First aid
BLS "Basic Life Support"
Cardiac massage is a medical technique which, together with other techniques, allows BLS, acronym for "Basic Life Support", i.e. a set of actions that allow first aid to subjects who have suffered a trauma, such as a car accident, cardiac arrest or electrocution.
The BLS includes various components:
scene assessment;
evaluation of the subject's state of consciousness;
call for help via telephone;
ABC (assessment of airway patency, presence of breathing and cardiac activity);
cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR):
consisting of cardiac massage
mouth-to-mouth resuscitation;
other basic support actions for vital functions.
Assess the state of consciousness
In emergency situations, the first thing to do –
after having assessed that the area does not present further risks for the operator or for the injured person - is to evaluate the subject's state of consciousness:
stand close to the body;
the person must be shaken by the shoulders very lightly (to avoid further damage);
the person must be called out loud
(remembering that the person, if unknown, may be deaf);
if the subject does not react, then he is defined as unconscious: in this case no time should be wasted and an immediate request should be made to those close to us to call the telephone number for medical emergencies 112;
in the meantime start the ABC, that is:
check whether the airways are free from obstructing objects preventing breathing;
check for breathing;
checks whether cardiac activity is present via carotid pulse (at the neck) or radial pulse (at the wrist);
in the absence of breathing and cardiac activity, begin cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) maneuvers.
The cardiopulmonary resuscitation procedure must be performed with the patient placed on
a rigid surface
a soft surface makes compressions completely useless).
Keeping his arms straight, without bending his elbows (see photo at the beginning of the article), the rescuer moves up and down with determination, pivoting on his pelvis. The push must not be given by the bending of the arms, but by the forward movement of the entire torso which has repercussions on the chest of the injured person thanks to the rigidity of the arms: keeping the arms bent is an ERROR.
To be effective, the pressure on the chest must cause a movement of approximately 5–6 cm for each compression. For the success of the operation, it is essential that the rescuer completely releases the chest after each compression, absolutely avoiding the palms of the hands detaching from the chest causing a harmful rebound effect.
The correct compression rate should be at least 100 compressions per minute but not more than 120 compressions per minute, i.e. 3 every 2 seconds.
In case of simultaneous lack of breathing, every 30 cardiac massage compressions, the operator - if only - will interrupt the massage to perform 2 insufflations with artificial respiration (mouth to mouth or with a mask or mouthpiece), which will last approximately 3 seconds. 'a. At the end of the second insufflation, immediately resume cardiac massage. The ratio between cardiac compressions and insufflations - in the case of a single operator - is therefore 30:2.
The rescuer will stop cardiac massage only if:
the subject resumes vital functions;
the ambulance arrives with a doctor on board or the medical car sent by 118;
qualified help arrives with more effective equipment;
WATCH THE VIDEO
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qyuP2O8Igk
EIMLICK MANEUVER
Briefly, a person performs the Heimlich maneuver by using their hands and arms to apply a series of rapid, deep pressures on the victim's abdominal area below the breastbone and above the navel, directing the thrust upward to compress the diaphragm. This causes compression of the lungs, thus exerting a pneumatic push on the object obstructing the trachea, so as to cause it to be expelled. In essence this represents a powerful and artificial cough.
(Since the choking victim has an airway obstruction, unable to fill his lungs, he doesn't even have the ability to cough forcefully on his own.
The first signs and symptoms of choking:
The person desperately holds his hands to his throat
(universal sign of suffocation).
The person cannot speak and has difficulty breathing, often producing a high-pitched noise.
The person has a very weak cough and cannot fill the lungs to cough forcefully
The person's face turns blue (cyanotic) due to lack of oxygen (anoxia).
The person loses consciousness.
WATCH THE VIDEO
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGcqTeseZCc&list=PL6v7t5A91bkdnKm0F0EHjweT99R25Vs__
VITAL PARAMETERS
express the general conditions of the person and are:
Blood pressure,
Pulse (Heart Rate), Respiration (Respiratory Rate) Body temperature.
BLOOD PRESSURE
It can be defined as the force exerted by blood against the elastic walls of arterial vessels
Normal BP values in a healthy adult subject and expressed in mmHg
(millimeter of mercury) are:
• PS (systolic pressure - maximum) 120-130 mmHg
• PD (diastolic blood pressure - min)
70-80 mmHg
HEART RATE
Heart rate (HR) is the number of beats per minute of the heart.
The index of heart rate and its rhythm is the pulse.
the number of beats per minute and therefore corresponds to the number of heart contractions in a minute:
Normal HR values in a healthy adult are
Adult 60-100 B/min
When the heart rate exceeds 100 beats per minute in adults, it is called tachycardia (rapid pulse),
When the heart rate is less than 60 beats per minute it is called bradycardia (slow pulse).
BREATH FREQUENCY
Respiratory rate is the number of breaths per minute.
The phases of breathing are:
Inhalation: when air is introduced into the lungs
Exhalation: when air is expelled from the lungs
The stimulus to breathing is influenced by the presence of CO2 in the blood
The normal values of the RF in a healthy adult subject is
Adult 16 – 18 acts/min
BODY TEMPERATURE
Body temperature is the temperature of the human organism, dependent on a balance between the quantity of heat that is produced in it (thermogenesis) and the quantity that is dispersed (thermolysis).
The temperature that allows our organism to carry out all organic reactions is 37° C.
There are two important alterations in body temperature, which require specific intervention, and they are:
HYPERPYRESXIA - promote heat dispersion (remove heavy clothes and blankets • cold sponging in correspondence with the large blood vessels • ventilated room but without wind)
HYPOTHERMIA - promote heat production (Place the person away from the wind and cold, remove clothing if wet • Drink hot and sugary drinks • Do not rub, do not massage • Use thermal blankets, hot baths • In extreme cases transport the person in hospital)