Illnesses strike without prior warning; a person can become suddenly ill anytime anywhere. Loss of life or complications can be prevented in instances of sudden illnesses with appropriate first aid care and ensuring comfort of the patient.
Respiratory Distress
Difficulty in breathing or respiratory distress is characterized by shortness of breath, hyperventilation, gasping for breath and uncomfortable or painful breathing. Without prompt care, respiratory stress can lead to absence of breathing (respiratory arrest). Respiratory distress can be a normal symptom of heavy exertion. However, 85 percent of respiratory distress cases are caused by: acute flare ups of chronic respiratory conditions (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or asthma); severe allergic reactions (anaphylaxis); lung and respiratory lung infections (bronchitis and pneumonia); heart conditions; poisoning, trauma, electrocution, drug overdose and mental health conditions such as panic attacks (Maher and O’Donnell, 2014).
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Symptoms of respiratory distress include the person will feel frightened, gasp for breath, difficult I speaking complete sentences, there may be instances of wheezing, high pitched noises or gurgling during breathing. Breathing becomes irregular; it is slower or faster; unusually shallow or deep. The patient’s skin becomes cool or moist and may turn to ashen, pale, flushed or bluish. Dizziness or feeling light headed is quite common due to lack of oxygen. Proper first aid care is vital in respiratory distress to save the person’s life. Listen to the person’s breathing and ask how they feel to identify a breathing problem. Call 9-1-1 or the appropriate help lines and provide the following first aid care until the help arrives. If you know the underlying causes of respiratory distress and the patient has the medication, help them take it, like in instances of anaphylaxis. Ask the person to sit down and lean forward while you provide reassurance. Due to the difficulty in breathing and talking, phrase “yes” or “questions” to gather more information while you conduct a head to toe check. If the person becomes unresponsive to the first aid care, perform CPR and use AED (American Red Cross First Aid/ CPR/ AED, 2016). The primary treatment of respiratory distress is to treat the underlying cause. If the patient has hypoxia, extra oxygen can be effective in maintaining life (Maher and O’Donnell, 2014).
References
American Red Cross First Aid/ CPR/ AED: A Participant’s Manual. (2016). the American National Red Cross, Published By StayWell
Maher, D. A. and O’Donnell, D. E. (2014). Dyspnea Mechanisms, Measurements and Management, Third Edition. CRC Press : 3
