A foreign body in the respiratory tract is one of the most common he alth and life-threatening events. A bite of an apple swallowed in a hurry or a sip of water drunk on the move is enough to cause choking or choking, the tragic results of which can be brain hypoxia, coma and even death. Children, who are so eager to swallow small items while playing, need to be closely watched. How to quickly give first aid to people with blocked airways and save their lives?
A solid foreign body (food, objects) enters the respiratory tract as a result ofchoking , alternatively calledchoking , and the body liquid as a result of aspiration, similar in consequence to a flooding. Regardless of whether a foreign body has entered the respiratory tract of an adult or a child, we are always dealing with a situation of a direct threat to life. And in such a case, whether the victim survives this event depends on the quick reaction of the people who accompany him.
Contents:
- Foreign body in the respiratory tract - symptoms
- Foreign body in the respiratory tract - how to help an adult?
- Foreign body in the respiratory tract - how to help a child?
- Foreign body in the respiratory tract - how to help yourself?
Foreign body in the respiratory tract - symptoms
Choking happens suddenly. To block the respiratory tract, one bite of food that is quickly chewed and swallowed is enough, or in the case of children - for example, a small battery that the baby puts in his mouth to get to know its taste.Airway obstruction due to chokingis divided into two types:partial (mild)andtotal (severe).
In case of mild choking, the airways are partially open and the victim can breathe independently. Her natural defense reflex is then to cough, which helps to unblock the esophagus and allow air to flow to the lungs. The more the victim coughs, the greater the chances of expelling a foreign body from the respiratory tract. However, this is not always an effective method.
In severe obstruction, the airway is completely blocked. Air cannot pass through them. A symptom of this is wheezing that stops quickly and then comes onbruising (cyanosis) around the mouth, on the ear lobes and even the fingertips and the patient loses consciousness.
In both episodes of choking, help should be given as soon as possible to limit the effects of hypoxia. What to do?
Foreign body in the respiratory tract - how to help an adult?
1.Remove larger pieces of foreign body from the victim's mouth . Do not wipe the inside of the mouth of the injured person with paper or a napkin, as this can block the respiratory tract even more!
2. When a symptom of choking is coughing,encourage him to continue coughing . Don't do anything else.
3. If the airway is completely blocked without coughing, but the victim is conscious, stand behind him, place one hand under his breastbone and bend him forward slightly. Then 5 timesstrike it vigorously between the shoulder blades with your boat . After each impact, check that the foreign body has not been removed. When that doesn't work, go for atreatment called Heimlich's . Stand behind the injured person and put your arms around him at the upper abdominal level and then bend him forward. Now make a fist and place it between your navel and the lower end of your breastbone. With your free hand, clasp your clenched fist and forcefully pull both hands in and up. Repeat this action 5 times. The sudden pressure will force the air out of the lungs, and the remaining bite with it. Warning! Anyone with a Heimlich maneuver should see a doctor afterwards. You have to tell about the incident and ask to see if the ribs were damaged, e.g. a broken or fractured rib, during saving life.
If a pregnant woman or a person suffering from obesity suffers choking, first aid should be limited to strokes between the shoulder blades and chest compressions in the area that is compressed during resuscitation.
Foreign body in the respiratory tract - how to help a child?
1.Children under one year of age , they usually react reflexively with coughing to choking. If the child does not cough or the cough does not restore calm breathing, i.e. it is ineffective, the child will not cough up the object lying in the respiratory tract. In this case, place the baby on your forearm with the head facing down. Grasp the child's lower jaw with the thumb and forefinger and with the other hand (preferably the wrist) strike vigorously 5 times between the shoulder blades. After each impact, check that the foreign body has been removed. If that didn't help, place the baby on his back on your forearm. Point your head downwards, but support it with your hand. With the other hand, feel the end of the sternum, move the fingers(index and middle finger) one finger wide up. Compress the lower part of the sternum 5 times - with more energy, but at greater intervals (e.g. count up to five between compressions). After giving the 5th chest compressions, move the baby over and strike 5 times between the shoulder blades.
2.Older childrenwhen choking, they try to cough up food or a small toy remaining in the respiratory tract. If your child is coughing, encourage them to keep doing it. When closing the airway, proceed as for adults - run your hand under the breastbone, lean the child forward and vigorously hit 5 times between the shoulder blades. When there is no expected effect - stand behind the baby, bend him forward, place the curled fist between the navel and the end of the sternum (xiphoid process), put the other hand on the fists and jerk it in and up 5 times vigorously. Then go back to the blows between the shoulder blades.
Remember!If yourhelp is unsuccessful, get an ambulance card ! Should a choked child or adultbecome unconscious , you must beginCPR, or CPR .
Foreign body in the respiratory tract - how to help yourself?
Sometimes choking occurs when we are alone at home. Then we have to save ourselves. Our determination will determine life. Fortunately, there is a self-help technique in these situations. What to do? Stand on all fours, curl your hands into fists and rest them on the floor. This is important for the next maneuver you must perform. Now count to three. For "three", raise your arms sharply to your sides or in front of you. Thanks to this, you will fall on your stomach with all the weight of your body. Air that is suddenly pushed out of the lungs should push the foreign body out of the airway, or at least move it towards the mouth. Then it will be easier to cough it up.
About the author
Anna Jarosz A journalist who has been involved in popularizing he alth education for over 40 years. Winner of many competitions for journalists dealing with medicine and he alth. She received, among others The "Golden OTIS" Trust Award in the "Media and He alth" category, St. Kamil awarded on the occasion of the World Day of the Sick, twice the "Crystal Pen" in the national competition for journalists promoting he alth, and many awards and distinctions in competitions for the "Medical Journalist of the Year" organized by the Polish Association of Journalists for He alth.
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