Premergency First Aid, CPR and AED Manual

3 Airway and Breathing

Being able to effectively breathe oxygen is a requirement of life. Cells require a constant supply of oxygen to survive. When breathing is disrupted, the delivery of oxygen to the body’s tissues and cells is compromised. Vital organs like the heart and brain can begin to be impaired within seconds and brain tissue begins to die within 4 to 6 minutes. The first aider must recognize an airway or breathing emergency and address it quickly. The body gets oxygen through two separate processes that work together. Circulation and respiration, or breathing. When we inhale, oxygen in the air is moved into the lungs where it transfers to the blood. Oxygen then binds to red blood cells (hemoglobin) . For every red blood cell there are four oxygen molecules that bind to it. The pumping action of the heart circulates the oxygenated blood through the body. At the same time carbon dioxide produced by the body’s tissues is moved back to the lungs so it can be transferred and exhaled.

This transfer process is called diffusion. A lack of oxygen (hypoxia) reaching body tissues can be the result of many things but the causes can be grouped into three areas: environment, body, and blood. A lack of oxygen in the environment. This can be due to higher altitudes where the air is less dense or it can be agricultural or industrial off-gassing in which another gas displaces the oxygen. Confined spaces can prevent adequate air exchange and the available oxygen can be used up faster than it is replaced. A lack of oxygen entering the body. An obstructed airway can be caused by choking on food or other foreign objects. Trauma, an allergic reaction causing swelling in the throat, or even an unconscious person’s own tongue can also block the airway.

88

www.preohs.com