When your friends, relatives, or even passersby suddenly faint like in the above situation, it is not a rare occurrence in our daily life. In this situation, not everyone is calm enough to handle the situation. The following are instructions on first aid steps to handle fainting and examples of mistakes that can negatively affect the victim.
Usually, fainting has many causes and the cause needs to be diagnosed by a doctor for long-term treatment. However, we need to give the victim first aid.
Firstly, if they faint on the table, two people should help them to lie flat so blood can more easily reach the brain. Once they lie flat, begin to take their pulse by using two fingers: the index finger and the middle finger. Position your two fingers on the wrist from the thumb down and press, checking to feel the pulse. See if the pulse rate is too fast or too slow.
In the case of a fast pulse rate
Our normal heart rate is about 60 to 90 beats per minute. If the pulse is too fast, this could be a life-threatening shock. We must immediately call an ambulance because it can take 15 – 20 minutes for an ambulance to arrive. We still let the victim lie down and observe their breathing.
Place the victim in a side-lying position, which is the recovery position.
If during that time, the victim is still unconscious, we must put them in the recovery position so that if any fluids from the body spill out, they will flow to the ground and not block the airway. If the victim wakes up immediately, we need to lean them over while waiting for the ambulance to arrive.
>>> Instructions for placing the victim on their side (recovery position) via the SSVN First Aid app
In the case of a slow pulse rate
In some cases, it’s because of emotions or because they fasted last night, stayed up late, etc. which can cause temporary fainting, and we will see a slow pulse. At this point, you can let the victim lie down, usually after a while they will wake up and it is not necessary to call an ambulance. When they wake up, they may be tired, so we should take them to the hospital to check the cause of their condition.
If we let the victim lie down for about 1-2 minutes and they still do not wake up, then we should call an ambulance.
Common ways to support people who faint
Here are some common WRONG ways to help people who faint, please DO NOT apply:
- Give lemon juice or sugar water, etc. into the victim’s mouth. At this time, the victim is unconscious and cannot eat or drink. Things put into the mouth may not go into the esophagus but go into the airway (trachea) and cause the airway to close, causing airway obstruction. This is a serious condition for the victim.
- Splashing water, slapping the face to wake up, pulling sideburns, pressing acupressure points: these methods do not help the victim.
>>> Watch the instructional video supporting people who suddenly faint
You can participate in online learning or practice first aid operations for people who faint at SSVN Survival Skills, detailed information and registration at: elearning.survivalskills.vn
