carry a medical tag with you if you have a medical condition such as asthma. This will help strangers quickly find their bearings and provide you with the correct medical assistance in the event of an unexpected stoppage of breathing.

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