Respiratory emergencies can be fatal if not dealt with promptly. Patients may have difficulty breathing, irregular breaths, or stop breathing altogether. Chronic conditions, allergies, and objects lodged in the throat can cause respiratory emergencies. Patients should be kept calm, and artificial respiration may be necessary.
Respiratory emergencies are medical emergencies characterized by difficulty breathing or the inability to breathe. Such emergencies can become fatal if not dealt with properly and promptly. If someone starts showing signs of difficulty breathing, medical help should be obtained immediately. In the case of patients with chronic conditions that cause breathing difficulties, people should learn the difference between what is normal for the patient and what is a sign of a true emergency. For example, some people with asthma are naturally wheezy and are not a cause for concern, while extremely labored breathing is a sign that the patient is in distress.
In a respiratory emergency, a patient may take frequent shallow breaths, irregular breaths, or very slow breaths. In some cases, the patient stops breathing altogether. Respiratory emergencies are commonly accompanied by pale, cold, clammy skin, and the heart may stop beating or become irregular. The patient is also usually extremely agitated which can increase the severity of the emergency because the patient will use more oxygen in a panic.
Heart failure, asthma, pneumonia, bronchitis, chronic pulmonary obstructive disorder, croup, inflammation of the epiglottis, and the common cold are all conditions associated with respiratory emergencies. In patients with chronic conditions, medications may be used in an attempt to keep the airways open, and prompt intervention may be required if the airways begin to close. People can also experience acute reactions to allergens and medications that lead to respiratory distress, and when objects lodge in the throat, it can cause respiratory emergencies.
Some other causes of respiratory emergencies include medical problems such as pneumothorax, in which air fills the pleural space surrounding the lungs, and pleural effusion, in which the pleural space fills with fluid. Both of these conditions can occur as a result of trauma, and pleural effusion can occur as a result of long-term, chronic disease.
Patients are usually aware when respiratory emergencies occur. They may attempt to speak and often gesture to indicate that they are having difficulty breathing. It can be very scary not being able to breathe and carers should try to keep the patient as calm as possible without help arriving. Staying in an agitated state can create complications for the patient. If a patient stops breathing altogether, artificial respiration should be started to reduce the risk of brain damage and increase the patient’s chance of survival. Before administering rescue breaths, the airways should always be checked and searched for signs of objects that may be blocking them.
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