1. Breathing Emergencies
GASP!!!

2. Breathing Emergencies
Victim has difficulty/stops breathing
Caused by:
Drowning
Obstructed airway (choking)
Heart attack
Shock
Emotional distress
Allergic reactions
Drugs
Injury to head/lungs/abdomen

3. Breathing Emergencies
A victim who is having trouble breathing is in Respiratory Distress
Slow/rapid breathing
Deep/shallow breathing
Increased heart rate
Flushed/pale/ashen skin
Moist/pale skin
Tingling in hands/feet
Gasping for breath
*Can turn into respiratory arrest/failure*

4. How to Care for Respiratory Distress
Summon EMS personnel
Help victim rest in a comfortable position
Reassure/comfort the victim
Administer emergency oxygen, if trained to do so.
Keep victim from getting chilled/overheated

5. Rescue Breathing When do I do rescue breathing?
A victim has a pulse, but is NOT breathing!

6. DVD Segment: Rescue Breathing

7. Rescue Breathing When do I STOP rescue breathing?
- Victim begins to breath on his own
- Another trained rescuer arrives and takes over
- The victim loses his pulse (start CPR)
- Scene becomes unsafe

8. Rescue Breathing How do I perform rescue breathing?
Position rescue mask
Tilt head/lift the chin to open airway
Each breath should last one second, make the chest clearly rise!

9. Rescue Breathing Adult: One breath every 5 seconds
Child: One breath every 3 seconds
Infant: One breath every 3 seconds

10. Rescue Breathing Continue rescue breathing for 2 minutes!
Remove mask and look for movement and recheck breathing for no more than 10 seconds!

11. DVD Segment: Bag-Valve-Mask Resuscitator

12. Airway Obstruction Most common cause of respiratory emergencies
Can be anatomical (tongue, swollen tissue) or mechanical (foreign object)
Can be partially obstructed (wheezing sounds) or completely obstructed (can’t make any sound at all
Conscious victim who is clutching his throat with one or both hands is usually choking (universal sign of choking)
Make sure you get consent

13. Obstructed Airway - Conscious
How do I do this?
Get consent
Encourage them to continue coughing
If they stop talking, call EMS.

14. Conscious Choking Infant
If infant cannot cough, cry or breath, call EMS
Carefully position infant face-down along your forearm
Give 5 back blows with the heel of your hand
Turn infant over and give 5 chest thrusts
Place 2 to 3 fingers on the center of the chest
Compress chest ½ to 1 inch
Keep going until:
1. Object comes out
2. Infant begins to cough/cry/breathe
3. . Becomes unconscious

15. Obstructed Airway - Conscious
Lean victim forward
Give 5 back blows with the heal of you hand
Give 5 abdominal thrusts
Continue until object comes out or they pass out

16. Airway Obstruction – Unconscious Adult/Child
If you initial two breaths do not go in, re-tilt the head and try two more breaths.
If they still do not go in (make the chest clearly rise) give 5 chest thrusts
Place on head on the center of the chest
For an adult, compress 1 ½ to 2 inches
For a child, compress chest 1 to 1 ½ inches

17. Airway Obstruction – Unconscious Adult/Child
Look inside victim’s mouth
If you see the object, remove it with your finger
Replace the mask and give 2 rescue breaths.
If they don’t go in, repeat the cycle of chest thrusts, object check and breaths

18. Unconscious Choking Infant
If breaths do not go in, reposition and try again
If they still don’t go in, begin a cycle of 5 chest thrusts/5 back blows
Check for object
Give breaths

19. DVD Segment: Airway Obstruction