What to do if water enters the lungs while swimming. What happens if food enters the lungs. Water or food has entered the respiratory tract: treatment. How can a foreign body get into the airways Folk remedies for fluid stagnation

Fluid in the lungs is a serious problem that requires medical attention. Complications of the disease can lead to the death of the patient. The presence of fluid in the pulmonary system indicates a number of diseases.

Treatment of the disease depends on the degree of filling with liquid. The alveoli of the lungs are filled with fluid instead of blood. Such a pathology directly depends on mechanical damage to the walls of the lungs or high blood pressure. What is the cause of such a pulmonary pathology? What are the consequences of liquid entering the lungs?

Fluid in the lungs appears due to the penetration of the walls of the tissues of the lung due to a violation of their integrity. In this case, swelling of the lung tissues and the formation of exudate are observed. Turbid content seeps into the alveoli. This condition can be caused by:

• inflammatory processes of lung tissues with pleurisy, tuberculosis intoxication and pneumonia;
• with a weak heartbeat;
• in heart failure, when the presence of fluid affects the increase in blood pressure;
• congenital and hereditary heart diseases (malformation);
• trauma to the chest and lungs;
• with brain injuries;
• during operations on the brain;
• with pneumothorax;
• oncological neoplasms;
• renal or hepatic insufficiency;
• in severe cases of cirrhosis of the liver.

Among other reasons, doctors call bacterial and viral etiology. It is possible that swelling and the appearance of fluid in the lung tissue are the result of systemic disorders of the body due to diseases: lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, thromboembolism of the arteries of the lung, aneurysms and hemodialysis.

The physiological state during illness is related to how much fluid has accumulated in the walls of the lungs. Fluid symptoms:

1. The appearance of shortness of breath. Doctors consider this phenomenon the most important symptom. If the disease increases gradually, then shortness of breath may border on fatigue and vice versa. These signs appear in a fairly calm state and can occur without any reason. In acute cases, the patient may suffocate.
2. With the aggravation of the disease, a cough appears and mucus may be secreted. Against the background of these processes, dizziness, tachycardia, nervous breakdown and hunger appear.
3. Some patients feel pain in the lower part of the chest, with severe coughing attacks they intensify.
4. The symptom of oxygen starvation provokes a cyanotic tint of the skin.
5. In some cases, patients become restless, and nervous disorders are observed.

Attacks of coughing and shortness of breath most often appear in the early morning. At other times of the day, coughing is provoked by stressful conditions, physical activity, or chills during hypothermia. Against the background of heart failure, coughing can cause restless sleep.

Pulmonary edema and fluid formation is a rather life-threatening disease. The blood vessels do not transport oxygen in the prescribed volume, and the nutrition of the lungs is insufficient. Hypoxia of the lungs increases with an increase in accumulated fluid and swelling of the lung tissue. The consequence of this phenomenon may be weakened or rapid breathing. Exacerbates swelling of the lungs intermittent cough. With such symptomatic attacks, the secretion of mucus increases, and the patient feels fear of death, showing external anxiety. By external signs, symptoms can be observed: pallor and chills of the body. In this case, the body temperature decreases. The symptom of pulmonary edema can be observed in the elderly.

If the first symptoms of swelling of the lung tissues are detected, preventive measures should be taken immediately and the patient should be sent to a medical institution. If this is not done, then in most cases the presence of such symptoms leads to death.

When the first symptoms appear, the patient is sent for a diagnostic study. This can be done quickly and results can be obtained within a short period of time.

To determine the exact diagnosis, the doctor will need to take a history of symptoms, make the patient a chest x-ray and an ultrasound of the lungs. In the latter case, the presence and amount of liquid exudate in the lung tissues is determined. Additional biochemical tests of blood, urine, and pulmonary exudate may be required to more accurately determine the diagnosis. Medical protocols define the following list of doctor's actions in the presence of the above symptoms in a patient:

• classification of patient complaints;
• examination and determination of the general condition (measurement of body temperature, determination of the color of the skin);
• the conclusion of the X-ray examination;
• ultrasound data;
• analysis of blood, urine and exudate.

For additional diagnostics, an anamnesis is used in terms of studying pressure in the lung tissues, they study an analysis of blood coagulation, exclude or vice versa, diagnose a symptom of a heart muscle infarction. In the anamnesis of the patient's disease, biochemical analyzes and the presence of concomitant diseases - kidneys, liver and brain are carefully checked.

In case of concomitant symptoms, complex treatment is prescribed.

A complex of therapeutic measures is applied depending on the history of the disease and the severity of the patient. In the treatment of swelling of the lung tissue, methods are used:

1. In heart failure, treatment is carried out on the basis of the use of diuretics. Diuretics help to remove excess fluid from the body, thereby reducing the load on the lung tissue.
2. If the cause of the disease is an infectious environment, then antiseptic and antibiotic drugs are used in complex treatment.
3. The cause of the appearance of pulmonary exudate can be explained by renal failure during hemodialysis. In this case, the method of artificial removal of excess fluid from the patient's body is used. For these purposes, a catheter is used.
4. In severe cases, a ventilator is used. This maintains the general condition of the patient. Oxygen inhalations are also possible.

With a symptom of severe shortness of breath, fluid will be pumped out. To do this, a catheter is inserted into the lung cavity.

ethnoscience

The accumulation of fluid in the lungs is a dangerous phenomenon requiring hospitalization of the patient. However, in case of improvement in the condition, it is possible to deal with this problem with folk remedies.

A decoction of anise seeds will help. Anise seeds in the amount of 3 tsp boil in a glass of honey for 15 minutes. Then add ½ teaspoon of soda there and you can take it orally.

Flaxseed decoction: Boil 4 tablespoons of flaxseeds in a liter of water, then let it brew. Strain and take orally every 2.5 hours for 100-150 ml.

You can carefully grind the cyanosis root -1 tbsp. l. fill with water - 0.5 l. and placed in a water bath for 40 minutes. Then all this must be filtered and taken during the day, 50 ml. You can take up to 4 times a day.

The treatment of pulmonary edema and the removal of accumulated fluid is a very complex process and requires patience and endurance of the patient. At the slightest suspicion of pulmonary edema, one should not neglect treatment and take one's health lightly. Moreover, prescribe yourself treatment in the form of antibiotics or antiviral drugs. This is not the case “I will lie down, and everything will pass”, it is necessary to treat it. Delay in medical care can cost the patient's life.

Possible consequences

With minor symptoms and the presence of fluid in the lungs, there is a positive trend in the treatment of such a disease. If all precautions and recommendations of doctors are observed, then a favorable outcome of treatment is inevitable. This mainly occurs with pleurisy or pneumonia, unless there are complications of another etiology. Severe forms of the disease and consequences can complicate further rehabilitation of recovery.

The consequences of severe edema may be deterioration in lung function, chronic conditions of hypoxia. A serious consequence of such a violation in the functioning of the pulmonary system can be an imbalance in the nervous system and the functioning of the brain. The consequences of the disease can provoke chronic diseases of the liver and kidneys. And disturbances in the work of the brain can cause vegetative-vascular disorders, strokes and lead to death. As a result, the prevention of diseases of the pulmonary system is important.

Preventive measures

It is impossible to exclude the risk of disease. Especially if the factors of a bacterial-infected environment can become the reason for this. It is impossible to save yourself from infectious pleurisy or pneumonia. But it is important to know the precautions during seasonal periods.

Patients with chronic diseases of the cardiovascular system should undergo a study at least 2 times a year.

Swelling of the lungs can provoke allergic reactions. Therefore, people prone to allergies should constantly use antihistamines or avoid provoking allergens as much as possible.

When in contact with harmful substances (chemical production, accidents at chemical plants), one should not forget about protective measures - a respirator and a protective suit. For such people, regular preventive examinations are provided.

An important role in the prevention of diseases of the pulmonary system is played by a healthy lifestyle, smoking cessation. This is not only about swelling, but also other lung diseases that this harmful addiction can provoke.

Recent studies by scientists have identified another reason for the appearance of fluid in the lungs - the ingress of toxic substances and carcinogens that tobacco smoke contains. Nicotinic substances that enter the lungs are transported through the vessels to other organs and systems and provoke chronic diseases. At the slightest opportunity, you should independently abandon this bad habit or seek help from a psychotherapist.

Basically, water in the lungs, with proper treatment, can have a favorable outcome.

Even after recovery, you should constantly monitor your well-being and respiratory system and constantly consult in the clinic.

Especially during seasonal temperature fluctuations.

The beginning of the beach season implies not only fun activities in the water, but also the appearance of some risks. First of all, there is a risk that the child cannot choke while bathing. In this case, adults need to clearly understand what to do if water gets into the child's lungs.

What is the danger of a condition when water gets into the lungs of a child?

The presence of fluid in the lungs can cause inflammation of the tissues, possibly causing pulmonary insufficiency, and this condition is life-threatening for the child. In order for the child to begin to breathe normally, everything must be done to remove water from the respiratory tract.

What needs to be done in order to remove water from the lungs of a child?

First of all, it is necessary to study the correct sequence of first aid for a person who has got water in his lungs. First you need to figure out how much water the child swallowed.

If a child does not get a very large amount of water into the lungs, then he is unlikely to lose consciousness, rather he will have a strong cough.

The fact that there is already water in the lungs, says the color of the child's skin. If the baby's skin turns bluish, it means that the water has reached the lungs and there is a large amount of water there. If the skin is pale, then this indicates that the water has not yet reached the lungs. In this case, the child may lose consciousness.

While the child is unconscious, water that enters the lungs will come out as a foamy liquid. Fluid can come out not only from the mouth, but from the nose.

Watch the video film "Water got into the lungs of a child":

First of all, you need to make sure that an ambulance is called. It is also necessary to take active steps to remove water from the lungs and resume breathing. To do this, artificial respiration is necessary for the child. However, before this, it is necessary to remove water from the lungs. To do this, you can tilt the child's head and tap between the shoulder blades on the back.

Sometimes such actions do not give the desired result, and it simply does not work to remove water from the lungs. In this case, another method can be used, but it will only be effective if the child is conscious.

It is necessary to ask the victim to stand up and put his hand, clenched into a fist, on the lower abdomen (below the ribs), however, the hands are above the navel. Then you need to sharply push and put pressure on the stomach.

Such manipulations can be performed several times, it helps to normalize breathing and water comes out of the lungs.

If a child has a lot of water in his lungs, then most likely he is in an unconscious state, and such measures will be effective: you need to turn the person to face the ground and lean his chest on his knee. Then you need to cause a gag reflex in a person, for this you need to press on the root of the tongue. Perform cotton movements on the back between the shoulder blades. It is also necessary to constantly monitor the heartbeat of the child.

If such manipulations do not help, it is necessary to do artificial respiration and heart massage. In such a rhythm, it is necessary to work until the ambulance arrives, and then transfer control over the situation to specialists.

Talk about the rules of behavior on the water, control the children. As a rule, children who do not know or grossly violate the rules of behavior on the water get into such situations.

When someone chokes on water, you need to free the airways from it. The provision of first aid depends on how difficult the victim's breathing is. If you choke on a sip of water:

1. Tilt the person forward and tap between the shoulder blades. It is important to do this only by tilting the patient! Otherwise, water may move into the trachea.

2. If it doesn’t help, we use Heimlich (We use it only if the person is conscious.):

• You need to go around the person and stand behind him.
• We clench one hand into a fist, with the part where the thumb is placed on the epigastric region (the upper middle part of the abdomen above the navel immediately below the ribs)
• Grasp the fist with the other hand and push upward, pressing the stomach.
• Hands must be bent at the elbows! Repeat the reception several times until the person begins to breathe!

If water, what to do:

1. Put the baby on the tummy.

2. Slightly tilt face down.

3. Gently knock on the back - 5 strokes.

If water enters the respiratory tract in large quantities:

1. Put the person on your knee and press on the root of the tongue.

2. Induce vomiting.

3. Tap between the shoulder blades.

4. If the patient does not show signs of life, it must be done alternately with chest compressions. 2 breaths for 30 compressions.

5. Call an ambulance.

Symptoms

Symptoms depend on how much liquid the person chokes on. When it is just a sip, the victim will cough, hold on to the throat, and possibly turn red. But you can choke not only while drinking, when swimming people choke on water more often. In this case, a person may lose consciousness, his skin becomes cyanotic. With the manifestation of such symptoms, it is urgent to resuscitate the victim.

Treatment

All treatment is to eliminate water from the respiratory tract. It is important to make sure that the liquid does not get into the trachea and lungs. To do this, you need to take an x-ray. When water is retained in the airways, there is a risk of developing pneumonia. Treatment will be with the use of antibiotics, anti-inflammatory and other drugs.

Consequences

If the victim chokes on a small amount of liquid, then there will be no consequences. However, when bathing, even choking is possible. In this case, you need to urgently call an ambulance, even in a normal state. Fluid could get into the lungs, bronchi, trachea, which often causes severe inflammatory processes. Elimination of the consequences will take place under hospital conditions with the use of potent drugs.

Recovery from inhalation of a small amount of fluid is a matter of simple precautions and precautions. Drink water slowly, in small sips.

Probably, this situation is familiar to everyone: he was in a hurry to eat quickly on the go, swallowed large pieces or talked while eating, and as a result, he choked. Asphyxia, which occurs when a foreign body (food, in this case) enters the respiratory tract, is very dangerous for human life. If emergency measures are not taken, oxygen will not enter the brain, the person subsequently loses consciousness. If breathing is not restored in time, the victim may die in a couple of minutes.

If n a person is able to clear his throat. The best way to help him is to give a napkin or handkerchief to wipe his tears. In this situation, it is a natural defensive reaction n a small piece of food got into the respiratory tract, a function of the body that helps push an object out of the trachea, making it difficult to breathe. In this case, it is not necessary to interfere with a person with some other manipulations.
If you are choking, you need to straighten up and try to slowly inhale, and then exhale sharply, while bending at the waist. Thanks to this simple method, you will be able to cough better.
In no case should the victim be slapped on the back, as this can provoke the advancement of the foreign body even deeper and completely block breathing. But, if in a few minutes a person did not cough up what got into the trachea, or a large piece of food completely blocked it, stopping the respiratory process, you need to help the victim faster.

The fact that a person's life is in danger may be evidenced by the bluish-red color of his face, the inability to breathe. In this case, the victim may clutch at the throat or chest.
Call an ambulance. And before the arrival of doctors, take care of saving lives yourself. The Heimlich method will help here, which consists of the following activities:

• Stand behind the back of the choking person, wrap your arms around him.
• Clench one hand into a fist. Place your fist with the side where the thumb is located on the stomach in the area between the place where the ribs converge and the navel.
• The palm of the other hand should be placed on top of the fist.
• Sharply press your fist into your stomach, bending your arms at the elbows. In this case, you can not squeeze the chest.

Such movements must be repeated until breathing resumes, or until the person is conscious.
If the person who is choking has lost consciousness, you need to put him on a hard surface, face up. Cover your head with something cold. Then, with a strong push, press on the upper part of his abdomen, about 10 cm below the solar plexus. It is necessary to repeat until the resumption of the respiratory process.

When such a nuisance happened to a nursing baby, to resume breathing, put the baby on your arm so that his face is in your palm. Tilt the axis of his body forward, and the child's legs should be located on both sides of the adult's forearm. Then clap your palm between his shoulder blades until the baby coughs up the foreign body into your hand. If nothing comes out in this way, you can also use the Heimlich method, but carefully calculate your strength.

If you are choking and there is no one to help, you can also use this method. Place your fist on the area between your navel and where your ribs meet. Push in and up. Also, instead of a fist, the edge of the table, the railing or the back of the chair can protrude.

After normal breathing is restored, a person may also cough. Therefore, everything exactly needs to see a doctor to exclude the possibility that at least a small piece of food will remain in the airways.

Air enters the lungs through the trachea. When you exhale, the air from the lungs again enters the trachea. When swallowing, the epiglottis closes the entrance to the larynx, preventing food from entering the trachea. Thus, the epiglottis, upper larynx, vocal cords, and cough reflex are reliable defense mechanisms that prevent foreign bodies from entering the trachea. When a foreign object enters the trachea and the upper part of the larynx, pain occurs, spasm of the larynx, suffocation, the voice becomes hoarse or disappears altogether. If the protective mechanism does not work, then saliva, food or foreign bodies enter the respiratory tract. As a result, there is a strong cough and gag reflex. Thanks to these reflexes, a foreign object is removed from the trachea. If the foreign body cannot be removed, then breathing is disturbed, air does not enter the lungs. The person begins to choke, which causes him a strong fright. If a foreign object is not removed in a timely manner, then the person dies of suffocation.

Various foreign bodies can get into the trachea: small objects, pieces of food, powdered substances, etc.

small items

The risk group includes small children who pull any objects into their mouths. Children often choke on small pieces of food. Foreign objects can get not only into the trachea. They can also get stuck in the back of the mouth or in the throat. When a foreign object gets stuck, swelling of the mucous membrane of the respiratory tract occurs, which makes it difficult to remove the body.

Food fragments can get into the trachea when swallowing, for example, a piece that is too large. In an unconscious person, food can also enter the trachea. The fact is that when a person is unconscious, his body muscles relax and the contents of the stomach rise up.

Powdered substances

Powdered substances are very often inhaled by young children (for example, when playing with powder or flour). When inhaled, particles of a powdered substance penetrate deep into the trachea and, falling on the bronchi, stick them together.

Signs of a foreign object entering the trachea

The person providing first aid cannot see a foreign object in the airways. Its presence can be suspected by the characteristic symptoms:

• Sudden cough.
• Suffocation.
• Strong fright.
• Blueness of the skin (cyanosis).

First aid

The first aid provider must:

• Keep calm, don't panic.
• Reassure the victim.
• Ask him to breathe calmly and control his breathing movements.

The best way to remove a foreign object from the trachea is a strong blow between the shoulder blades. The force of the blow should depend on the age of the victim. In addition, you can stand behind the victim, wrap your arms around him so that the hands folded into the lock are with the victim above the epigastric region, and sharply press on the epigastric region. As a result of these actions, air is pushed out of the lungs, and with it the foreign body. First aid for children and adults is different.

Foreign object in the trachea in children

• Bend over the child while supporting him with one hand.
• With the other hand, strike between the shoulder blades.

Previously, to remove a foreign body from the respiratory tract, the child was taken by the legs and, holding in this position, was tapped between the shoulder blades. However, due to possible injuries, this method is not currently used.

Help for babies

• Lay your baby on your arm, belly down.
• You must support his head with your hand. Make sure that your fingers do not cover his mouth.
• Hit the child hard on the back (between the shoulder blades).

Help for an adult

• Get on one knee.
• Bend the victim over your knee.
• Strike hard between the shoulder blades.

If after applying 2-3 blows to the back (between the shoulder blades) the foreign object is not removed, then urgently call an ambulance.

What to do if you choke, how to properly help the victim, and how to help yourself on your own?

Foreign body in the airways: how to recognize

How to recognize if a person has a foreign body stuck in the airways? Here are a few main signs:

• . The victim has a cough, lacrimation and redness of the face.
• Complicated breathing. Sometimes there is almost no breathing, cyanosis may appear around the lips.
• . This is the final stage in which the victim stops breathing. After some time, cardiac arrest is possible, followed by clinical death. If the person loses consciousness, cardiopulmonary resuscitation should be performed immediately.

First aid for a foreign body in the respiratory tract

The first thing to understand is to determine whether a person is breathing or not. If the victim is breathing at least somehow, then he should be told to cough harder. Often these words (and the corresponding actions of the victim) are enough for a small foreign body to come out of the respiratory tract on its own. If within 30 seconds a person could not breathe, then it should be applied. What does it consist of?

• You should stand behind the victim.
• Grab the victim's torso with both hands. Cover the fist of your right hand with the palm of your left hand. Now with the knuckle of the thumb of the right hand, make five strong pressures on the upper abdomen. The direction should be up and towards you. If the foreign body is removed, then the victim will recover breathing.

The Heimlich method is carried out until the foreign body leaves the respiratory tract. If during these events the victim lost consciousness, then the Heimlich method should be stopped, and instead, cardiopulmonary resuscitation should be started.

To understand what happens when you choke, you must first understand how the back of your throat works. Everything you eat and the air you breathe passes through your throat to enter your body.

Food and liquid passes through the larynx into the esophagus, then into the stomach. The air goes down into another branch - the trachea or windpipe, and from there it enters the lungs. Both of these paths start at the back of the throat.

And if both holes are open, how does food get into one and air into the other? Fortunately for us, our body keeps everything under control. Next to the windpipe is the epiglottis, which comes into action every time you swallow. It closes the "little door" that prevents food from entering the respiratory tract, and directs it through the esophagus to the stomach.

But if you laugh or talk while eating, the epiglottis does not have time to close in time. Food particles can slide down and enter the windpipe. If the particles are small, your body will easily force them out of the wrong place, forcing you.

Heimlich method in children

If a foreign body is stuck in the airway of a child under 1 year of age, then the rescuer should sit down, lay the child face down on the left forearm. The lower jaw of the baby should be held with fingers folded into a claw. Then, with the base of the palm, five blows of medium strength should be applied with the base of the palm to the area between the shoulder blades.

At the second stage of helping a child with foreign bodies - turn the child face up on the right forearm. Then you should apply five jerky movements along the sternum to a point that is located 1 finger below the inter-nipple line. Be careful not to push too hard to avoid damaging the baby's ribs.

When Food Gets Down the Wrong Throat

Everyone has had to deal with this problem. You take a sip and realize that the food went down the wrong throat. Then a cough begins, sometimes panic, but, as a rule, everything stops within a few seconds. This is because coughing is the body's natural defense against foreign bodies entering the trachea. Thanks to coughing, our body manages to get rid of “lost” pieces of food or other foreign particles that have accidentally entered the trachea.

But when the amount of food or its size is significant, suffocation can occur because the food or other object completely blocks the airways and air cannot pass through them into the lungs. In this case, a person can no longer get rid of a foreign body with a cough, stops breathing, talking, or even making some sounds. Usually, once in such a situation, the victim grabs his throat and / or begins to wave his arms. If the windpipe remains blocked for a long time, the person's face changes color from bright red to blue.

Our body needs oxygen to maintain life processes. When oxygen does not enter the lungs and brain for some time, a person may lose consciousness, and due to a prolonged lack of oxygen, irreversible changes occur in the brain, as a result of which a person may die.

What to do if someone is choking?

Respiratory arrest is a life-threatening condition. If you are trained in the Heimlich method, help immediately. If there is someone present who has the skill, give him the opportunity to help the victim. If the reception is performed incorrectly, you can harm the person and cause him pain. If the victim has stopped breathing and lost consciousness, the Heimlich maneuver should be performed simultaneously with (CPR).

Simple Precautions

• Be especially careful when eating certain foods that are easy to choke on. These are: nuts, grapes, raw carrots, popcorn, and hard or gummy candies.
• Try to eat while sitting, bite off food in small pieces, chew slowly. Don't try to speak with your mouth full. Remember, it's not even about good manners, it's about preventing choking.
• Watch out for small children. Babies love to put things in their mouths and taste things. Try to protect the child and make sure that small objects are out of reach for your baby.
• Learn the Heimlich maneuver. You can learn about it in first aid classes. For any person it will not be superfluous to own this skill. Who knows? Perhaps it is you who will have to become a savior when one of your relatives or friends chokes!

The topic of this article does not belong to the category of seasonal. But it is very relevant for anyone who has small children. However, in adults, such troubles also happen. I mean the ingress of a foreign body into the respiratory tract.

Let's talk briefly about adults first. How can a foreign body get into the airways of an adult? After all, he does not drag everything into his mouth, like children. Of course it doesn't drag. But some adults have a habit of holding some small objects in their teeth while working. Remember, didn’t you have a case that you held pins or small cloves, screws in your mouth. By the way, I often do this myself. Foreign bodies such as dentures can be inhaled by an adult during sleep or when the person is unconscious. And of course, do not forget that you can simply choke on food.

According to statistics, in 95-98% of cases, foreign bodies of the respiratory tract occur in children aged 1.5 to 3 years.

Children are little explorers. Everything is included in their field of study. And they want not only to see, hear and touch the surroundings, but to taste everything that their hands can reach. And these pens do not always reach only for toys. Often these are completely inappropriate items, for example, beads, buttons, beans or peas, nuts, and so on. Children try to apply small objects to everything and most often push them into the most inappropriate places. And such unsuitable places include the ears, nose and mouth. Some small object that the child has put in his mouth “jumps” into the larynx during a deep breath. The reason for such a breath can be fright, crying, screaming.

In addition, a child of this age is just learning to properly chew and swallow solid food. And, of course, he does not succeed immediately. Therefore, it is at this age that the danger of getting pieces of solid food into the respiratory tract is maximum.

It is also bad that the child cannot always tell what exactly happened to him. And sometimes foreign bodies in the airways are detected too late.

Now for some anatomy.

The structure of the respiratory tract in humans is as follows: when inhaling, air enters the nasal passages, then into the nasopharynx and oropharynx (here the respiratory system crosses with the digestive system). Then - the larynx. In the larynx, air passes through the vocal cords and then into the trachea. Here is the first feature: in the subglottic space in a child under 3-5 years old, lymphoid tissue is strongly expressed, which has a tendency to rapid swelling. This is what leads to the development of false croup in viral infections. And when foreign bodies get into this area, edema of the subglottic space also develops very quickly, narrowing the airways. At the level of 4-5 thoracic vertebrae, the trachea is divided into two main bronchi - the right and left, through which air goes to the right and left lungs, respectively. Here is the second feature: the right main bronchus is, as it were, a continuation of the trachea, departing to the side at an angle of only 25-30 degrees, while the left departs at an angle of 45-60 degrees. That is why most often foreign bodies of the respiratory tract fall into the generations of the right main bronchus. The right main bronchus is divided into three bronchi: upper, middle and lower lobe bronchus. The left main bronchus is divided into two bronchi: upper and lower lobe. Most often, foreign bodies are in the right lower lobe bronchus.

According to the mechanism of obstruction (opposition to normal operation) of the airways, foreign bodies differ in:

* non-obturating lumen. Air passes freely past the foreign body during inhalation and exhalation. * completely obturating lumen. Air does not pass at all. * obturating the lumen as a "valve". On inhalation, air passes by the foreign body into the lung, and on exhalation, the foreign body blocks the lumen, thereby preventing the exit of air from the lung.

Also, foreign bodies differ in the method of fixation.

A fixed foreign body sits firmly in the lumen of the bronchus and practically does not move during breathing.

A balloting foreign body is not fixed in the lumen and, when breathing, can move from one section of the respiratory system to another. Its movement can be heard with a phonendoscope in the form of "clapping" when breathing. Sometimes it can be heard even from a distance. In addition, a running foreign body is also dangerous because when it hits the vocal cords from below, a persistent laryngospasm occurs, which in itself leads to an almost complete closure of the laryngeal lumen.

Foreign bodies can enter any part of the respiratory tract. But in terms of localization, the most dangerous place is the larynx and trachea. Foreign bodies in this area can completely block the access of air. If you do not provide immediate assistance, then death occurs in 1-2 minutes.

For young children, the most dangerous situation is when a foreign body gets stuck between the folds of the glottis. In this case, the child cannot make a single sound. This is explained by the fact that a spasm of the glottis occurs, which can lead to respiratory arrest and suffocation. The child develops cyanosis (blue) of the mucous membranes and skin of the face.

The fact that an adult or a child is choking becomes clear by a sudden cough. At the same time, the person’s face turns red, tears appear in the eyes. And those around him readily knock on the back with a fist. More often, of course, the crumb that got "in the wrong throat" is removed with a cough. But if it's not a crumb, but, let's say, a piece of sausage, an apple, or a bone from a fruit? Then with each blow of the fist on the back, this piece will move further and further into the respiratory tract. Normal breathing in this case will be replaced by stridor, that is, breathing with a characteristic wheeze on inspiration and with the participation of the muscles of the face, neck and chest. But not only does the piece block the access of air. It also irritates the mucous membrane of the larynx or trachea, and this, in turn, leads to their swelling and abundant secretion and accumulation of mucus. If a foreign body also has sharp edges, such as a stone from a plum, then it injures the mucous membrane and blood is added to the mucus. The condition of the victim is getting worse right before our eyes. The face, red at first, turns blue, the veins swell on the neck, a sip is heard on inhalation and the subclavian and supraclavicular fossae are seen to sink. Coughing movements become less and less frequent, and the movements are more and more sluggish. And very quickly a person loses consciousness. This condition is called blue asphyxia.

If the victim is not quickly assisted, then blue asphyxia in a few minutes will pass into the stage of pale asphyxia. The skin will become pale with a grayish tint, the reaction of the pupils to light and the pulse on the carotid artery will disappear. In other words, clinical death will occur.

How to provide first aid in such a situation?

First, you can not waste time examining the oral cavity. Secondly, do not try to get a foreign body with your fingers or tweezers. If this is a piece of food, sausage or an apple, for example, then under the influence of saliva it will soften so much that when you try to get it, it will simply fall apart into smaller pieces. And one or more of these small pieces, when inhaled, will again fall into the respiratory tract.

But, no matter what the victim chokes on, the first thing to do is turn him over on his stomach and throw him over the back of a chair, chair, if he is an adult, or over his own thigh, if he is a child. Then you need to hit him several times with an open palm on the back between the shoulder blades. It is impossible to strike with a fist or with the edge of the palm.

If a small child chokes on a ball or pea, you need to quickly turn him upside down and tap on his back several times at the level of the shoulder blades with an open palm. In this case, the "Pinocchio effect" will work. It will look the same as in the fairy tale about Pinocchio, when money was shaken out of him. If, after several blows with the palm of the hand, the foreign body does not fall to the floor, then another method should be used.

But if a child chokes on a coin-shaped object, for example, a button, then another method should be used, since the one described above will not justify itself in this case, since the “piggy bank effect” is triggered. If you had a piggy bank as a child, remember how you tried to shake coins out of it. There is enough noise and ringing, but the coins don’t want to fall out of the piggy bank, because they can’t stand on their own edge and roll flat on themselves. In the same way, a flat and coin-shaped foreign body blocks the airways. We must force him to change position. To do this, use the method of concussion of the chest. As a result of the concussion, the foreign body will either turn around its axis and open the passage for air, or move down the trachea and end up in one of the bronchi. This will give the victim the opportunity to breathe at least one lung.

There are several ways to concussion chest. The most common and effective of them is short, frequent blows with an open palm on the back in the interscapular region.

There is another way, which in Russia is called the "method of the American police." I must say right away that I do not know why it is called that. In America, this technique is called the Heimlich method. This method has two versions.

First option

It is necessary to stand behind the choking person, take him by the shoulders and move him away from himself on outstretched arms. Then, sharply with force, hit him with his back against his own chest. Such a blow can be repeated several times. This option has one drawback. The chest, on which the victim must be hit, should be flat, masculine.

Second option

When using this option, you must also stand behind the victim. But in this case, it is necessary to clasp it with your hands so that the hands folded into the lock are below the xiphoid process of the victim. Then, with a sharp movement, it is necessary to strongly press on the diaphragm and at the same time hit the victim on his chest.

Both of these methods can be used if the victim is conscious. But at the same time, one must be prepared for the fact that the victim will develop a state of clinical death. Therefore, immediately after the impact, you can not unclench your hands, so that in the event of a cardiac arrest, do not let the victim fall.

The same method in relation to young children should be performed as follows:

1. Put the baby on a hard surface on his back, tilt his head back, raise his chin; 2. Place two fingers of one hand on the child's upper abdomen, between the xiphoid process and the navel, and quickly push inward and upward. The movement must be strong enough to remove the foreign object; 3. If the first time is not enough, then take up to four times.

Help for older children

If blows to the back do not help, then put the child on your lap, placing one of your hands on his stomach. Squeeze this hand into a fist, resting with the inner side where the thumb is located in the middle of his abdomen, and with the other hand, hold the child behind his back. Quickly press your fist on your stomach a little up and as deep as possible. The movement must be strong to push out the stuck object. Repeat pressing up to four times.

If the choking person has fallen into a coma, you must immediately turn him over on his right side and hit his back several times with his palm. But, unfortunately, as a rule, these actions do not bring success.

See you next time!

They were removed from the lungs under local anesthesia with the help of special tools. During the nut picking season, Kyiv specialists perform this procedure weekly on two or three babies who accidentally inhaled the nucleoli

Relatives brought a basket of young nuts from the dacha, - says the mother of two-year-old Andryusha Svetlana. - I cleaned the nucleoli from the film. Andryusha from time to time ran up to me and asked: “Mom, give me!” Once again, putting a nut in his mouth, the son choked. I tapped him on the back, he cleared his throat and resumed his game. Who would have thought that at that moment the pieces got into his bronchial tubes?

The next day Andryusha went to kindergarten. Educators noticed that from time to time the baby coughs. But he had no other symptoms of a cold. And suddenly

As usual, I came for my son, and I was met by a worried teacher: “Andryusha suddenly had a fever, he has a severe cough and wheezing in his chest,” Svetlana continues. The doctors diagnosed him with left-sided pneumonia. But the x-ray did not confirm this diagnosis, although breathing in the left lung was practically not audible. For almost a month Andryusha was treated for pneumonia, but there was no improvement. Then we were sent for a special examination - bronchoscopy.

Before this procedure, the doctors asked Svetlana in detail about how her child fell ill. Among the usual questions about the temperature and nature of the cough was an unusual one: “Maybe Andryusha choked shortly before the illness?”

That's when I remembered the day when we ate nuts, - says Svetlana.

In the autumn, during the season of collecting nuts, small children come to our department two or three times a week, whose airways accidentally got nucleoli, - says Yevgeny Simonets, surgeon at the pediatric thoracic surgery department of Kiev Clinical Hospital N 17. - On the x-ray, the pieces of the nut in the bronchi are not visible. That's why we ask parents if their child has choked or coughed while eating. Having clogged the lumen of the bronchus, pieces of walnut do not allow the lung to breathe in full, sputum collects there, which causes bronchitis or pneumonia. Only examination with a bronchoscope equipped with a miniature video camera helps to detect a foreign object in the bronchi. By the way, in addition to nuts, children inhale popcorn, pieces of straw, chewing gum, small parts of toys, coins. Our department even has a collection of retrieved items.

From fruits to small children it is better to make mashed potatoes

The doctors gave me pieces of the nut that were in my son's lungs - Oksana shows tiny fragments of the nucleolus. “I decided to keep them as a reminder of what happened. Now I don't let my son chew while playing. He knows what to eat while sitting quietly at the table.

We talked with Oksana on the eve of Andryusha's discharge from the hospital. When the nuts were removed from the child's lungs, the inflammatory process quickly stopped.

After bronchoscopy, the doctors prescribed a weekly course of treatment, Oksana continues. - Now I decided not to allow my son to eat his favorite nuts, chips, seeds, dryers. He, like other children, loves to chew them for a walk. In the hospital, I was also convinced that children should not buy chewing gum. They also often get into the bronchi. During our stay at the clinic, I saw kids who inhaled popcorn. There was even a case when black peppercorns were taken out of the lungs of a child!

It's hard to imagine that food can be so dangerous. But children under four years of age do not chew food well, and they have not yet developed a swallowing reflex.

Toddlers often swallow while inhaling, so pieces of food enter the respiratory tract with air, explains Evgeny Simonets. - And this happens mainly during the game or when the child is distracted. So if he often chokes while eating, you need to grind large pieces of food. Over time, the child will learn to eat properly. By the way, more than once it happened that the kids inhaled pieces of badly chewed apples. Fruit can be mashed so that unexpected situations do not arise.

Before this trouble, Andryusha had already eaten unblended food, says Oksana. - But now I try to chop the potatoes in the soup as much as possible, cut the meat into small pieces, grind the rough fruits. So it’s easier for my son to eat, and I’m calmer.

If the child coughs while eating and his skin begins to turn blue, something may have entered the lungs.

Sometimes during the game, children take small parts into their mouths - so as not to lose them, - says Yevgeny Simonets. - But, having played too much, they forget about them and swallow them. Foreign objects do not necessarily enter the lungs. They also get stuck in the esophagus, which has natural constrictions. In our practice, there was a case when a screw got into the airways of a child. It was impossible to extract it with a bronchoscope - it wedged into the wall of the bronchus. I had to do a major operation - a thoracotomy.

Do fish bones have to be removed from the esophagus? - I ask Evgeny Nikolaevich.

Yes, we have such patients too. Fish bones are very dangerous. Once in the esophagus or respiratory tract, they, as a rule, pierce the walls of the organ with a point. And when breathing or swallowing, they gradually move out, injuring the tissues even more. There is a girl in our department who has been wandering around hospitals since June. The fish bone stuck in the airways, inflammation began. They treated both bronchitis and pneumonia. When the patient was referred to us, the fish bone had already resolved, but the mucus accumulated in the lungs could only be removed with a bronchoscope.

How dangerous is chewing gum in the lungs?

If chewing gum closes the gaps in the bronchi, the child may suffocate. Getting into the bronchi themselves, the gum becomes viscous, loose. It has to be taken out in several stages, piece by piece.

What symptoms indicate that a foreign object has entered the lungs of a child?

The baby is salivating profusely, it is difficult for him to swallow, he may refuse to eat, which means that there is, for example, a fish bone in the esophagus. If the child suddenly coughed or choked and his skin began to turn blue, perhaps something got into the lungs. In any case, you need to contact the experts. Then the treatment will take no more than a day.

It happens that a woman who is in a clinic with a baby does not tell her husband what caused the disease. Afraid of reproach: “I didn’t keep track of the child!”

Some men do not understand that this can happen to an adult, - says Evgeny Simonets. - The main thing is to know where to turn to get qualified help. And then there will be no complications, no health consequences.

Secondary drowning can occur hours or even days after the person has drowned. The main thing is to see a doctor as soon as possible!

Secondary drowning can occur hours or even days after the person has drowned. The main thing is to see a doctor as soon as possible so that he takes urgent measures.

Summer brings more than just joy. Unfortunately, every summer there is a sad account of drowning on the beaches or in the pools. Drowning both adults and children. Of course, special attention should be paid to the safety of children.

In order for children to enjoy swimming without risk, you should not lose sight of them when they swim, check in the pool if the water outlet is equipped with a grate, and so on.

Of course, we are all horrified when we read reports of children who died in the water, drowned children.

But there is another type of accident, it is not so well known, but it also takes children's lives every year ...

This is the so-called "secondary drowning". In this case, drowning children or adults are rescued, pulled out of the water and brought back to life using appropriate procedures (artificial respiration, etc.).

They return home seemingly already in a normal state, but after a few hours or even days they begin to feel very tired, go to bed and ... no longer wake up. It's terrible, but it happens.

In this article, we will talk about secondary drowning so that you can take care of the safety of your children, and your own.

Secondary drowning: silent death

First, let's tell, or rather, retell one story that happened recently with Lindsay Kujawa (Lindsay Kujawa).This story also made it into the media., and, of course, Lindsey herself spoke about it in the blog. Her son was drowning in a home pool, he stayed under water for several seconds, fortunately, he was pulled out in time and resuscitation procedures were carried out.

Everything was fine with him, but Lindsey decided to contact the pediatrician and left him a message on the answering machine, where she told him what had happened. What was her surprise when the doctor reacted very quickly to this message and recommended that she take the child to the hospital as soon as possible.

When Lindsey found her son, she found that he was very sleepy. He was very tired, and his legs began to "tangle". There was clearly something wrong with him. This was confirmed by tests done in the hospital.

The boy's lungs were irritated and inflamed by chemicals commonly used in swimming pools. The level of oxygen in his blood dropped right before his eyes, and the child actually “drowned” without noticing it.

The doctors managed to save the boy with the help of the necessary medical procedures and good care. This took several days. Fortunately, the mother of the child quickly informed the doctor about what had happened, and the doctors took all necessary measures.

But not all such stories end in such a happy ending. Many children are known to die as a result of secondary drowning.

After a child has drowned, up to three days can pass without obvious symptoms of any health problems. But in the meantime, these problems are growing, and a tragedy occurs.

What you need to know about secondary drowning and dry drowning

"Dry" drowning occurs when the body and brain "feel" that it is now necessary to "breathe" water. Whereas defensive reaction, airway spasm occurs. Water does not enter the lungs, but air does not enter there either, as a result, a person is left without oxygen.

Secondary drowning occurs when water enters the lungs and stays there. You can "pump out" the child, but some of the water still remains in the lungs, and gradually it causes pulmonary edema. At first, this pulmonary edema does not create problems for the body, but through a few hours or days it can lead to death.

It must also be taken into account that water in swimming pools contains a lot of chemicals. If they enter the lungs with water, inflammation and irritation occurs there.

Chlorine is strong irritates the bronchi.

After the drowning child was pulled out of the water, some of the water was "squeezed" out of him and artificial respiration was performed, still some water can remain in the lungs. In a few hours this water causes inflammation of the bronchi, pulmonary edema occurs resulting in a decrease in the amount of oxygen in the blood.

If your child has drowned, even if it was "not for long", and he seems to be completely normal at first glance, contact the doctors urgently for emergency help.

Don't lose sight of your kids for a moment when you're at the beach or in the pool.

Teach them to swim as early as possible.

Even if the kids can swim, don't relax. The child may become ill or something (someone) may hit him in the pool (for example, another child will jump on him from the side). So, there is no need to lose vigilance, it is necessary to constantly monitor the children.

Enjoy the summer sun and swimming in the sea or pool with your children, but always remember what we have said in this article. The life and health of your children are worth it! published

P.S. And remember, just by changing your consumption, we are changing the world together! © econet