Chapter 15

Common Sudden Illnesses  Fainting.  Diabetic emergencies.  Seizures.  Stroke.  Poisoning.  Heart attack.  Shock.

General guidelines of care:  Do no further harm.  Monitor breathing and consciousness.  Help victim rest in most comfortable position.  Keep victim from getting chilled or overheated.  Reassure victim.  Give specific care needed.

Fainting  Fainting: partial or complete loss of consciousness caused by a temporary reduction of blood to the brain. Signals:  Cool, pale or moist skin.  Nausea.  Numbness or tingling in fingers & toes.

Care for Fainting  Position victim on their back  Elevate the legs 12in.  Loosen restrictive clothing.  Check for any other conditions  Don’t give anything to eat or drink.  Don’t splash with water or slap face.  If victim recovers quickly & has no lasting signals, you may or may not need to call 9-1-1

Diabetic Emergencies  The condition in which the body doesn’t produce enough insulin or doesn’t use insulin effectively is diabetes.  Insulin: a hormone that helps sugar pass from bloodstream to cells.  Without a proper balance of sugar & insulin, cells will starve and body will not function properly.

Diabetic Emergencies  Two types:  Hyperglycemia: condition where blood sugar is too high  Hypoglycemia: condition where blood sugar is too low

Signals Changes in the level of consciousness, including dizziness, drowsiness and confusion.  Irregular breathing.  Abnormal pulse (rapid or weak).  Feeling or looking ill.

Care for Diabetic Emergency Conscious victim:  Check/care for non and life- threatening conditions.  Look for a medical alert tag or ask the victim if they have diabetes.  If able to swallow, give them sugar in the form of fruit juice, candy or a non-diet soda

Unconscious Victim  If the victim is unconscious—  Call  Don’t give them anything by mouth.  Monitor signs of life.  Keep them from getting overheated or chilled

Seizures  The chronic form of seizure is known as epilepsy.  Seizures can range from mild blackouts to sudden, uncontrolled muscular contractions that can last several minutes.

Signals of Seizures  A change in the level of consciousness  Rhythmic jerking of the head and limbs  Urinating or defecating  Confusion  Drowsiness  Crying out  Becoming rigid  Holding the breath  Upward rolling of the eyes

Care for Seizures  Don’t restrain the victim.  Protect victim from injury by removing nearby objects  After the seizure, position them on one side so fluid can drain from the mouth.  Check for life-threatening conditions.  Stay with them until they are fully conscious & aware of their surroundings.  Call 9-1-1

Stroke  Stroke: disruption of blood flow to a part of the brain, causing permanent damage to brain tissue.  Ways to reduce the risk of a stroke:  Controlling blood pressure  Not smoking  Eating a healthy diet  Exercising regularly  Controlling diabetes

Signals  Appearing or feeling ill, displaying abnormal behavior  Sudden weakness or numbness of the face, arm or leg, often on only one side of the body  Difficulty speaking or being understood  Blurred or dimmed vision  Pupils of unequal size  Sudden severe headache  Dizziness  Confusion  Change in mood  Ringing in the ears  Loss of consciousness  Loss of bowel or bladder control

F.A.S.T  Face — Weakness on one side of the face.  Arm — Weakness or numbness in one arm.  Speech — Slurred speech or trouble speaking.  Time — Time to call if you see any of these signals.

Care for Stroke  Care for life-threatening conditions.  Call  Position him or her on one side (affected or paralyzed side down) to allow fluids to drain.  Stay with the victim until EMS  If the victim is conscious—  Check for non-life-threatening conditions.  Offer comfort and reassurance.  Have victim rest in a comfortable position.