Sudden Illness
CPR/First Aid
It is not that important to know the cause
or type of sudden illness because the
care you give will be the same with few
exceptions.
Lesson 13
Sudden Illness
–Fainting
–Diabetic Emergency
–Seizure
–Poisoning
–Allergic Reaction
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General Guidelines of Care for
Sudden Illness
Sudden IllnessesIllnesses-Key Points
Some
illnesses develop over time,
while others can strike without a
moment’s notice.
By knowing the signals of sudden
illness and paying careful attention to
details at the emergency scene, you can
determine how best to help a person
with sudden illness.
Do
no further harm.
Monitor breathing and consciousness.
Help the person rest in a comfortable
position.
Keep the person from getting chilled or
overheated.
Reassure and provide care as needed.
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Fainting--First Aid
Fainting
Fainting
Check
the airway and for breathing.
If necessary begin rescue breathing/CPR,
call 911.
Loosen tight clothing from around the
neck. (Pants/belt)
Elevate the feet.
Lay down for several minutes, or sit and
place your head between your knees.
Temporary
loss of consciousness that
could be a signal of a more serious
condition.
Caused by a reduction of blood flow to
the brain. It is usually self-correcting,
when the person collapses, normal
circulation to the brain resumes.
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Diabetic EmergencyEmergency-First Aid
Diabetic Emergency
If
the person is unconscious, unable to
swallow or a form of sugar is not
available, call 911.
If the person is conscious and able to
swallow, give him/her sugar in the form
of fruit juice, candy, non-diet soda or
table sugar. (Dry or dissolved in water.)
Diabetes is a condition
where the body does
not produce enough
insulin or does not use
insulin effectively.
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Petit Mal Seizure
Seizures
Staring spell,
most commonly called an
“absence seizure”.
It is a brief (usually less than 15 sec.)
Most commonly in people under age
20, usually in children ages 6 to 12.
They can occur as the only type of
seizure but can also happen along with
other types of seizures.
When injury, disease, fever, poisoning
or infection disrupts normal functions
of the brain, the electrical activity of
the brain could become irregular. This
irregularity can cause a sudden loss of
body control known as a seizure.
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Seizure--First Aid
Seizure
Grand Mal Seizure
Such
seizures usually involve muscle
rigidity, muscle contractions, and loss of
consciousness.
Grand Mal are the type of seizure that most
people associate with the term "seizure,"
convulsion, or epilepsy.
They may occur at any age, as a single
episode, or as part of a chronic condition.
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Protect
the person’s head. Remove nearby
objects that could cause injury.
Call 911 for the following situations–
Seizure lasts more than 5 minutes.
Has repeated seizures, with out regaining
consciousness.
The person is injured.
Fails to regain consciousness, is a diabetic
or is pregnant.
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2
Stroke (cont)
Stroke
A stroke is a loss of brain
functions caused by a lack
of blood to areas of the
brain. The blockage
usually occurs when a
clot or piece of plaque
breaks away from another
area of the body and
lodges within the brain.
The left side of the brain
controls movement of the
right side of the body.
Depending on severity, a
stroke affecting the left
side of the brain may result
in loss of speech, loss of
function and movement of
the right side of the body.
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FAST Recognition of a Stroke
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FAST Recognition of a Stroke (cont)
(Cincinnati PrePre-Hospital Stroke ScaleScale-1997)
Face–weakness
on one side of the face.
(Ask the person to smile. This will show if
there is drooping or weakness in the
muscles on one side of the face.)
Arm–weakness or numbness in one arm.
(Ask the person to raise both arms to find
out if there is weakness in the limbs.)
Speech–slurred speech
or trouble
speaking. (Ask the person to say a
simple sentence to listen for slurred or
distorted speech.)
Time–time to call 911. (Note the time
when the signals began.)
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Poisoning
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Poisoning--Absorption
Poisoning
A poison is any substance that can cause
injury, illness or death when introduced into
the body. Poisons enter the body in four
ways–
•Inhalation (Breathing in)
•Ingestion (Swallowed)
•Absorption (Through skin/body tissue)
•Injection (To force/drive into the body)
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Contact dermatitis is the
reaction of a sensitive
person's skin to poison
ivy, oak or sumac.
Contact with these plants
produces an itchy rash,
redness, blisters and
scaling.
AVOID SCRATCHING.
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National Poison Control Center
General Care for Poisonings
Check level
of consciousness and
breathing.
Care for life-threatening conditions.
If the person is conscious, ask questions
for more information. Look for bottles
or containers.
Call 911 or the National Poison Control
Center, 800-222-1222. Follow their
directions.
This national number will let you talk to experts in
poisoning. It’s free and confidential. All local poison
control centers in the U.S. use this national number. You
should call if you have any questions about poisoning or
poison prevention. It does NOT need to be an emergency.
You can call for any reason, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
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Allergic Reactions
Insect bites, stings or contact with certain
drugs, medications, foods and chemicals
can cause an allergic reaction.
•Check–Call–Care
•The person may have a medical kit
(epinephrine auto-injector) to treat a severe
allergic reaction known as anaphylaxis.
Assist the person as needed with using the
kit until help arrives.
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Allergy to
Medications
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Allergy to
Bee Stings
Allergic reaction to bee stings
occurs when a person becomes
sensitized to bee venom from a
previous sting. The allergic
reaction comes when the
immune system is
oversensitized to the venom
and produces antibodies to it.
Persons who develop an allergy
to bee stings should carry
prescription kits to counteract
the bee venom.
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A true allergy to a medication
is different than a simple
adverse reaction to the drug.
The allergic reaction occurs
when the immune system,
having been exposed to the
drug before, creates antibodies
to it. On subsequent exposure
to the drug these antibodies
release histamines. If severe,
this reaction can result in
anaphylactic shock.
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Stinger
Removal
To remove a stinger, scrape a
straight-edged object across
the stinger. Do not use
tweezers since it may squeeze
the venom sac and increase
the amount of venom into the
wound. Next wash with soap
and water. Place an ice pack
on the site to reduce swelling.
If needed an antihistamine
can be applied to help reduce
the itching. Over the next
several days watch for signs
of infection.
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