What are the first aid methods for tracheal foreign bodies

First aid for tracheal foreign body, as the name suggests, is the first aid method to be taken when the organ is stuck by foreign body. As the name suggests, it is necessary to master the first aid for tracheal foreign bodies, because this is a sudden event and there is very little time to wait, so knowledge needs to be reserved in the limited time. So, let’s learn about the first aid methods for tracheal foreign bodies.

Various manifestations of tracheal foreign body

After inhaling foreign objects, severe choking, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, wheezing and hoarseness may suddenly occur. Severe coughing can cause tearing and vomiting. After a paroxysmal cough, the foreign body sticks to the tracheal wall or gets stuck in the bronchial branch and does not move. At this time, the symptoms may be temporarily relieved, but the foreign body will move again after activity or change of body position, causing severe coughing and difficulty breathing. Foreign bodies in the common trachea can strike the glottis upward, producing a slapping sound against the glottis that can be heard at the end of a cough and inspiration. When a larger foreign body completely blocks the trachea, suffocation will occur immediately; when a smaller foreign body is lodged in the larynx, inspiratory dyspnea and laryngeal stridor, often with hoarseness, will occur.

If a foreign body enters one side of the trachea, the child will cough and wheeze, and later the trachea will be blocked, causing lung expansion and lung inflammation. If the foreign body is a plant containing fatty acid, such as peanuts, inflammation will be more obvious. Mild cases may cause lipid pneumonia, while severe cases may cause lung abscess and empyema, accompanied by symptoms of systemic poisoning. Small mineral foreign bodies are not enough to block the bronchi and there are no symptoms. After weeks and months, the lungs become diseased and children may have repeated fever and cough, and develop symptoms such as chronic bronchitis, chronic pneumonia, and bronchiectasis.

Every second counts in rescuing tracheal foreign bodies

Once a foreign object enters the trachea, the chance of coughing it out naturally is only about 2%. Infants and young children have weaker coughing power, so the chance of coughing it out is even smaller. Therefore, when parents encounter this situation, they should rush to send their children to the hospital for emergency treatment. On the way to the hospital, parents can hold the child with his head down, constantly pat the back and press the abdomen, trying to expel the foreign body. Never drink water, otherwise water may be inhaled into the trachea, which may have more serious consequences. Foreign bodies can be removed in the hospital using direct laryngoscopy or bronchoscope.

Prevention is the key to tracheal foreign bodies

It is best not for children under 3 years old to eat jelly, because jelly is a soft and elastic food that is easy to break and difficult to dissolve. Children often suck jelly, and if they play with it while eating, they can easily inhale the jelly into the trachea. The soft jelly can change with the contraction of the trachea and is not easy to be expelled, thus forming a blockage.

Do not give peanuts, melon seeds, beans or other foods with pits to children whose molars have not yet erupted, so as to avoid them accidentally entering the trachea.

Educate children not to put small toys in their mouths and not to run or jump around while eating to avoid inhaling food into their trachea when they fall. Adults should not tease, scold or threaten children while they are eating. If you find something in a child's mouth, you should gently persuade him to spit it out. Never use your fingers to forcibly remove the object, so as to avoid causing the child to cry and inhale it into the trachea.

Foreign bodies in the trachea and bronchi are one of the common critical emergencies in the otolaryngology department. If not treated in time, suffocation and cardiopulmonary complications may occur and endanger the patient's life, so on-site first aid is very important.

Steps/Methods

1

First aid for children: Let the child lie prone between his legs, with his head low and feet high, then use your palms to tap between the child's shoulder blades 4 times with appropriate force. If patting the back does not work, let the child's back rest on the rescuer's legs. The rescuer then uses the index and middle fingers of both hands to press the child's upper and middle abdomen backward and upward, and then relax. This can be repeated several times. If necessary, send the child to the hospital urgently.

First aid for foreign bodies in the trachea

2

Standing first aid method: The rescuer stands behind the patient, wraps his arms around the patient's waist, makes a fist with one hand, and presses the thumb side of the fist against the patient's upper abdomen (slightly above the navel); holds the clenched fist with the other hand and vigorously squeezes the patient's upper abdomen upward and backward. The squeeze should be quick and then release immediately.

First aid for foreign bodies in the trachea

3

First aid method in supine position: The patient lies on his back, and the rescuer kneels on the ground on the outside of the patient's thighs with his legs apart. He puts his palms together slightly above the patient's navel, and quickly squeezes downward and forward, then relaxes immediately after pressing.

The above is an introduction to the first aid methods for tracheal foreign bodies. It should be noted here that the best way to deal with tracheal foreign body first aid is to prevent it from appearing. In other words, prevention of tracheal foreign body is very important, especially for children. You should avoid eating too hard food and have your family watch you to avoid the need for emergency treatment of foreign objects in the trachea.