Medical Emergencies
Medical Emergencies
Medical Emergencies
Aims &Objectives
At the end of the session the students will be
able to:
identify medical emergencies
Understand resuscitation procedures
provide immediate management of anaphylactic
reaction, hypoglycaemia, upper respiratory
obstruction, cardiac arrest, fits, vasovagal attack,
inhalation or ingestion of foreign bodies
apply the principles of first aid
First Aid
Burns
Nose bleed
Cuts
Foreign object in the eye
Asthma
Clinical features of acute severe asthma include:
Inability to complete sentences in one breath.
Raised respiratory rate
Increased heart rate
Management of Asthma
Acute asthma
Most attacks will respond to a few activations of the
patients own inhaler such as salbutamol
Repeat doses may be necessary.
Reassure and calm patient
Anaphylaxis
Urticaria, erythema,
rhinitis, conjunctivitis.
Abdominal pain,
vomiting, diarrhoea.
Flushing and swelling
of the face, especially
of the eyelids and
lips.
Difficulty in breathing
Vasodilation leading to
low blood pressure and
collapse.
Respiratory arrest
Cardiac arrest.
Anaphylaxis
Myocardial infarction
- Progressive onset of
severe, central crushing
chest pain.
- May radiate to the
shoulders, arms and into
the neck, jaw or through to
the back.
- Pale & clammy skin
- Nausea and vomiting
- Weak pulse
- Shortness of breath.
Cardiac
Emergencies
Angina
Myocardial Infarction
Angina
Give sublingual GTN spray if this has
not already been used.
Myocardial Infarction
Call immediately for an ambulance.
Give high flow oxygen (10 litres per
minute).
Give sublingual GTN spray
Reassure the patient
Give aspirin in a single dose of 300 mg
orally, crushed or chewed.
Epilepsy
Aura phase
Tonic phase
Clonic phase
Epilepsy
Epilepsy
Hypoglycaemia
Hypoglycaemia
Syncope
(vasovagal attack,
simple faint)
Patient feels:
- faint / dizzy / light
headed;
Signs:
-slow pulse rate
-pallor and sweating
-nausea and vomiting
Patient may lose
consciousness.
Syncope
Choking
Choking
see-saw respirations
Complete obstruction
blue lips and tongue
no breath sounds
What to do!
airway clearance
head tilt/ chin lift
jaw thrust
remove visible foreign
bodies, debris
simple airway adjuncts
oropharyngeal
nasopharyngeal
give oxygen
Adult
Basic Life Support
Algorithm
Based on the Resuscitation
Council (UK)
Adult BLS
Unresponsive adult
Check safe environment
Shout for help
Shake to rouse
Check airway
Check breathing
If not breathing send for an ambulance
Adult BLS
Adult BLS
Other considerations
Airway adjuncts
Pocket masks
Oxygen
Bag valve mask