Did the Heimlich maneuver today

[KeepItSimpleStupid]

I just got in from shoveling/blowing snow and my elderly mom was choking on pieces from a grapefruit. Worked.

Good deed for today.

Some time ago, I found her on the floor in the kitchen, just after I had gotten up. Months earlier she ended up in the hospital after blacking out at a local fast food joint. Docs were baffled: We don't now what happened.

The second time it happened, I was able to take vitals: BP, P, blood sugar and discovered a very unsafe low blood pressure and pulse. Delt with that until she was stable and then took her into see her doc about 5 hrs later and reported my findings. One BP med was eliminated at that time.

 

[Pommie]

Well done. It's always good to know basic first aid. I think everyone should learn the basics. Here in Australia they now teach CPR in schools due to the high number of swimming pool drownings.

Edit, have a few more green boxes on me.

Mike.

 

[RMMM]

Agreed, everyone should learn basic first aid and CPR.

CPR is so simple now, no breathing at all. They say the chest compressions are enough and that they pull air on their own.

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

Agreed, everyone should learn basic first aid and CPR.

CPR is so simple now, no breathing at all. They say the chest compressions are enough and that they pull air on their own.

It's funny how it changes from year to year - I get the impression it makes very little difference exactly how you perform it.

As martial arts instructors, we all do regular first aid course, and our chief instructor now actually teaches first aid course (amongst other courses).

He's actually had to do CPR twice, the first was where he used to work at a factory, an elderly visiting van driver who was found dead in his van. They performed CPR until the paramedics got there, but he was completely dead before they started.

The second was on holiday in Spain, he was lounging by the pool when someone fell in and banged their head, he dragged him out - no breathing or heartbeat, but within a few minutes of CPR he recovered and came round (before the ambulance got there).

 

[KeepItSimpleStupid]

I did take a CPR course once (adults and babies) and I know about breaths not being required.

 

[HiTech]

Pretty soon the CPR techniques will change where we just have to stand over the victim and keep kicking them in their side or a few stomps to their chest!!! If it's a pretty woman needing CPR, I'm gonna use "old school" techniques and give her mouth-to-mouth! If it's a guy, I'll use my 12v automotive jumpstart power pack with it's built-in 120vAC inverter and 175psi air compressor! :0

 

[Pommie]

I'm with him ^^^^^^^^^^^, especially on the pretty woman bit.

Mike.

 

[DerStrom8]

Hey, I'm glad your mom's all right! I guess I'd better get some basic first-aid training, as well--Never know when it might be needed!
Der Strom

 

[Reloadron]

Ya done good there KISS. I am glad you were there and that things went well. That BP is something that needs watching. Been there and done that with my own mom. The blackouts need watched. Once they got my mom's BP under control she has been doing fine. Considering she is 91 pretty good. Again, great that things went well!

Ron

 

[KeepItSimpleStupid]

We are both diabetic and yesterday both of us really messed up our insulin dose. She ended up with a 68 which is bad for her and I ended up with a 43. (80-150 mg/dl) is the target. It will take me a day or so to recover from the swings (43 to 300). It's a really nasty juggling act. I'm insulin resistant ans she is insulin sensitive. Man made insulins have a lower response time which contributes to the control issue. As you have more low attacks, they become harder to "feel". I do "wake up", so far, if I have a low during sleep.

Real time glucose monitoring systems exist, but the insurance creiteria is hard to meet.

 

[Mikebits]

I did take a CPR course once (adults and babies) and I know about breaths not being required.

Actually the 2010 AHA guidelines for CPR are to instruct the laymen for compressions only, but for hospital/medical providers the 30:2 compression to breath is still taught. Thinking behind this change is that more people will be willing to perform CPR if they do not have to give breaths, and also compressions only is less complicated. Pausing to give breaths can lower vascular BP and it has been determined that 100 compressions per minute is more important than attempting to re oxygenate the blood. Studies have shown that recirculating residual oxygen in the blood is better than novices attempting to oxygenate the blood via mouth to mouth as they usually do it wrong. Well that is what I was taught in Emergency Med tech school.

 

[Mikebits]

We are both diabetic and yesterday both of us really messed up our insulin dose. She ended up with a 68 which is bad for her and I ended up with a 43. (80-150 mg/dl) is the target. It will take me a day or so to recover from the swings (43 to 300). It's a really nasty juggling act. I'm insulin resistant ans she is insulin sensitive. Man made insulins have a lower response time which contributes to the control issue. As you have more low attacks, they become harder to "feel". I do "wake up", so far, if I have a low during sleep.

Real time glucose monitoring systems exist, but the insurance creiteria is hard to meet.

So your a Type II diabetic? 43 is really low, did you get pretty loopy, I mean were you incoherent? Glad you have it back in control.