PADI RTO First Aid Student Manual

A severe asthma attack includes some or all of the following signs and symptoms: gasping for breath (which may have little or no wheeze due to little movement of air); severe chest tightness; inability to speak more than one or two words per breath; feeling distressed and anxious; little or no improvement after using “reliever” medication; sucking in’ of the throat and rib muscles, use of shoulder muscles or bracing with arms to help breathing; blue discolouration around the lips (can be hard to see if skin colour also changes); pale and sweaty skin; symptoms rapidly getting worse; or using reliever more than every two hours. What are the triggers of asthma? In asthma, symptoms are made worse by ‘triggers’. Every person’s asthma is different and not all people will have the same triggers. Triggers can include colds and flu, cigarette smoke, exercise, inhaled allergens (e.g. pollens, moulds, animal dander, dust mites), environmental factors (e.g. dust, pollution, wood smoke, bush fires), changes in temperature and weather, certain medications (e.g. aspirin), chemicals and strong smells (e.g. perfumes, cleaning products), emotional factors (e.g. laughter, stress), some foods and food preservatives, flavourings and colourings (uncommon). What are the different types of bronchodilators? Bronchodilators are medications used to help improve airflow into the lungs. They act to relieve symptoms such as shortness of breath during asthma attacks by relaxing the smooth muscle surrounding the airways. Long-acting bronchodilators take effect after 30 minutes and can give symptom relief for 12 hours. Because they do not take effect right away, they cannot be used as rescue inhalers to stop an asthma attack after symptoms start. They should also not be used as stand-alone medication for asthma in adults or children and should only be used for the shortest time possible to achieve asthma control. Short-acting bronchodilators contain quick relief medicine as they reverse airway constriction quickly. They are commonly used as rescue inhalers to treat acute symptoms and asthma flare-ups. How do you provide first aid for asthma? Sit the person comfortably upright, be calm and reassuring and don’t leave the person alone. Give 4 puffs of a blue/grey reliever (e.g. Ventolin, Asmol or Airomir) and use a spacer, if available. Give 1 puff at a time with 4 breaths after each puff and use the person’s own inhaler if possible. If the person still cannot breathe normally, call EMS (Triple Zero – 000) immediately. Say that someone is having an asthma attack. Keep giving reliever by giving 4 puffs every 4 minutes until the ambulance arrives. Basic anatomy and physiology This section introduces you to infant respiratory systems along with the basic anatomical differences between adults and children and the implications for providing CPR and first aid to children and infants. We’ll also look at the normal clinical values for infants and children.

HLTAID004 - PROVIDE AN EMERGENCY FIRST AID RESPONSE IN AN EDUCATION AND CARE SETTING

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PADI RTO