Emergency situations can happen anywhere and anytime, so you should always be alert when you encounter one. Two common emergency scenarios that you may come across are when someone has difficulty in breathing or is suffering from a heart attack. There are two first emergency response procedures that can help save someone’s life if they are having trouble breathing.
CPR
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation or CPR is one of the most important first aid emergency techniques that you must know how to perform. It is a life-saving procedure that can help someone who is suffering from a cardiac or breathing emergency. The American Red Cross explains a few steps in administering CPR:
- Secure the location to check the overall scenario, then approach and ask the person if he/she is okay and is in need of assistance.
- Call your local emergency number or ask a bystander to make the call for you.
- Gently roll over the person if they are lying on their belly. Open the airway while the person is lying on his or her back. You can do this by tilting the head back slightly lifting the chin.
- Check if the person involved is breathing. Do this for 10 seconds. Immediately start CPR if there are no signs of normal breathing.
- Place your hand on top of each other, then put force into compressing the middle of the chest. You should be able to administer compressions that are at least 2 inches deep at 100 compressions per minute.
- After giving compressions, give rescue breaths by pinching the nose shut and placing your mouth over the person’s mouth to form a complete seal. You should aim to deliver two rescue breaths in between continuous chest compressions. The chest should rise with your initial rescue breath. Re-tilt the chin if this does not happen. If unsuccessful, observe for any signs of choking and try to clear the obstruction.
- Continue the given steps until rescue arrives.
Not everyone is equipped with the right knowledge to properly perform CPR in emergency cases. The Philippine Heart Association offers basic and advanced life support certification courses for professionals who want to sharpen their skills. As for laypeople, American Heart Association recommends that you perform hands-only CPR if you are either untrained or have not done CPR in a while. You can watch a short video about this here.
Choking
Mayo Clinic describes choking as a blockage in a person’s throat or windpipe. This usually occurs when a foreign object is blocking your airway and can lead to low levels of oxygen to the brain. Children in particular are quite prone to choking due to swallowing small objects or large cuts of food. This is considered as a medical emergency that can be reversed by performing the following:
- Back blows – bend the person over so the upper body portion is parallel to the ground. Give five secure back blows while securing the person’s chest.
- Heimlich maneuver – make a fist with one hand and wrap your arms around the person’s abdomen, just slightly above the person’s navel. Press hard with a quick upward thrust and perform between 6 to 10 abdominal thrusts. You can watch a simple instructional video here and view a few illustrations of the technique here.
While first aid is not always taught in school, it is best to also explore opportunities to learn the basics. Enroll in free courses or join seminars so you can help give someone a second chance today. The Philippine Red Cross offers a variety of trainings on first aid procedures and other basic life support courses.
General disclaimer
Your doctor will always be in the best position to give the appropriate medical advice for your condition. For suspected undesirable drug reaction, seek medical attention immediately and report to the FDA at www.fda.gov.ph and UNILAB, Inc. at 8-UNILAB-1 or productsafety@unilab.com.ph. Always buy your medicine from your trusted drugstores and retailers.
Sources:
https://cpr.heart.org/en/resources/what-is-cpr
https://www.mayoclinic.org/first-aid/first-aid-cpr/basics/art-20056600
https://www.mayoclinic.org/first-aid/first-aid-choking/basics/art-20056637
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/choking-and-the-heimlich-maneuver
