4. Asthma Attack: What to Look For
• Frequent coughing, wheezing
• Chest tightness, shortness of breath
• Sitting in the tripod position
• Inability to speak more than a few words at
a time
• Nostrils flaring
• Fast breath and heart rates
6. Asthma Attack: What to Do
(2 of 2)
• Evacuate immediately if person:
– is struggling to breathe, talk, or stay awake;
– has blue lips or fingernails;
– asks for medical care or ambulance;
– has no improvement or has no medication;
– has repeated attacks; or
– has severe and prolonged attack.
7. Common Cold
• Highly contagious viral infection
• No cure exists.
• Recovery occurs within 1 week to 10 days.
8. Common Cold:
What to Look For
• Nasal and sinus
congestion
• Sneezing
• Runny discharge
and watering eyes
• Dry cough
• Sore throat
• Headache
• Mild fever
• Muscle and joint
aches
9. Common Cold:
What to Do
• Rest for a day or two.
• Drink plenty of fluids.
• Use decongestants.
• Take aspirin or acetaminophen to relieve
headaches and muscles aches.
• Gargle warm, salty water to sooth sore
throat, or suck on hard candy.
10. Pneumonia
• Infection of the lungs
• Can be viral or bacterial
– Viral: treat like a cold or bronchitis
– Bacterial: severe; requires antibiotics
11. Pneumonia:
What to Look For
• Persistent cough with colored sputum
• Fever and chills
• Chest pain during exhalation
• Shortness of breath
• Headache, sore throat, muscle pain
• Weakness and fatigue
• Sweating
12. Pneumonia:
What to Do
• Treat as for a cold.
• Give OTC cough suppressant containing
dextromethorphan.
– Only if person is not coughing up sputum
• Evacuate if person is not improving.
13. Hyperventilation
• Fast, deep breathing
• Common during emotional distress
– Also caused by:
• untreated diabetes;
• severe shock;
• certain poisons;
• brain swelling; and
• high altitude.
14. Hyperventilation:
What to Look For
• Shortness of breath
• Fast breathing
• Tingling or numbness of the hands, feet,
and around the mouth
• Dizziness or light-headedness
15. Hyperventilation: What to Do
• Calm and reassure the person.
• Take the person to a quiet place.
• Encourage the person to breathe slowly.
– Inhale through the nose.
– Hold the full inhalation for 1 to 2 seconds.
– Exhale slowly through pursed lips.
• Do not have the person breathe into a
paper bag.
18. Stroke: What to Do
• Monitor breathing. If absent, begin CPR.
• Position person on his or her back.
• Loosen tight or constricting clothing.
• Be prepared to turn person onto his or her
affected side.
• Evacuate immediately.
20. Convulsive Seizures:
What to Look For
• Sudden falling to the floor or ground
• Stiffening of arms and legs followed by
jerky movement
• Foaming at the mouth, grinding of teeth
• Blue-gray face and lips
• Eyes rolling upward
• Loss of bladder and bowel control
21. Seizures: What to Do
(1 of 3)
• Move nearby objects to avoid injury.
• Place something soft under head.
• Time seizure from start to finish.
• Keep bystanders away.
22. Seizures: What to Do
(2 of 3)
• Evacuate for any of the following:
– Seizure lasted longer than 5 minutes
– Series of seizures
– Breathing difficulties after seizure
– The person has diabetes or is pregnant.
– Seizure happened in water.
– This is person’s first known seizure.
– The seizure is injury-related.
– Slow recovery
23. Seizures: What to Do
(3 of 3)
• After the seizure:
– Keep airway open.
– Monitor breathing; if it stops, give CPR.
– Allow the person to sleep.
– Stay with the person until fully recovered.
24. Prolonged Seizures
• Called status epilepticus
• Require immediate evacuation
• Can lead to:
– brain damage;
– fractures;
– severe dehydration; and
– aspiration.
25. Fainting
• Sudden brief loss of responsiveness not
associated with a head injury
• Also called syncope or psychogenic shock
• Physical or emotional causes
• Most fainting episodes are associated with
decreased blood flow.
26. Fainting: What to Do
(1 of 4)
• If fainting has occurred:
– Check breathing.
− If breathing has stopped, give CPR.
27. Fainting: What to Do
(2 of 4)
• If the person is breathing:
– Keep person flat on his or her back.
– Monitor breathing.
– Loosen tight clothing.
– If person fell, check and treat any injuries.
– Wipe person’s forehead with cool, wet cloth.
– If vomiting occurs, roll person onto side.
28. Fainting: What to Do
(3 of 4)
• Evacuate if person:
– Has repeated episodes.
– Faints for no apparent reason.
– Does not regain responsiveness quickly.
– Has diabetes or seizures, is pregnant, has a
loss of bowel or bladder control, or is older
than 50 years.
29. Headaches:
What to Look For
(1 of 3)
• Heat trauma
• Tenderness over the scalp, neck, and
shoulders
• Pupils of unequal size
• Complaints of double vision
• Fever
• Severe neck stiffness
30. Headaches:
What to Look For
(2 of 3)
• Impaired sensation or movement of
extremities
• Impaired balance
• Ask if person is drinking plenty of water
and passing pale yellow urine (sign of
adequate hydration)
31. Headaches:
What to Look For
(3 of 3)
• Suspect serious illness or injury if
headache:
– causes vomiting, inability to sleep, inability to
eat or drink for more than a day;
– lasts more than a day; and
– is sudden and severe, unlike previous
headaches.
32. Headaches:
What to Do
• For mild headaches, give nonprescription
pain medication.
• Encourage adequate hydration.
• If acute mountain sickness is suspected,
descend to lower elevation (at least 2,000
feet lower). Do not go higher.
• Evacuate if cause appears serious.
34. General Information
• You might not discover the source of abdominal
pain, but you must be able to manage problems
and know when they get serious.
• Ask appropriate questions about the pain
• Gently press on the four quadrants of the abdomen
during assessment
35. Assessment and Treatment
of Stomachache
• Gastroenteritis (stomachache) is an inflammation
of the gastrointestinal tract.
• Caused by viruses, bacteria, protozoa
• Characterized by increasingly widespread
abdominal discomfort
• Worse pain in lower abdominals
• Nausea may occur
• Patients should be well-hydrated and eat a bland
diet.
36. Assessment and
Treatment of Diarrhea
• Diarrhea is frequent, loose, watery stools
• Mild diarrhea can be treated with water, diluted clear
fruit juice, or sports drinks
• Persistent diarrhea requires replacement of electrolytes.
• Rehydration solution: 1 tsp salt, 8 tsp sugar in 1 qt of
water. Drink ¼ of the solution every hour, along with all
the water patient can tolerate.
• Rice, grain, bananas, potatoes are OK to eat
• Avoid fats, dairy, caffeine.
• If patient is a youth, do not give aspirin.
37. Assessing Serious
Abdominal Pain
• Pain persists for more than 12 hours, especially if
the pain is constant.
• Pain localizes. Check especially for guarding,
tenderness, abdominal rigidity, and/or distention.
• Pain increases with movement, jarring, or a foot
strike when walking.
• Blood appears in the vomit, feces, or urine.
• In vomit, blood may look like coffee grounds; in
stool, it may look like tar; and in urine, it appears
red.
38. Assessing Serious
Abdominal Pain
• Nausea, vomiting, and/or diarrhea persist more
than 24 hours.
• Fever rises above 102°F, which may present as
shivers.
• Pain associated with symptoms of pregnancy or
vaginal bleeding.
• Pain associated with symptoms of shock.
39. Personal and Camp
Hygiene
• Use soap and water / hand sanitizer prior to food
preparation.
• Do not share spoons, cups, lip balm.
• Don’t use personal spoon to take food from pot.
• Do not reach into communal food with hand.
• Disinfect all drinking water by boiling or chemically
disinfecting.
40. Evacuation Guidelines
• Evacuate slowly any patient with persistent
abdominal discomfort.
• Evacuate rapidly any patient with symptoms of a
serious abdominal problem.
41. Diabetic Emergencies
(1 of 2)
• Insulin is a hormone produced by the
pancreas that assists the body in using
energy from food.
• Diabetes develops when insulin is either
ineffective or lacking.
43. Types of Diabetes
(1 of 2)
• Type 1 diabetes
– Commonly diagnosed in childhood
– Requires external insulin
• Type 2 diabetes
– Excess body weight and sedentary lifestyle
are risk factors.
44. Types of Diabetes
(2 of 2)
• Gestational diabetes
– Occurs in some pregnancies
– Usually ends after the baby is born
– Usually treated with diet
45. Low Blood Glucose Level
(Hypoglycemia)
• Too much insulin
• Too little or delayed food intake
• Exercise
• Alcohol
• Any combination of these factors
46. Low Blood Glucose (Responsive
Person): What to Look For
• Alert, can swallow
• Sudden onset of
symptoms
• Staggering, poor
coordination,
clumsiness
• Anger, bad temper
• Cold, pale, moist,
or clammy skin
• Confusion,
disorientation
• Sudden hunger
• Excessive
sweating, trembling
47. Low Blood Glucose (Responsive
Person): What to Do
(1 of 3)
• Allow person to check blood glucose.
• Use the Rule of 15 if:
– Testing is not possible.
– Testing shows low blood glucose level.
– Person has profuse sweating or shaking.
49. Low Blood Glucose (Responsive
Person): What to Do
(3 of 3)
• Some people who are prone to severe low
hypoglycemia may have a prescription for
a glucagon kit.
– Glucagon raises blood glucose.
50. Low Blood Glucose (Unresponsive
Person): What to Look For
• Inability to follow simple instructions
• Seizure occurrence
• Inability to swallow
51. Low Blood Glucose (Unresponsive
Person): What to Do
• Monitor breathing.
• Look for a medical identification tag.
• Do not give food or drink.
• Place the person on his or her side.
• If person does not improve, evacuate.
52. High Blood Glucose Level
(Hyperglycemia)
• Occurs when a diabetic has too much
glucose in the blood, caused by:
– insufficient insulin;
– overeating;
– illness;
– inactivity;
– stress; or
– combination of these factors.
53. High Blood Glucose Level:
What to Look For
• Medical
identification tag
• Gradual onset
• Drowsiness
• Extreme thirst
• Very frequent
urination
• Warm, red, dry skin
• Vomiting
• Fruity breath odor
• Heavy breathing
• Eventual
unconsciousness
54. High Blood Glucose: What to Do
• Give frequent, small sips of water.
• If uncertain whether blood glucose level is
high or low and able to swallow:
– Use Rule of 15 to give sugar.
• Do not give insulin unless the person can
self-administer it.
• Evacuate immediately.
