Poisoning by household gas: symptoms and first aid

Poisoning by household gas is a common reason for calling the ambulance team.Such poisoning is quite dangerous for human health, in the absence of medical care can lead to a fatal outcome.From the situation in question, no one, unfortunately, is immune, and therefore everyone needs to know the symptoms of poisoning with household gas, and how to provide first aid to the victims.

If poisoning by household gas occurs on a voluntary basis, then it is a question of suicide - this moment is very piquant, requires the help not only of the therapist, but also of the psychologist( in some cases, the psychiatrist!).However, you can help such a suicide if you provide medical assistance on time.

Table of contents: Symptoms of poisoning with household gas First aid for poisoning with household gas Treatment and recovery after poisoning with household gas Safety precautions

Symptoms of poisoning with household gas

Methane( gas used for domestic use) has no color and smell -It is easy for them to immediately understand the cause of the deterioration is almost impossible.That is why methane is mixed with other types of gas that have a specific flavor.And still, household gas poisoning occurs regularly - the cause may be a gas leak from a heater or gas stove.

Symptoms of poisoning with household gas:

1. Headache .It has a dull character, aching, is characterized by increasing intensity.In some cases, headaches occur in the area of ​​the temples or forehead, but most often the victims can not identify a clear localization of the pain syndrome.
2. Coordination of movement of is violated.This is due to dizziness - a man appears staggering gait, before his eyes everything "floats", the fingers are weakened to such an extent that the victim is unable to keep in his hands even a cup.
3. Consciousness is confused with .This means that there is brain poisoning - a person can not explain what is happening to his health, what is his deterioration, in particularly severe cases, the victims are not able to answer the simplest questions - for example, what date is today, what does his surname sound like/ Name / patronymic and others.
4. Nausea and vomiting of .These signs of poisoning with household gas are most often clearly pronounced, in some cases it is the unceasing vomit that saves a person life - he turns for help.
5. Pain behind the sternum .This symptom may be absent, but the victims often describe their condition with the presence of the pain syndrome behind the sternum.In some cases, people around him can take a clinical picture for the manifestations of a heart attack - only the doctor will be able to correctly identify the health problem.

Note: most often affected by poisoning with household gas lose consciousness, so it is not possible to get answers from them to standard questions to somehow indicate the clinical picture.In this case, the suspected condition can be suspected by the reddish or cyanotic color of the skin.

There is a certain category of people who have all the described symptoms too intense, a loss of consciousness will come too quickly. This category includes:

• people with diagnosed diseases of the respiratory and cardiovascular system, proceeding in chronic form;
• pregnant women;
• children and the elderly;
• smokers;
• people with chronic blood disorders.

In medicine, there is a clear differentiation of poisoning by household gas according to the intensity of :

1. Light form - is characterized by dizziness, general weakness, desire to go to bed, in the eyes of "cuts", extremely rarely all this is accompanied by pain behind the sternum.With this form of poisoning, the victim can still leave the room on his own and ask for help.
2. The average form of - the condition of the victim is rapidly deteriorating, to the above symptoms is added a violation of coordination of movement, an increase in heart rate and pulse, confusion.
3. Severe form - the victim is unconscious, he may have symptoms of pulmonary edema, doctors note pathological lesions of the heart and brain.

There is another form of household poisoning - instant .In this case, after a few breaths, suffocation begins, the victim loses consciousness.The instant form of the condition in question is the most dangerous, because in 5-8 minutes after the first breaths a person dies.

First aid for poisoning with household gas

First of all, you need to call the ambulance team - you will probably need resuscitation. And before the arrival of specialists you need to provide first aid:

1. The victim must be taken to the street, if there is no such possibility( for example, the person has too much weight), then you need to open the windows / windows / doors as much as possible, create a draft - it is necessaryEnsure fresh air.

1. In the street the victim is laid in the supine position on the back, any cold is applied to the head - it can be ice from the refrigerator, a towel soaked in water, even a piece of ice cream meat or pelmeni.
2. You need to free a person from any tightening things - unbutton the shirt, take off the t-shirt / shirt, unfasten the belt on trousers or a skirt and so on.
3. If the victim is conscious, then it is necessary to provide him with a copious drink - ideally it should be ordinary clean water, but any drink( except alcohol) will benefit.It is necessary to constantly talk with a person, do not let him fall asleep and lose consciousness.

Note: if the victim is not breathing, then he is given artificial respiration if he does not feel a pulse on the carotid artery - an indirect cardiac massage.

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Treatment and recovery after poisoning with household gas

The patient is treated in a hospital.Modern science can not offer any antidote, which quickly restores the work of the entire body and removes toxins from it - doctors use three-stage therapy.

First, the patient is fully examined - doctors should know which organs and systems suffered the most, which works within the limits of the norm, and what should be literally revived.

Secondly, according to the results of the survey, a therapeutic treatment is prescribed. It, naturally, is selected in strictly individual order, but most often comes to the following assignments:

1. Cardiac drugs that can support and improve the cardiovascular system.
2. Painkillers - they can remove the manifestations of intoxication of the body in the form of pain in the head and behind the breastbone.
3. Anti-inflammatory drugs for the respiratory system - this will prevent the development of the inflammatory process, will speed up the process of restoring the functionality of the system.

Thirdly, the doctor will prescribe physioprocedures for such victims.This is a therapeutic respiratory gymnastics - it helps to restore the normal functioning of the respiratory system, prevent the development of inflammatory and stagnant processes in it.

Note: all the indicated therapeutic measures are carried out if, after poisoning with household gas, the victim is conscious.Treatment is selected individually, taking into account the clinical picture and the intensity of the symptoms.

If the patient is unconscious, he has a severe form of poisoning with household gas, then specialists will carry out resuscitation measures. These include:

• Intubation is performed and oxygen is delivered to the patient( in some cases, the Ambu bag is used);
• is injected with anticonvulsant drugs - for example, aminazine, chlogydrate, sodium thiopental, Seduxen and others;
• uses cardiac glycosides - for example, Cordiamine or Sulphocamphocaine;
• is administered antihypoxic drugs - for example, Cocarboxylase, Prednisolone and others.

After the patient's condition stabilizes, he is sent to the intensive care unit of the medical institution and already there the specialists conduct the necessary therapeutic measures.

Restoration after poisoning with household gas can last a long time, in some cases such toxic effects result in the development of serious pathologies - diseases of the respiratory system, heart, and often suffer from the central nervous system, the organs of vision.Even after discharge from the hospital, the victim must regularly visit the medical institution for a preventive examination - at least once every six months.Since recording the doctor removes the patient only after a 3-year observation of his health and in the absence of any consequences.

Precautions

Naturally, when the first signs of poisoning with household gas( headache, nausea and vomiting, increased drowsiness "on level ground"), you must immediately leave the room and call the doctors.But others need to adhere to certain precautions when providing first aid to victims of poisoning with household gas. Specialists recommend:

1. You can not turn on the lights, light matches or a lighter and use electrical appliances in the room - there can be a fire, and then an explosion at any time.
2. If it is supposed to provide first aid in the room, then there should be an assistant next to it( preferably 2-3, which should be on the street or in the entrance) - remember that the help person can be poisoned by the vapors of household gas, and then he will also need help.
3. If necessary, do mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, use a wet / wet handkerchief( it is put on the victim's mouth), inhale the air with a nose and necessarily turn away from the injured person.Thus, self-poisoning can be avoided.
4. If the victim of poisoning with household gas is unconscious, but his respiration rate and pulse rate are not violated, then you can bring him to life with a cotton swab dipped in ammonia.
5. If the poisoning took place in an easy form and the doctor's visit was postponed for 1-2 days( it must take place!), The victim should be provided with a large amount of kefir - this sour milk drink will speed up the recovery of the body.

Domestic gas poisoning is a dangerous condition that requires medical attention.Even a small intake of this toxic substance into the body can lead to the development of quite complex diseases.

Tsygankova Yana Aleksandrovna, medical reviewer, therapist of the highest qualification category