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WHEN
THE AIR WAY IS CHOCKED
When
the upper air way blocks partially or completely due to foreign materials like
a piece of meat, or any other piece of material that blocks the free
passage of air in to our lung, then the golden minutes counts for our
chance of survival. The absence of air passage to our lung due to the complete blockage
of the air way passage for more than three minutes will
result to a fatal brain damage that
consequently leads to heart stop and then
death.
 CAN WE
HELP? YES!
If the
individual is having a trouble in breathing due to some thing in the
throat:
Talk to him to cough several times until he coughs out
what is blocking his air way but if he is not able to cough or breathe
then follow the next procedure.
- As
illustrated in the picture, give five hard quick blow between the
shoulder which will exert a pressure to the air way so that foreign
body or a piece of meat will be pressed
out of the air passage.
OR
- Grasp the individual around his body as illustrated in
the picture below and give a
 pressure of 4-5 times to the
upper part of the stomach or around the diaphragm ( the musculo
membranous wall separating abdomen from thoracic cavity ) this method too
will exert a pressure to the air way and consequently may push out
the foreign body out of the air
passage. THE HEIMLICH MANOEUVER
.
Suppose
the individual is still unable to breath due to continuous air way
blockage and is becoming unconscious.
Then we have to start immediately CPR
(CARDIOPULMONARY RESUSCITATION),
which is a basic life support.
START:
30 heart or chest compression and then
2 mouth to mouth air breathing
By doing the basic life support and the compression of
the chest 30 times for every 2 mouth to mouth air breath (100 heart
compression per minute) the chest will acquire a momentum of pressure
that will exert extra pressure to the air way and consequently will push
out the foreign body out of the air way passage.
Continue
the CPR until the individual comes back to his conscious, wakes up and
able to breathe by him self and until you get more advance medical help if
necessary.
BASIC LIFE SUPPORT FOR CHOKING
OF
A BABY UNDER ONE YEAR
1)
Open the mouth for free air way, check if the child is
breathing, check if any removable foreign body in the mouth.
2)
If the child is not breathing and is not able to remove the choking
material from the throat,
as
illustrated
by
the picture below, lift up the child with your left hand
facing the child down word.
-
Give a hard blow on the back
( such pressure must be proportional to the size of the baby ) 5
times between the shoulder until you observe a piece of food or any
foreign body which is
blocking the air way is out of the mouth. If it does not work,
3) Turn the baby round and let lie on the flour and give a
quick five times pressure
on the chest or between the breast nipples with
your two fingers.
or
If all attempts are not working and the child is not
breathing and unconscious then call emergency medical help and in the mean
time start immediately CPR.
Life support or CPR to children under one year for non
medical professionals:
1) Give 5 times mouth to mouth air breath and observe as
the chest rises up as you blow in air to the lung. NB. Mouth to mouth air
breathing and chest compression to children must be proportional to
the
weight and the size of the body so that we don’t make things worse or
damage.
There is a
big challenge to Oromo medical professionals to train Oromo public the
skill of CPR).
2) Using your two fingers start 30 chest compression
between the breast nipples and then continue the procedure 30 chest
compression and two mouth to mouth air breath until you get the foreign
body out of the air way or until the child wakes up or becomes conscious
and until you get advanced medical help.
(Basic Life support or CPR to children under one year
for medical professionals with acute medicine training is 15 chest
compression and two mouth to mouth air breathing). 15:2 ratios)
THE PROCEDURE OF BASIC LIFE SUPPORT OR CPR TO CHILDREN
ABOVE ONE YEAR IS THE SAME AS THAT
FOR ADULTS.
DROWNING ACCIDENT:
In connection with
drowning
accident,
the principle of CPR is the same as informed previously.
If an individual is not able to reply your call and is not able to
breath then turn him to recovery position where he or she could be able to
cough water out of the lung. If your first attempt is not working, no sign of
breathing and unconscious then it is the right time to start CPR.
Follow the procedure CRP
until the individual is able to breath, recover from his consciousness and
eventually wake up.
The procedure of CPR must continue if the individual is
not back to life and until you get advance medical help.
NB. The survival of drowning case depends upon the
duration submersion. The longer the individual has been under the water,
the less chance of survival. Any
way what ever the circumstances are, we have to just start CPR until you
get medical help.
LITERATURE REFERENCE:
-Scand J trauma Rescusc Emerg Med. 2006
-Emergency medicine by Chris Moulton and David Yates.
Second edition.
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