How to save People from Bad Condition of Health
What to do if a person feels bad: a tactic that will save a life
Table of Contents
Fainting
Natalya Polenova, PhD, family doctor, internist and cardiologist at GMS Clinic
If a person is unconscious, but cardiac and respiratory activity is preserved, the algorithm of actions is as follows.
- Help him take a horizontal position with his legs up.
- Loosen any tight clothing (tie, tight belt or scarf, etc.).
- Gently place a small piece of cotton wool or gauze soaked in ammonia to your nostrils.
- If a young and healthy person has passed out due to exercise and/or dietary restrictions, it is likely that the blood sugar level is low. A piece of sugar under the tongue will quickly have a positive effect.
- In the absence of cardiac activity, cardiopulmonary resuscitation should be started. This is necessary to keep the brain working until help is provided by the medical team.
Heart attack
Natalia Polenova, PhD, family doctor, internist and cardiologist at GMS Clinic
First, you need to understand what counts as a heart attack. If we are talking about chest pain, then dangerous signals that require immediate medical attention are:
- paroxysmal pain syndrome (sudden onset during exercise and relief at rest);
- the presence of risk factors such as older age, obesity, smoking, high blood pressure, heart attacks in relatives;
- a combination of chest pain with dizziness, increasing shortness of breath, loss of consciousness, fear of death, movement disorders, changes in facial expressions.
If any of the above occurs, then the first thing to do is call an ambulance. Before the arrival of doctors, it is necessary to help the person take a comfortable position, stop all physical activity, provide oxygen access (loosen the tie and belt). If after five minutes the pain has not gone away, you can take nitroglycerin under the tongue.
Man choked
Evgenia Kholoptseva, GMS Express family doctor says
First, slapping the victim on the back is a mistake. The person needs to be tilted forward so that the foreign body, under the force of gravity, does not descend down the respiratory tract, but moves into the oral cavity. If coughing in an inclined position does not help, it is necessary to apply several blows between the shoulder blades along a tangent trajectory towards the head.
If five or six blows had no effect, and the victim is agitated, his face is frightened, his lips turn blue, he cannot speak, he tries to attract attention with his hands, pointing to his throat or back, we are dealing with a foreign body in the airways.
In this case, you should immediately proceed to the Heimlich maneuver. Go behind the back of the victim, wrap your arms around him. Place the fist of the non-working hand on the stomach exactly in the middle, the thumb of the hand folded into a fist should be facing the abdominal wall. Place the palm of the working hand on top, firmly press the torso against the back of the victim. Only by bending your elbows, perform pressure movements in the epigastric region. They must be sharp in order to create increased pressure that will push the foreign body out of the airways. Do five pushes.
If that doesn’t help, call an ambulance immediately and get ready to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
What to do if the victim cannot be wrapped around with his hands? Find a stable vertical surface and position the victim, leaning him against a wall, for example. If there is no such surface nearby, then put it on the ground. Take the position of the hands already familiar to you and perform sharp pressure.
Panic attack
Elena Fiveyskaya, leading specialist, psychologist and coach at GMS Clinic , tells
Talk to the person. Confidently and calmly explain that this is a panic attack and will soon pass. It is important to remain calm and stable yourself.
Offer to breathe together, take your hand, pat your body, hug, put your hand on your shoulder. Ask simple questions: what is your name, where are you, what did you eat for breakfast – the simpler the better. So a person will again feel capable of some kind of action and will gain support.
It is important to broadcast your positive attitude towards the person at this moment: everything is fine, I will be with you as long as it takes for you to come to your senses.
Stroke
Sergey Makarov, neurologist and otoneurologist at GMS Clinic , tells
In most cases, the transportation of patients is carried out by an ambulance team. It is advisable that a person with a stroke be taken to the hospital as soon as possible – within three hours of the onset of the first symptoms.
Call an ambulance, provide brief information about the patient, leave your contacts for communication. Help the patient to take a safe position: it is better to lie on his side, slightly raising his head. Do not allow the patient to get up until the doctors arrive.
While waiting for the ambulance, try to find out from the patient when the symptoms began, what chronic diseases he has, and what medications he is taking. This information will save doctors time and help them get help quickly. If it is difficult for the patient to breathe, free the neck and chest from tight clothing, open the windows. If he is cold, cover him with a warm blanket.
While the ambulance is on the way, do not try to give the patient water, food, or get him to stand up.
In some cases, it is advisable to take the patient to the nearest hospital on your own if you are not sure about the efficiency of the team. Discuss this decision with the emergency operator. It is good if several people will help. Call for help from neighbors and others if the patient is on the street or in a public institution.
Open wound
Bulat Yunusov, surgeon at GMS Clinic , says Make sure that the victim is no longer in danger. Lay or seat him on a flat surface, at the same time ask one of the passers-by to call an ambulance, or do it yourself.
Examine the victim carefully. Arterial bleeding is the most dangerous because of the large loss of blood in a short time. Its signs: a pulsating scarlet stream, blood quickly spreads, forming a puddle, or quickly soaks clothes.
How to stop bleeding: direct pressure on the wound, finger pressure of the artery above the bleeding site, application of a hemostatic tourniquet (special or simple belt, tie, rope). In summer, the tourniquet can be kept for no more than 60 minutes, in winter – 30 minutes.
It is very important to be close to the victim until the arrival of an ambulance.
Injury
Bulat Yunusov, surgeon at GMS Clinic tells
If a person has fallen and hit hard, call an ambulance first. Before the arrival of the doctors, help the victim to take the most comfortable position in which he is the least hurt.
Immobilize the injured limb. To do this, tie a sore arm or leg to a healthy one or to the body. It is important to fix the injured limb in a stationary state.
Apply ice to the area of suspected injury, if available. Try to calm the victim, be in contact with him until the ambulance arrives.
Asthma attack
Evgenia Kholoptseva, family doctor, GMS Express therapist says
Symptoms of an asthma attack are coughing, rapid breathing, difficulty exhaling, feeling short of breath, wheezing, chest tightness.
If there is a person with similar symptoms next to you, check if he has bronchial asthma. If the answer is yes, provide fresh air, loosen clothing (remove scarf, unbutton top shirt buttons, jacket) and clearly ask the victim where you can find his inhaler. Take it out and give it to the patient.
Do not inhale more than two doses at a time. If the attack continues, the next one can be inhaled after at least 15 minutes.
If the attack persists after an hour – call 103. If the inhaler is over or you cannot find it – call 103. While waiting for an ambulance, seat the patient, ensure a constant flow of fresh air.
Remember, even if you are confused and forget the algorithm of actions, you can still save a person’s life. Call an ambulance, try to calm down, watch the victim, stay close to him. When the doctors arrive, tell them how his condition has changed, what symptoms you have observed. This will help them understand what happened and provide the necessary assistance as soon as possible.
