Every adult needs to know the basics of first aid for victims in various emergency situations. Such an educational subject as life safety is taught in schools, starting from the elementary grades. And even in kindergartens, preschoolers get acquainted with the basic rules of first aid. Nevertheless, it will not be superfluous for anyone to refresh knowledge. In our article, we will consider a situation in which a foreign body is in the airways. What to do in this case? We will talk about the symptoms of this condition, as well as first aid techniques for this emergency.
How can a foreign body enter the respiratory tract?
According to statistics, cases are more often recorded when a foreign body is found in the respiratory tract of a child. Symptoms of this condition can be different, it all depends on how much the object blocked the air flow. But in any case, such a situation is extremely dangerous for the life and he alth of both a child and an adult.
Therefore, it is very important not to leave children under three years old without adult supervision - kids often try some kind of "find", as they say, to taste. In addition, cutting teeth also encourage children to put the first objects in their mouths.
In addition, babies often twist, laugh, talk while eating, which can also lead to aspiration of an unchewed piece of food. And the incompletely developed system of reflex processes in children younger than those years only contributes to the worsening of the situation, significantly increasing the risk of suffocation.
But doctors regularly encounter situations where foreign bodies enter the respiratory tract of an adult. Conditions that increase the risk of such situations are:
- drunk;
- communication, laughter during meals;
- poor quality dentures;
- unprofessional provision of dental services (in medicine, cases of suffocation by an extracted tooth, a removed crown, broken instruments) are known.
What is the danger?
Foreign bodies entering the upper respiratory tract of an adult or a child is an emergency requiring emergency medical care. Although there are examples in medical practice when a patient sought help from doctors with complaints of complicated breathing only a few months after a foreign object entered the body. But still, in most cases, the time to help and save a person is measured in seconds.
What is going on inbody, if there is a foreign body in the respiratory tract? Unfortunately, the medical statistics are disappointing. So, in almost 70% of all such cases, a foreign object reaches the bronchi, less often (about 20%) - it is fixed in the trachea and only 10% remain in the larynx (we will run ahead and say that it is in the latter case that the removal of the foreign body from the respiratory tract is easiest). paths, although there are exceptions to this rule).
The reflex mechanism of a person works in such a situation as follows: as soon as an object passes through the glottis, a muscle spasm occurs. Thus, even when coughing strongly, it is extremely difficult for a person to remove a foreign body. This defense mechanism further complicates the situation and contributes to the development of suffocation.
Why do some cases do not pose a high danger to human life and he alth, while others are, as they are called in medicine, emergency? It is difficult to answer this question unambiguously - a combination of different circumstances matters here. Including these:
- properties of the hit object (its size, structure, weight, shape, etc.);
- the depth to which a foreign body could penetrate, the place of its fixation;
- diameter of the remaining airway clearance - the possibility of gas exchange depends on it.
The most dangerous items
What is the danger of getting a foreign body into the respiratory tract? The structure of the foreign object plays a decisive role. So the more hesize, the more likely it is that the airflow space will be blocked. But even small items can cause serious problems. For example, even pieces of meat, sausage or boiled potatoes can provoke an attack of suffocation if they get into the spasmodic muscles of the vocal cords.
Uneven or sharp objects can not only "catch" on the walls of the trachea, but also injure it, which will lead to even greater complications.
Harmless at first glance, nuts are dangerous because, once in the respiratory tract, they can, thanks to the air flow, mix from one zone to another, causing unexpected attacks of suffocation (the person did not eat anything and suddenly began to suffocate, and such a situation may be repeated repeatedly until the removal of the foreign body from the respiratory tract).
But just the objects that are usually considered the most dangerous - metal, plastic or glass (often children swallow toys with exactly these characteristics, for example, rattle balls, small parts of the designer), - of all the listed possible foreign bodies least likely to cause suffocation.
It should be noted that organic plant foreign objects in the respiratory tract are dangerous not only by the possibility of cutting off oxygen, but also by other complications:
- they tend to break into pieces, which can lead to numerous repeated attacks of suffocation;
- such bodies as a result of being in "greenhouse" conditions inside the body can swell, increasing in size, thus gradually worseninghuman condition;
- botanical components as a result of organic processes lead to the formation of inflammation at the fixation site.
Thus, if there is a foreign body in the airway, then, no matter how deep it has advanced, it should be removed as soon as possible, since the consequences can be felt at any time.
The danger of this situation lies in its sudden onset and rapid onset of suffocation. Here the effect of surprise is triggered - both the choking person and those around them can simply get confused and start to panic. Unfortunately, such a reaction to an emergency situation can lead to a tragic outcome. Therefore, it is important not only to remember the technique of providing medical care in such cases, but also to be psychologically ready to provide this very help at the right time.
It is especially important to respond correctly when a foreign body is stuck in the airways of a child. Symptoms can be different, so it is important to recognize them in a timely manner and start helping the baby, because here the time is counted by seconds.
In order to reduce the likelihood of such situations, preventive measures should be followed, which are described in more detail in the corresponding section of the article.
To help a person who is experiencing suffocation due to the penetration of a foreign object, it is extremely important to quickly "recognize" the characteristic signs of such a condition. What are the symptoms of a foreign body in the airways? About itread below.
Symptoms that indicate a foreign body has entered the respiratory tract
How to understand that a person suffers from the fact that he has a foreign body in the respiratory tract? Signs of such a state are different and depend on the structure, size of the object, as well as the place where it was fixed.
Thus, a large object that completely blocks the access of oxygen causes a sharp cough, a person instinctively grabs his throat with his hands, after a few seconds, loss of consciousness, reddening of the face, and then blueness of the skin are possible.
If a foreign body is fixed in the airways in such a way that there is a small gap for gas exchange, then the characteristic signs of this condition are the following:
- convulsive cough, often accompanied by vomiting or hemoptysis;
- violation of the rhythm of inhalation-exhalation;
- increased salivation;
- appearance of tearing;
- brief episodic bouts of respiratory arrest.
This state can last up to half an hour - it is during this time that the reflex protective functions of the body are depleted.
In the event that small smooth objects get into the respiratory tract of a person, there may be a complete absence of any signs of such a condition for a certain period of time (depending on where the object was fixed, an organic or inorganic foreign body). But, unfortunately, if no measures are taken to remove a foreign object from the human body, it willitself will not “resolve”, but will cause serious complications. After a certain time, the victim will have various breathing problems, such as shortness of breath, hoarseness in the voice, and others. When listening with a stethoscope, noises will be heard in the area of fixation of the foreign body.
Can you help yourself?
Can I give myself first aid for a foreign body in the respiratory tract? It's possible. But here it is important to stock up on self-control and not to panic. Since there is very little time, you first need to calm down and not take sharp breaths (this will only aggravate the situation, because the air flow will simply move the object deeper).
The algorithm of actions in such an emergency is as follows:
- Smoothly, slowly inhale, filling the chest with air as much as possible. Then exhale as sharply as possible, thus trying to push out the object that has fallen into the throat.
- Another way to help yourself remove a foreign body from the respiratory tract is to press the upper part of the abdomen on the countertop or back of the sofa during a sharp exhalation.
Technique for providing first aid when a foreign body enters the respiratory tract
Foreign bodies found in the airways? First aid in such a situation should be given as follows:
- Call the medical team immediately.
- Before the arrival of doctors, first aid should be provided, according to the technique described below.
There are two ways to remove a foreign body:
1. Bend the victim over the back of a chair, chair, or thigh of the person who is providing assistance. Then, with an open palm, sharply hit between the shoulder blades 4-5 times. If the victim has lost consciousness, then he should be laid on his side and struck on the back. This method is called the Mofenson method in the medical literature.
2. Another way is as follows: you need to stand behind the choking person, wrap your arms around him under the ribs and make sharp squeezes in the direction from bottom to top. This is the so-called Heimlich method.
If the above methods did not bring results, and the victim's condition worsens, you can also resort to this technique of providing medical care: lay the patient on the floor, placing a roller under the neck so that the head hangs down. It is required to prepare a napkin, a piece of cloth or something similar. Then you need to open the mouth of the victim. Using the material, it is necessary to grab the person's tongue and pull it towards you and down - perhaps in this way the foreign body will become noticeable and can be pulled out with your fingers. However, it is not recommended for a non-professional to perform such actions, since the technique requires special skills. And with the wrong assistance, you can harm the victim even more.
Signs of foreign body aspiration in children
Adults can accurately understand and describe their condition in the event of such a situation. But children sometimes even forget aboutthat they accidentally swallowed a wheel from a toy car or a designer part. If there is aspiration of a large object that blocks the access of air, then the symptoms will be the same as described above: convulsive cough, vomiting, reddening of the face, and then cyanosis of the skin.
But if the foreign body has penetrated deeply, there may be no signs of such a condition at all. In order to determine the presence of a foreign object in the respiratory tract of the crumbs, you need to ask him to talk to an adult. If the pronunciation of words is difficult for the baby, whistling or “clapping” sounds are heard, the timbre or strength of the voice has changed in the child - the baby needs urgent medical help.
Respiratory foreign bodies in children: first aid
Children's first aid technique is different from the "adult version". This is due to the anatomical features of the structure of a growing organism. How to help the baby if there is a suspicion of such a pathology as foreign bodies of the upper respiratory tract? First aid in such a situation is as follows:
- If the child is under one year old, then it must be laid on the forearm so that an adult can hold the crumbs chin with his fingers. The baby's head should hang down. If the child is older than the specified age, he is laid on his knee.
- Then you need to tap 4-5 times with open palms between the baby's shoulder blades. The younger the child, the weaker the blows should be.
- If the indicated technique did not work, you need to put the crumbs on your back and make the so-calledsubdiaphragmatic thrusts. In this case, you need to put two fingers (if the child is younger than a year) or a fist (for children older than a year) on the stomach just above the navel and perform sharp pressure movements inward and upward.
- If there is no improvement in the condition of a small patient, resuscitation (artificial respiration) should be started before the ambulance arrives.
Surgical methods for removing a foreign body from the human respiratory tract
What to do if the removal of a foreign body by the methods described above did not work? Then, most likely, you will need surgery. In order to determine what type of operation is needed in a particular case, specialists conduct studies such as diagnostic laryngoscopy and fluoroscopy. Depending on the results, the doctor may prescribe the following manipulations:
- Laryngoscopy. Using this procedure, not only determine the presence of a foreign body in the larynx, trachea and vocal cords, but also remove it.
- Upper tracheobronchoscopy using forceps. This procedure involves inserting an endoscope through the oral cavity, through which a special instrument is delivered that can remove a foreign body.
- Tracheotomy - the surgical formation of an external opening in the trachea.
All the described methods are dangerous for the development of complications both during their implementation and in the postoperative period.
Preventive measures
The diagnosis of "foreign bodies of the upper respiratory tract" is extremely dangerous and requires urgent medical care. In order to reduce the likelihood of such an emergency situation, simple recommendations should be followed:
- During the meal, you should not talk, turn around, watch TV. Children should also be taught these table manners.
- Do not abuse alcohol.
- Seek medical attention in a timely manner if you have diseases of the oral cavity (including dental).
- Keep potentially dangerous items out of reach of children.
This article provides guidance on how to remove foreign bodies in the airways. First aid for both an adult and a child should be provided as soon as possible, in some situations there is simply no time to wait for the arrival of doctors. Therefore, the information provided in this article may be important and necessary for everyone.
