Positioning of Casualty
The process for helping the victim is as shown below:
BREATHING, HEART IS BEATING, UNCONSCIOUSInsert an airway to prevent the tongue slipping back and obstructing the upper air passage; it should be left in place until the casualty becomes conscious again.
Place casualty in the recovery position; no pillows should be used under the head:
Place the arm nearest to you out at right angles to his body, elbow bent with the hand palm uppermost. Bring the far arm across the chest and place the hand, palm down, on the shoulder nearest to you.
Grasp the far leg just above the knee and pull it up, keeping the foot on the ground.
With your other hand on the far shoulder, pull on the leg to roll the casualty towards you onto his side.
Adjust the upper leg so that both the hip and knee are bent at right angles.
Tilt the head back to make sure the airway remains open.
If the casualty has breathing difficulties and his lips turn blue, give oxygen at a flow rate of 6 to 8 litres per minute until symptoms resolve.
Keep the casualty warm.
NOT BREATHING BUT HEART IS BEATING
AirwayEstablishing an OPEN AIRWAY IS THE MOST IMPORTANT STEP IN ARTIFICIAL RESPIRATION. Spontaneous breathing may occur as a result of this simple measure.
- Place the casualty in a face-up position on a hard surface.
- Put one hand beneath the casualty’s neck and the other hand on the forehead. Lift the neck with the one hand, and apply pressure to the forehead with the other to tilt the head backward.
This extends the neck and moves the base of the tongue away from the back of the throat. The head should be maintained in this position during the entire artificial respiration and heart compression procedure.
- If only one rescuer is available, the head should be fixed in the shown position by means of a rolled blanket or similar object pushed under the casualty’s shoulders.
- If the airway is still obstructed, any foreign material in the mouth or throat should be removed immediately with the fingers.
Artificial respirationIf the casualty does not resume adequate, spontaneous breathing promptly after his head has been tilted backward, artificial respiration should be given by the mouth-to-mouth or mouth-to-nose method or other techniques. Regardless of the method used, preservation of an open airway is essential.
Before starting artificial respiration, the casualty’s clothes should be removed as far as feasible. Otherwise, the rescuer might become poisoned by inhaling vapour or gases emanating from contaminated clothes.
In some circumstances, mouth-to-mouth respiration should be used cautiously. The rescuer should be aware of getting in touch with toxic and caustic materials around the casualty’s mouth.
As the artificial respiration must be continued as long as there are signs of life, a resuscitator should be made available as soon as possible.
The Medical First Aid Guide (MFAG), requires vessels carrying dangerous goods to carry 40 litre@200bar oxygen cylinder(s) in the ships hospital. The Ship Registry considers carrying such large quantities of oxygen inside the accommodation may pose both fire and safety issues.
