Anaphylactic Shock

Anaphylactic shock is a severe allergic reaction affecting the whole body.

 

Developing Anaphylactic Shock

The anaphylactic shock may develop within seconds or minutes of contact with a trigger and is potentially fatal. In an anaphylactic reaction, chemicals are released into the blood that widen (dilate) blood vessels. For this reason blood pressure will fall and air passages narrow (constrict), resulting in breathing difficulties. In addition, the tongue and throat can swell, obstructing the airway. The amount of oxygen reaching the vital organs can be severely reduced causing hypoxia.

 

Common Triggers of Anaphylactic Shock

Common triggers of anaphylactic shock include food (such as nuts, shellfish and eggs), wasp and bee stings, latex, certain medications, etc. In the event that a person develops an anaphylactic shock, an emergency treatment with an injection of adrenaline will be required.

It can sometimes be difficult to distinguish anaphylaxis from asthma, fainting, and panic attacks. Asthma however typically does not entail itching or gastrointestinal symptoms, fainting presents with pallor rather than a rash, and a panic attack may have flushing but does not have hives.

 

Anaphylactic Shock and Food

Many foods can trigger anaphylaxis. This may occur after the first known ingestion. Common triggering foods vary around the world due to cultural cuisine. For example, in Western cultures, ingestion of or exposure to peanuts, wheat, nuts, certain types of seafood like shellfish, milk, fruit and eggs are the most prevalent causes. On the other hand, sesame is common in the Middle East, while rice and chickpeas are frequently encountered as sources of anaphylaxis in Asia. Severe cases are usually caused by ingesting the allergen, However, some people experience a severe reaction upon contact. On the positive side, children can outgrow their allergies. By age 16, 80% of children with anaphylaxis to milk or eggs and 20% who experience isolated anaphylaxis to peanuts can tolerate these foods. However, any type of alcohol, even in small amounts, can trigger anaphylaxis in people with Aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease.

To educate about common food allergens, eLearn Safety has developed a fully online Management of Food Allergens course. The course is designed to introduce participants to understanding food allergens and management of associated risks. Furthermore, after completing the course, participants will be able to understand their requirements under Irish food safety legislation as well as following best work practices.

 

What to do if someone Suffers Anaphylactic Shock

In case someone is developing anaphylactic shock:

1. Call 999/112 for emergency assistance. Specifically, tell the ambulance dispatcher that you suspect anaphylaxis.
2. If the casualty has an auto-injector of adrenaline, help them to use it. If they are unable to administer it, and only if you are trained to use it, apply the injector as trained to do so.
3. Help the casualty to sit up in the position that best relieves any breathing difficulty. If they become pale with a weak pulse, help them to lie down with legs raised and treat for shock.
4. Monitor and record vital signs; breathing, pulse and level of response, while waiting for help to arrive. Repeated doses of adrenaline can be given at five-minute intervals if there is no improvement or the symptoms return.

 

How to Recognise Anaphylactic Shock

Development of anaphylactic shock might have features of allergy:

• Red, itchy rash or raised areas of skin (weals).
• Red itchy, watery eyes.
• Swelling of hands, feet and/or face.
• Abdominal pain, vomiting and diarrhoea.

In addition, the following signs might be present:

• Difficulty breathing, ranging from a tight chest to severe difficulty, causing the casualty to wheeze and gasp for air.
• Pale or flushed skin.
• Visible swelling of tongue and throat with puffiness around the eyes.
• Feeling of terror.
• Confusion and agitation.
• Signs of shock, leading to collapse and loss of consciousness.

Remember, the aim of helping someone in anaphylactic shock is to ease their breathing. In addition, a shock treatment might be required. In the event that the patient’s condition is deteriorating, an urgent transport to the hospital might be required. Unfortunately, anaphylactic shock can develop rapidly and patients’ health might degrade even faster, ultimately resulting in fatality.

 

Online Health and Safety Training

Proactive Health and Safety training is critical to ensure a safe workplace. An effective training program can reduce the number of worker injuries and deaths. It can also reduce instances of property damage, legal liability, illnesses, and missed time from work.

Health and Safety training helps establish a culture in which employees themselves help promote proper safety procedures while on the job. It is important that new employees be properly trained and embrace the importance of workplace safety. The role of training in developing and maintaining effective hazard control activities is a proven and successful method of intervention.

This is why we have established Myelearnsafety school. We pride ourselves in how we guide, support and mentor our students. They receive support throughout their learning experience and into their working lives. Our staff have extensive training experience and also have many years industry experience. We understand the challenges that exist within Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety. Our priority is to ensure that all learners are fully prepared to differentiate themselves in the workplace after completing our Health and Safety courses.

Myelearnsafety offers fully online Health and Safety courses.

To find out more, please check our Courses page.

Alternatively, should you need any additional information, please do not hesitate to let us know via email info@elearn.ie

Emergency Medical Condition – Asthma

Emergency medical condition – asthma, is a respiratory medical condition. In an asthma attack, the muscles of the air passages in lungs go into spasm. As a result, the airways become narrowed, which makes breathing difficult.

 

Asthma Triggers

Sometimes, there is a recognised trigger for an attack. For example, an allergy, a cold, a particular drug or cigarette smoke. At other times, there is no obvious trigger. Many sufferers have sudden, unexpected attacks.

 

How to deal with Emergency Medical Condition – Asthma

People with asthma usually deal with their own attacks by using a reliever inhaler at the first sign of an attack. Most reliever inhalers have blue caps. Preventer inhalers have brown or white caps and are used to prevent attacks. They should never be used during an asthma attack.

 

Recognising Emergency Medical Condition – Asthma

Recognising Emergency Medical Condition – Asthma is usually very straightforward. Signs of Asthma are usually:

• Difficulty breathing.
• Wheezing.
• Difficulty speaking, leading to short sentences and whispering.
• Distress and anxiety.
• Features of hypoxia, such as a grey-blue tinge to the lips, earlobes and nailbeds (cyanosis).
• Exhaustion in a severe attack. If the attack worsens, the casualty may stop breathing and lose consciousness.

 

What to do in Emergency Medical Condition – Asthma

There are some steps we can take to help someone in Emergency Medical Condition – Asthma:

1. Keep calm! Reassure the casualty. Get them to take their usual dose of the reliever inhaler. Ask them to breathe slowly and deeply.
2. Sit them down in the position they find most comfortable.
3. A mild attack should ease within a few minutes. If it does not, the casualty may take one to two puffs from their inhaler every two minutes until they have had ten puffs.
4. Call 999/112 for emergency assistance if the attack is severe and one of the following occurs; the inhaler has no effect, the casualty is getting worse; breathlessness makes talking difficult, they are becoming exhausted.
5. Help the casualty to continue to use their inhaler as required. Monitor their vital signs: breathing, pulse and level of response until help arrives.

For additional information about Asthma, please see eLearn Safety fully online course titled Common Medical Emergencies: Asthma. This course will provide information to gain a better understanding of asthma and associated risk factors.

In addition, this St. John Ambulance first aid training video shows you what signs to look out for and how to help someone having an asthma attack. If you think someone may be having an asthma attack, it is important to know how to help them:

How to Treat an Asthma Attack – First Aid Training – St John Ambulance

 

Online Health and Safety Training

Proactive Health and Safety training is critical to ensure a safe workplace. An effective training program can reduce the number of worker injuries and deaths. It can also reduce instances of property damage, legal liability, illnesses, and missed time from work.

Health and Safety training helps establish a culture in which employees themselves help promote proper safety procedures while on the job. It is important that new employees be properly trained and embrace the importance of workplace safety. The role of training in developing and maintaining effective hazard control activities is a proven and successful method of intervention.

This is why we have established Myelearnsafety school. We pride ourselves in how we guide, support and mentor our students. They receive support throughout their learning experience and into their working lives. Our staff have extensive training experience and also have many years industry experience. We understand the challenges that exist within Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety. Our priority is to ensure that all learners are fully prepared to differentiate themselves in the workplace after completing our Health and Safety courses.

Myelearnsafety offers fully online Health and Safety courses.

To find out more, please check our Courses page.

Alternatively, should you need any additional information, please do not hesitate to let us know via email info@elearn.ie

Importance of Paediatric First Aid Training

Importance of Paediatric First Aid training is tremendous. Basic first aid training and knowledge can save a distressed child’s life. First aid, in general, is the act of giving someone who is in medical emergency initial help and assistance until access to professional medical assistance can be provided.

 

Legal Framework

The Child Care Act, 1991 (early years services) Regulations 2016 state that a registered provider shall ensure that a person trained in first aid for children is, at all times, immediately available to the children attending the pre-school service. This training must cover both infants and children and enable the Paediatric First Aider to work in different roles. These roles might be roles in childminding, nannying, pre-school work, creche work, teaching, au pair roles, and any role with the responsibility for looking after children.

But there is another aspect to the importance of Paediatric First Aid Training beyond the legal framework. Such training is designed to empower parents with the confidence and competence to respond effectively to emergencies involving children.

 

Practical Importance of Paediatric First Aid Training

A core responsibility of the Paediatric First Aider is to assess the patient quickly for any life threatening injuries.

An infant or child’s body cannot survive without oxygen. 3 to 4 minutes without the oxygen, the brain will begin to die and the damage to the brain will be irreversible. To prevent this, in Paediatric First Aid we aim to quickly assess the patient as follows:

• Primary Survey. The aim of the primary survey is to rapidly assess the infant or child for life threatening emergencies to airway, breathing and circulation. In addition, here we aim to treat each emergency before moving on to the next part of the primary survey. In general, the primary survey consists of checking the patient against the DR ABC acronym (Danger, Response, Airway, Breathing and Circulation). This approach should be used for every patient the Paediatric First Aider is required to assess.
• Secondary Survey. Once the primary survey is completed, a secondary survey should be completed by the Paediatric First Aider. The purpose of this survey is to find any other injuries such as fractures, dislocations, etc. In addition, the purpose of this survey is to find out the patient’s medical history. On some occasions, whether life threatening conditions are detected in the primary survey, it may not be possible to complete the secondary survey.

 

Raising Awareness

There are a number of ways in which one can train and refresh their knowledge in Paediatric First Aid. eLearn Safety offers fully online, blended and face-to-face environmental and occupational health and safety courses. One of such courses is Paediatric First Aid course. At the end of this course, participants will be able to:

• Assess the paediatric patient.
• Perform the CPR on a child and infant.
• Place the child and infant in the recovery position.
• Know how to treat the choking child and infant.
• Stop bleeding.

Furthermore, there are a number of useful resources available online. Such resources are St. John Ambulance and their Paediatric First Aid Get Advice section. This is First Aid advice for children and babies including choking, croup, drowning, head injuries, hypothermia, how to do a primary survey, CPR and the recovery position. In addition, the HSE provides information about how to treat cuts and bleeding in babies and children and when to get medical help via their webpage First aid.

 

Online Health and Safety Training

Proactive Health and Safety training is critical to ensure a safe workplace. An effective training program can reduce the number of worker injuries and deaths. It can also reduce instances of property damage, legal liability, illnesses, and missed time from work.

Health and Safety training helps establish a culture in which employees themselves help promote proper safety procedures while on the job. It is important that new employees be properly trained and embrace the importance of workplace safety. The role of training in developing and maintaining effective hazard control activities is a proven and successful method of intervention.

This is why we have established Myelearnsafety school. We pride ourselves in how we guide, support and mentor our students. They receive support throughout their learning experience and into their working lives. Our staff have extensive training experience and also have many years industry experience. We understand the challenges that exist within Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety. Our priority is to ensure that all learners are fully prepared to differentiate themselves in the workplace after completing our Health and Safety courses.

Myelearnsafety offers fully online Health and Safety courses.

To find out more, please check our Courses page.

Alternatively, should you need any additional information, please do not hesitate to let us know via email info@elearn.ie