Yes i just wrote on here last night, i understand that. However, this needed to be said today. Around 12 o'clock three of our students decided it would be fun to have asthma attacks and pass out. The first one was in my class while she was working on a unite check point. The kids said, "Mr. Ben, she's knocked out" or some version of that in french. Well good I thought let's get her inside, so we half drag her unconscious body into the hall way to try and cool her off. It's loads of fun (not) watching a teenage girl struggle to breath on the floor while you don't have a clue what's going on and are trying to figure out what's going on by speaking your second and not mastered language. So with the help of other students i hear that she has asthma, well good we know what were dealing with. I get my teammate who has asthma for advise. Right so we get her inhaler and force a few pumps down her hoping she's breathing enough to get the medicine into her system. So as I sat on the floor with my hand under the girls neck to open her breathing passage, thanks CPR class from at least three years ago, and wondered if she was going to wake up i paused to say a quick prayer in between checking for breathing and a pulse. Not relay my idea of fun but to be honest it did make school much more interesting today.
So she woke up after maybe one more pump from the inhaler. Good that's taken care of I went back to my class to watch them finish their little test. So about 15 minutes later mayby, one of our students, John, came running into my class with a not so calm look on his face. So I'm thinking the same girl has passed back out, right no good. So i follow John to a different room than the one I put the first girl in to cool off. So girl number two, also down on the ground breathing irregularly and unconscious. Great, so let the Inquisition begin, does this girl have asthma? Reply: we don't know...then Reply: yes...well where's her inhaler? she doesn't have one...they give me a random...My thought process, if she's about to die I'll give it to her, but otherwise I'm not thinking that's a good idea...then turns out she does have an inhaler...wonderful.
So at this point this girl is convulsing a bit, that's no good...So act number two of trying to get a pump of medication into some half dead person's mouth, sort of...so ok, we get a puff into her mouth, she starts to open her eyes but they aren't focusing at all, just moving all over the place...eventually they focus, good news and she starts to wake up...i deposet her in the air conditioned room as well.
About 10 minutes later, Sido, comes into my room with a concerned look on his face...wonderful I ask is there another one...he says, "yes" this time downstairs...great so i run down for girl number three...also passed out, so back to holding the back of her neck so her air way will be open...this one comes around pretty quickly...praise Jesus
So three crises averted...got to play tennis this afternoon at a small play ground...the court wasn't real (way to short, and asphalt), neither was the competition...however there was some guy there who I suppose is big in Burkina Faso Tennis...also not very good...but in any case he saw me play and gave me an invitation to play in a tournament tomorrow night hosted by this big electric company Sonabel...so good stuff tomorrow night i get to play in a invitation tennis tournament...wooo...dear any nurses or doctors reading if you have suggestions for how to deal better with passed out asthmatics please let me know.
peace
Ben
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Hi, sounds like you did well on the medical emergencies and I hope folks will post some more ideas. I was thinking 'hot and steamy room' but cooling them off was much better. Glad there was an inhailer or two. I am guessing all of you are staying hydrated so no more passing out..., please.
ReplyDeletehello Ben we keep all you in our prayer , and remember you are not alone , we are one in the spirit ,we are one in the LORD .I thanks GOD for all you . keep doing a good job
ReplyDeleteyour brother in JESUS gilbeto
I don't write very well english , I learn ....
paz
Okay, Ben, I put your question into Google.
ReplyDeleteHere's the top result:
http://books.google.com/books?id=ohIbOrVcRBwC&pg=PA241&lpg=PA241&dq=how+to+deal+better+with+passed+out+asthmatics&source=bl&ots=IKaVcEGoNx&sig=wj2E9zWx7bIx_0jBARkertPt8C8&hl=en&ei=D52DStvEK5HYsgOi0q2tBw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1#v=onepage&q=&f=false
You probably want to find out from each of those people what _they_ want or expect someone to do if they are on the floor and need help breathing, and if it's happened before.
Because from what this book says, inserting an emergency breathing tube may be needed.
You awake all of a sudden? I was when I read that.
This isn't beyond doing. I've always got the basics with me though I've never had to do it. Pocketknife and a BIC pen or soda straw, and knowing what to do if you can't get an airway open any other way.
Were these from your visiting group, or people who live there?
Was there some unusual provocation, if this was the first/worst time? I'm wondering what would put three people on the floor in such a short time (local diesel exhaust or smoke or pollen or dust, if these are your visitors? foreigners' perfume, hair or bug spray or something, if these are locals? Or does this happen to them fairly often and just surprised you? Ask _them_ what should be done.
You can read a good bit of that book there on the web page, and it sounds like that chapter the search found is the right one. Those were not simple or minor asthma events.
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Meanwhile, I'm curious (not for publication, you know my email if you care to let me know) what antibiotic you were given, and if they told you it's a series of pills or just one -- I wouldn't want to see you develop a resistant strain of whatever it was that got into your throat, both for your sake and for those around you. If you got a course of pills, take them.
PRAISE GOD you were able to help them!!!
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