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What is it about ?
Unconsciousness is loss of consciousness due to a disturbance in the brain; the unconscious person no longer reacts to stimuli from his environment.
The possible causes of unconsciousness are many. In some cases, life is in danger: inflammation of the brain envelopes (meningitis), poisoning (carbon monoxide), diabetes, lack of oxygen and bleeding between the brain envelopes (subdural hematoma). This is why it is important to quickly identify the cause in order to be able to start treatment or perform an intervention.
What can the doctor do?
A doctor or someone trained in first aid (first aid) can give first aid immediately. Once the victim has stabilized, the doctor looks for the cause of the unconsciousness. Thus, he can quickly perform an intervention or start a treatment, for example administering sugar (glucose) in case of too low sugar level in the blood (hypoglycemia) in a person with diabetes. Additional examinations are carried out in the hospital: blood test, urinalysis, chest x-ray, electrocardiogram (ECG), head scan, etc.
What can you do ?
First, take care of your safety and that of the victim, and check if there is any danger in the immediate vicinity.
If the environment is secure, check if the victim is still reacting. Gently shake both shoulders of the victim and ask them out loud if they are okay. If she doesn’t respond, she’s unconscious. In this case, the muscles (jaw muscle and tongue) are also relaxed, and the tongue may sink into the throat and block the airways. There is therefore a risk of suffocation.
What do you do if the victim reacts?
Leave the victim as you find him (provided there is no danger). Find out what happened to him, and call for help. Check his state of consciousness regularly.
What do you do if the victim does not react?
Call for help out loud. Be careful not to be alone. While one person focuses on the unconscious victim, the second can search for an Automatic External Defibrillator (AED) and call emergency services (112 is the European emergency number you can use in every EU member state. European Union to call for urgent assistance).
If there are no other people in the vicinity, call the emergency number yourself. Clearly state that it is an unconscious person, say your name and the address where the victim is.
Turn the victim onto his back, and clear the airways. If you notice that the victim is breathing normally (you see the chest moving and hear them breathe), it is not necessary to put them on their back. Place it on its side in a stable position.
Witness ?
If you witness events that led to unconsciousness, the information you can provide is of the utmost importance. All data relating to the victim’s medical history and the medications they are taking are also essential.
If you have not had first aid training, it is better that you call the emergency department as soon as possible (112).
It would be helpful if you also took a first aid course. So you can save lives!
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