CHAPTER-2 COMMON MEDICAL EMERGENCIES

 Common medical emergencies

 Chest discomfort

 Breathing difficulties

 Severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis)

 Chest discomfort

 It is very difficult to differentiate chest discomfort due to heart attack from

other chest discomfort (even for the healthcare professional!)

 A first aider should assume that chest discomfort IS due to heart attack until

proven otherwise

 Chest discomfort due to heart attack is often

 Described as “crushing” or “pressing”

 Have Shortness of breath and/or Perspiration

 *In women, chest discomfort due to heart attack may not have these classical

characteristics

First Aid in Chest Discomfort

 Call medical emergency number 999 immediately!

 Do not delay and do not try to transport the patient to hospital yourself.

 While waiting for ambulance to arrive, the first aider may encourage the

patient to chew aspirin tablet

 CHAPTER-2 COMMON MEDICAL EMERGENCIES

 *Aspirin has anti-coagulant property = make blood thinner

 Ensure the patient has No allergy to aspirin

 No contraindication to aspirin e.g. evidence of a stroke or recent bleeding

 Breathing Difficulty

 The incidence of acute asthma is increasing, especially in urban populations.

 Many asthma patients take a prescribed bronchodilator medication and can

self-administer it

 First aiders are not expected to make a diagnosis of asthma!

 But they may assist the patient in using the prescribed bronchodilator

medication under certain conditions

CHAPTER-2 COMMON MEDICAL EMERGENCIES

The conditions are:

 The patient states that he feels an asthma attack or symptoms associated with

a previously diagnosed breathing disorder, and the patient has the prescribed

medications or inhaler in his possession.

 The victim identifies the medication and is unable to administer it without

assistance.
CHAPTER-2 COMMON MEDICAL EMERGENCIES
 CHAPTER-2 COMMON MEDICAL EMERGENCIES

 First aid providers should become familiar with inhalers so that they can

assist a victim with an acute asthma attack in using the inhaler.

 Severe Allergic Reaction (Anaphylaxis)

 Allergies are relatively common, but only a small proportion of people

with allergies develop anaphylactic reactions.

 An anaphylactic reaction is a progressive series of signs and symptoms

characterized by swelling, breathing difficulty, an itching rash, and

eventually shock, which, if left untreated, may lead to death.

 Examples are-

 Swelling of conjunctiva

 Runny nose

 Swelling of lips, tongue and or throat

 Slow or fast heart rate, low blood pressure

 Skin-hives(swollen, pale red bumps or plaques), itchiness,

flushing(feelings of warmth and rapid reddening)

 CNS-Light headness,loss of consciousness,confusion, headache, anixiety

 Respiratory –Shortness of breath, wheezes or stridor(expiration sound by

airways), hoarseness, pain with swallowing, cough.

CHAPTER-2 COMMON MEDICAL EMERGENCIES

 Gastrointestinal- Crampy abdominal pain, doarrhoea, vomiting, loss of

bladder control.
 CHAPTER-2 COMMON MEDICAL EMERGENCIES

Some of these signs and symptoms can also be present in other conditions, and first

aiders should not be expected to make a diagnosis of anaphylaxis

• Older patients who suffer from anaphylactic reactions know their signs and

symptoms and many carry a life saving epinephrine auto-injector.

• With proper training, parents can be taught to correctly use an auto-

injector to administer epinephrine to their allergic children.

• All too often, however, neither the victim nor family members know how to

correctly use an auto-injector.

• First aid providers should be familiar with the epinephrine auto-

injector so that they can help a victim with an anaphylactic reaction to self-

administer it.

• First aid providers should also know how to administer the auto-injector if

the victim is unable to do so.