This document summarizes 5 common medical emergencies: cardiac arrest, respiratory arrest, airway obstruction, burns, and soft-tissue injuries. It provides details on the symptoms and treatment for each emergency. Key points include that cardiac arrest results from an electrical disturbance and stops heart function/blood flow, respiratory arrest occurs when breathing ceases, airway obstruction can block breathing, burns are classified by degree of skin damage, and soft-tissue injuries involve muscle/tendon damage. Proper treatment may involve CPR, intubation, cooling burns, or RICE therapy depending on the emergency type. Automated external defibrillators can treat cardiac arrhythmias through defibrillation.

1. 5 COMMON EMERGENCIES
Cardiac Arrest, Respiratory Arrest,
Airway Obstruction, Burns,
Soft-Tissue Injuries
By: Monica Dennison

2. CARDIAC ARREST
• Unexpected loss of heart function, breathing and
consciousness
• Results from an electrical disturbance in your
heart
• Pumping action of the heart is disrupted
• Blood flow to the rest of your body is stopped

3. SYMPTOMS
• Sudden collapse
• No pulse
• No breathing
• Loss of consciousness
• OTHER SIGNS MAY BE
• Fatigue, fainting, blackouts, chest pain,
shortness of breath, weakness, palpitations or
vomiting
• Often occurs with NO warning

4. TREATMENT
• If you experience any of these signs see a physician
immediately
• If you come across someone who is NOT
breathing…
▫ Call 911
▫ Perform CPR
▫ Use a portable defibrillator
▫ Continue this cycle until the patient regains
consciousness or emergency medical
technicians take over
▫ www.news-medical.net

5. RESPIRATORY ARREST
• When a person ceases to breath on their own
they enter a state known as respiratory arrest
• Caused by airway obstruction, respiratory
muscle weakness, decreased respiratory drive
• If respiratory arrest is prolonged, cardiac arrest
will quickly follow

6. SYMPTOMS
• Absence of spontaneous breathing
• Chest does not rise and fall
• Skin color changes due to lack of oxygen
• You will be unable to feel air coming from the
mouth or nose

7. TREATMENT
• Remove any airway obstruction
• Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)
• Intubation (medical professional)
• Tracheotomy (medical professional)
• www.buzzle.com

8. AIRWAY OBSTRUCTION
• Can be a partial or complete blockage of the
breathing passages to the lungs
• Can become completely obstructed by swollen
anatomy or by a foreign object
• If airway becomes completely blocked, the
patient will not be able to make any sounds,
cannot breath and will soon become
unconscious
• www.health.nytimes.com

9. SYMPTOMS
• 3 factors that greatly contribute to choking are…
▫ Alcohol
▫ Inattention to eating
▫ Laughing/talking while eating
Coughing
They may display the “Universal Choking Sign” or
will become quiet and may leave the table to go to
the bathroom

10. TREATMENT
• Encourage victim to cough
• If stop or unable to cough/talk, ask if they are
choking and if you can help them
• If they say yes, perform the Heimlich maneuver
• If unconscious, begin CPR
• Continue cycle until blockage is removed or EMS
arrives
• www.wikibooks.org

11. BURNS
• 1ST Degree Burns- least serious. Only the outer
layer is burned
• SYMPTOMS
▫Redness
▫Swelling
▫Pain

12. 2nd DEGREE BURNS
• When the first layer of skin is burned through
and the second layer is also burned
• SYMPTOMS
▫ Blisters
▫ Skin is intensely reddened and splotchy
▫ Severe pain and swelling

13. TREATMENT
• Treatment for 1st and 2nd degree burns
▫ Cool the burn
▫ Cover with a sterile bandage
▫ Take an over-the-counter pain reliever
▫ WATCH FOR
 Infection, swelling or oozing
 Increased pain
 Redness, fever

14. 3rd DEGREE BURNS
• Serious burns that involve all layers of the skin
and cause permanent tissue damage
• SYMPTOMS > areas may be charred black,
difficulty breathing and exhaling

15. TREATMENT
• CALL 911
• Check for signs of circulation
• Elevate burned parts
• Cover the burn
• www.medicinenet.com

16. SOFT – TISSUE INJURIES
• The damage of muscles, ligaments and tendons
throughout the body
• Usually occur from a strain, sprain, contusion
(bruise), overuse or stress injuries

17. SOFT – TISSUE INJURIES
• Can result in pain, swelling, bruising, and/or
temporary loss of function
 TREATMENT
 R = rest the individual from activity that causes
pain
 I = ice the injury
 C = apply compression to the injury
 E = elevate injured area above the heart
 IF PAIN IS SEVERE CONSULT A PHYSICIAN

18. AUTOMATED EXTERNAL DEFIBRILLATOR
(AED)
• A portable electronic device that will
automatically diagnose any potentially life
threatening cardiac arrhythmias of ventricular
fibrillation and ventricular tachycardia in a
patient
• Treats through defibrillation and allows the
heart to reestablish an effective rhythm

19. AED’s
• Use simple audio and visual commands and are
designed to be simple to use for the average
person
• The use of AED’s is taught in many first aid, first
responder and CPR courses