Ch 7 Lifeguarding

Breathing Emergencies

Lesson objectives• Recognize and care for a breathing

emergency• Demonstrate how to safely and effectively

perform rescue breathing.• Demonstrate how to safely and effectively

care for an obstructed airway.• Decide what care to provide for a breathing

emergency.

Breathing Emergencies• A breathing

emergency occurs if a victim has difficulty breathing.

• Without oxygen, hypoxia will result.

• Signs & symptoms of hypoxia include increased breathing and heart rates, cyanosis (when tissue does not get enough oxygen and turn blue.

Breathing Emergencies can be caused by

• Obstructed airway (choking)

• Injury to the head, chest, lungs, or abdomen

• Emphysema or asthma

• Heart attack• Coronary heart

disease• Electrocution

• Shock• Allergic reactions

(food or insects)• Drowning• Poisoning• Drugs• Emotional distress

Respiratory Distress • A victim having

difficulty breathing• Signs & Symptoms

include:– Slow or rapid breathing– Unusually deep or

shallow breathing– Shortness of breath or

noisy breathing– Dizziness, drowsiness

or light-headedness– Changes in level of

consciousness

– Increased heart rate– Chest pain or

discomfort– Skin that is flushed,

pale, ashen or bluish

– Unusually moist or cool skin

– Gasping for breath– Inability to speak in

full sentences– Tingling in the

hands or feet.

Epinephrine Administration

• Anaphylactic shock- severe allergic reaction. The airway passages may swell and restrict breathing.

• Pp. 103-104 explains and demonstrates epi-pen administrration

Rescue Breathing pp. 104-106

• An initial assessment will determine the next course of action

• Perform rescue breathing for a victim who has a pulse but is not breathing.

• Rescue breathing is a technique for breathing air into a victim to give him or her oxygen needed to survive.

Rescue Breathing continued…• Give 1 rescue breath

about every 5 seconds for an adult.

• Give 1 rescue breath about every 3 seconds for a child or infant.

• Continue until…– Victim begins to breath

on his/her own– Another trained rescuer

takes over.– Too exhausted to

continue– Conditions worsen (CPR)– Scene becomes unsafe

If a breathing barrier is not available…do NOT delay care. Use the mouth-to-mouth technique. Pinch the victim’s nose shut and seal your mouth over the victim’s mouth. For an infant, cover the mouth and the nose.

Rescue Breathing Special Situations pp. 109-110

• Suspected head, neck or back injury (jaw-thrust maneuver)

• Air in stomach (gastric distention)

• Vomiting and Drowning

• Victims with dentures

• Mask-to-nose breathing

• Mask-to-stoma

Airway Obstruction pp. 111-116• Most common cause of

respiratory emergencies. A victim whose airway is blocked can quickly stop breathing, lose consciousness and die.

• Common causes of choking– Poorly chewed food– Drinking alcohol before

or during meals. – Eating too fast or

talking/laughing while eating

– Moving with food in your mouth (walking, playing, running)

– Wearing dentures

Airway Obstruction Adult/Child pp. 111-112

• A victim who is clutching his or her throat is usually choking.

• Get consent before helping a conscious choking victim.

• Adult and Child- perform a combination of 5 back blows followed by 5 abdominal thrusts

• Repeat until object is dislodged, or victim becomes unconscious

Airway Obstruction Infant pp. 112-113

• Get consent before helping a conscious choking victim.

• Infant- perform a combination of 5 back blows followed by 5 chest thrusts

• Repeat until object is dislodged, or victim becomes unconscious

Airway Obstruction Special Situations pp. 113-114

• Heavy set• Obviously pregnant• perform a

combination of 5 back blows followed by 5 chest thrusts

Unconscious Choking-Adult and ChildSteps pp. 113-114

Step 1- Give 2 rescue breaths … if breaths do not go in, re-tilt head and try again.

Step 2- If chest clearly does not rise, give 5 chest thrusts.

Step 3/4- Look inside victim’s mouth. If object is seen, take it out. (finger sweep)

Step 5- Give 2 rescue breaths• Repeat Steps 2-5 if breaths do

not make chest clearly rise.

Unconscious Choking-Infant Steps pp. 115-116

Same as adult and child with some modifications.

-use two-three fingers in middle of nipple line for chest thrusts

-use pinky finger to finger sweep

Review Questions

• Sign & symptoms of respiratory distress include---

• Flushed, pale, ashen or bluish skin• For a conscious child who is

choking, where do you position your hands to give abdominal thrusts?

• In the middle of the abdomen just above the navel.

Review Questions continued…

• A mother comes running towards you screaming that something is wrong with her son. After sizing up the scene and obtaining consent, you perform an initial assessment and find that the child is not moving or breathing, but has a pulse. You perform rescue breathing at a rate of 1 rescue breath about once every---

• 3 seconds

Review Questions continued…

• A 12-year-old boy at a swim meet grabs his chest and begins to make wheezing noises. After you obtain consent to provide care, his mother informs you that he has a history of asthma, but does not have his inhaler nearby. What care should you provide?

• Summon EMS personnel and place the victim into a position that helps breathing.