Your Doctor
Medical emergencies
What usually are the serious emergencies?
There are a number of serious health condition requiring emergent attention. These medical conditions briefly are: Heart attack, Stroke, Shortness of breath, Allergic reaction, Fracture etc.
How to recognise heart attack or what are the symptoms?
Chest pain is the most common symptom of a heart attack, which occurs when an artery is blocked by a blood clot. This stops blood flow to the heart and damages the cardiac muscles. The pain in heart attack is felt usually in the middle of the chest and may radiate to the jaw, neck, shoulders, back or arms. Shortness of breath, nausea or vomiting and profuse sweating are also seen.
In case of heart attack how the patient can help himself or how others can help?
If the symptoms last longer than three to five minutes and are particularly severe or arent relieved by antacids and sub-lingual glycerine trinitrate tablet or spray (Angesed or Nitromint) then call an ambulance or get a transport to go to hospital or centers where help is available for such emergency.
Never drive yourself to the hospital since there is a strong possibility that you may pass out. Paramedics can provide early medical care in cardiac ambulances or ambulances carrying defibrillators, the machines that can restore a normal heart rhythm and prevent death. You can take an aspirin (300 mg) right away. It has been shown to limit damage from a heart attack. Till help is reached, you should lie down, breathe slowly and keep calm. Anxiety and activity can increase heart damage.
What is stroke and what are the symptoms?
As the name implies, a stroke hits suddenly- when a blood clot or hemorrahage affect the brain, preventing blood and oxygen from circulating. Symptoms include unexpected numbness and weakness that usually affects on side of the body- vision disturbance and inability to speak.
How to help ones ownself or someone else?
Have the person sit down immediately so he/she does not fall. Call an ambulance or a transport for evacuation. make sure the airway is open by tilting the head back and the chin up.
How shortness of breath occurs?
Many conditions can cause severe shortness of breath-pneumonia, asthmsa, inhalation of toxic fumes and smoke bronchitis, an airway obstruction, a blood clot in the lungs or a heart attack.
What are the symptoms of shortness of breath?
Nostrils that opens wide- an Adams apple that moves up when you inhale gasping, dizziness and/or fainting.
What could be done?
Call an ambulance or arrange a transport for evacuation of the pt. In the ambulance you will get oxygen supply. Sit with your head elevated-breath slowly and deeply, remain calm.
What can cause allergic reaction?
A serious allergic reaction can occur after eating certain foods, receiving an injection, taking a drug or getting an insect bite or sting. However many a times cause could not be known.
What are symptoms of severe allergy?
Severe or sudden hives, itching or a rash-flushed skin-swollen tissues around the mouth and in the airway- breathing difficulties such as wheezing, physical weakness- nausia, dizziness and/or collapse.
How to identify fractures?
It can be difficult to distinguish a mere sprain from a more serious fracture without an X-ray. Fractures are signaled by intense pain or swelling, an inability to use a body part- hip, wrist, arm, shoulder, ankle, leg or an obviously mishappen or broken extremity or body part.
What to do in case of fracture?
When in doubt go to a hospital. While you are in transit follow the RICE procedure, if you can: R stands for rest, I stands for icing the injury to reduce swelling, C stands for compression and E stands for elevation of the body part, so blood and other fluids wont poor there.
