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What is it about ?
A foreign body in the airways refers to anything that has nothing to do there, that can get stuck and block the airways. As breathing is hampered, the blood is no longer supplied with oxygen. The foreign body can also cause inflammation of the bronchi, causing them to swell and making breathing even more difficult. If you panic, you may hyperventilate ie. to breathe very quickly, but inefficiently. In the worst case, symptoms of suffocation result, one of the possible consequences of which is shock. Death from suffocation is the worst-case scenario imaginable, but fortunately it is very rare
Most often, the foreign body is a piece of food. In children, it can also be the end of a toy.
The first victims of a foreign body in the respiratory tract are children under the age of 10, especially in their second year of life.
How to recognize it?
It is very easy to recognize a choking person. She has trouble breathing, turns blue, coughs violently, eventually panics, and begins to hyperventilate. This hyperventilation is not effective, however, because it hinders the flow of air. If their blood is not supplied with sufficient oxygen for too long a period, the person may pass out and pass out.
In young children (between 2 and 10 years old), a small foreign body can sometimes get into the deep airways, e.g. a piece of food or a small piece of plastic. The first reaction is often a heavy coughing fit. Sometimes the child even turns blue. Then, surprisingly, he no longer shows any visible symptoms for a few hours or even days. The child then develops severe pneumonia (inflammation of the lungs). It is therefore always assumed that a child with a bad coughing fit with no obvious cause (eg no fever) and having difficulty breathing may have a foreign body in the airways.
What can you do ?
When someone is choking, the first few moments are vitally important. Bystanders with minimal knowledge of first aid can avoid many problems. Here’s a quick summary of what you can do. For further information, training and / or a practical exercise program, you can always contact the approved centers offering first aid training or the local section of the Red Cross.
First, try to assess the seriousness of the situation by observing the person’s cough. If the airways are severely blocked, coughing is impossible or ineffective. If they are slightly obstructed, the person coughs correctly and remains conscious.
Observe the following guidelines:
- If you have any doubts: dial the emergency number 112 and ask for advice. State your identity, locate yourself precisely and describe the situation.
- If the person is unconscious: start basic resuscitation. Check whether it is possible to extract the foreign body from the mouth or throat. Then start resuscitation by alternating cardiac massage and mouth-to-mouth therapy using the correct method: 30 compressions, 2 breaths.
- If the person is still conscious but unable to cough, follow the directions below:
- Position yourself next to the person, slightly behind, lean their upper body forward, so that their head is below their waist, while supporting their chest with the other arm.
- With the heel of the other hand, strike five times with force between the shoulder blades.
- After each stroke, check to see if the foreign body has been expelled and the airways are clear. If the person is still conscious and able to cough, stay with them and encourage them to cough.
- If the blows to the back don’t seem to help, you can apply the Heimlich maneuver in conscious adults. Stand behind the person, put your arms around them, clench your fists and give 5 punches to the stomach. Never use this method on a child, it may damage their organs. As soon as possible, hand over to professionals for continued resuscitation.
In infants over one year of age, the instructions are almost identical. Place the child on the palm of your hand and pat him on the back, between the shoulder blades. Point its head towards the ground. As a result, you will be able to benefit a little from the help of gravity.
What can the doctor do?
All qualified healthcare providers (doctors, nurses, physiotherapists, paramedics, etc.) receive first aid training in the event of a foreign body in the airways and are able to assess the problem and manage it quickly and accurately. .
As a first step, the healthcare provider will apply the instructions described above. He may use special instruments to try to visualize the trachea and remove the foreign body, provided it is high enough in the airways (in the mouth, throat and possibly the upper portion of the trachea). . To maintain proper breathing, the healthcare provider will try to ensure good air passage using a technique known as intubation. If intubation is unsuccessful, the health care provider may puncture a hole in the windpipe, through the throat, using a large needle. It inserts a needle directly into the windpipe, just below the thyroid cartilage (the lump in the throat that is clearly visible from the outside). It goes without saying that only qualified and experienced healthcare providers are allowed to do this. In exceptional cases, the health care provider may also make a small incision in the windpipe and breathe air through this cavity.
If a small foreign object enters the lower airways (or lungs), the doctor may order an x-ray of the lungs. This review unfortunately does not allow you to see everything. The best way to fully visualize the airways is with a bronchoscopy. The technique involves inserting a flexible camera into the throat to film the entire airway. During the procedure, the doctor can insert a small forceps, which he slides along the flexible cable to extract the foreign body from the airways, if necessary.
Want to know more?
- Choking in babies and children – My child is sick – Geneva University Hospitals
- What to do when a baby is choking – Canadian Red Cross
- What to do when a child is choking – Canadian Red Cross
- Choking in adults (images) – French Red Cross
- Heimlich maneuver in adults (images) – ameli.fr – Health Insurance
Source
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