Choked Up
When Sophie Robinson, Summerville High School student, saw the man lying on the side of the road, her first inclination was to believe he was dead. Her friend was already turning the car onto the next street when she, too, noticed the man and quickly turned around. They pulled up beside him and saw that he was still alive but unconscious. He was choking on his own vomit in the summer heat.
Students may be familiar with the scene in Breaking Bad in which Walt unintentionally rolls Jane onto her back while she is on heroin. He later returns to find her choking on her own vomit, and she dies because he does not return her to her position on her side. Those who don’t want to face a Breaking Bad situation should immediately turn the choking person on their side until help arrives, and that’s exactly what Sophie did in her real-life emergency.
“He was green,” she recalled, adding that she decided to stay away and call for help while her friend rolled him onto his side. Her situation was unique because the choking person was a potentially dangerous stranger.
“If the stranger could be dangerous, it's okay to just call for help,” she advised, noting that she was not inclined to approach him even though she knew to pull over and call for help. Sophie added that because of the experience, she now feels prepared to handle similar situations in the future. Unfortunately, choking is a common issue. She may very well need that preparation in the future to help friends and strangers alike.
Teenagers are warned about driving under the influence and alcohol poisoning, but an alcohol-related danger of which many are unaware is drowning in their own vomit. When a person consumes a depressant such as alcohol, one may struggle with the ability to breathe, and the gag reflex that prevents choking is subdued. Someone suffering from an alcohol overdose may not be able to control their vomit and subsequently choke.
Turning a choking person to their side is simple enough, but sometimes a person may choke on an object instead of a substance like vomit. If an object is lodged in the victim’s throat, one may perform the Heimlich maneuver. First, one must ball up a hand and place it above the stomach with the pinkey facing away. Next, pressure must be applied to that hand with the other hand by pressing upwards. The technique should be performed until the item is dislodged.
There are two types of choking. Complete obstruction occurs when the victim is unable to cough or wheeze and cannot dislodge the substance in his or her throat independently. Responders should perform abdominal thrusts. Partial obstruction allows for coughing and wheezing, and responders should encourage the choking person to cough instead of performing abdominal thrusts. Knowing the differences and the proper techniques could potentially help quell the 4,000-5,000 deaths that occur from choking each year in the United States. Visit www.redcross.org for more technical information on how to combat the danger of choking. It happens everywhere, even in Summerville.
When Sophie Robinson, Summerville High School student, saw the man lying on the side of the road, her first inclination was to believe he was dead. Her friend was already turning the car onto the next street when she, too, noticed the man and quickly turned around. They pulled up beside him and saw that he was still alive but unconscious. He was choking on his own vomit in the summer heat.
Students may be familiar with the scene in Breaking Bad in which Walt unintentionally rolls Jane onto her back while she is on heroin. He later returns to find her choking on her own vomit, and she dies because he does not return her to her position on her side. Those who don’t want to face a Breaking Bad situation should immediately turn the choking person on their side until help arrives, and that’s exactly what Sophie did in her real-life emergency.
“He was green,” she recalled, adding that she decided to stay away and call for help while her friend rolled him onto his side. Her situation was unique because the choking person was a potentially dangerous stranger.
“If the stranger could be dangerous, it's okay to just call for help,” she advised, noting that she was not inclined to approach him even though she knew to pull over and call for help. Sophie added that because of the experience, she now feels prepared to handle similar situations in the future. Unfortunately, choking is a common issue. She may very well need that preparation in the future to help friends and strangers alike.
Teenagers are warned about driving under the influence and alcohol poisoning, but an alcohol-related danger of which many are unaware is drowning in their own vomit. When a person consumes a depressant such as alcohol, one may struggle with the ability to breathe, and the gag reflex that prevents choking is subdued. Someone suffering from an alcohol overdose may not be able to control their vomit and subsequently choke.
Turning a choking person to their side is simple enough, but sometimes a person may choke on an object instead of a substance like vomit. If an object is lodged in the victim’s throat, one may perform the Heimlich maneuver. First, one must ball up a hand and place it above the stomach with the pinkey facing away. Next, pressure must be applied to that hand with the other hand by pressing upwards. The technique should be performed until the item is dislodged.
There are two types of choking. Complete obstruction occurs when the victim is unable to cough or wheeze and cannot dislodge the substance in his or her throat independently. Responders should perform abdominal thrusts. Partial obstruction allows for coughing and wheezing, and responders should encourage the choking person to cough instead of performing abdominal thrusts. Knowing the differences and the proper techniques could potentially help quell the 4,000-5,000 deaths that occur from choking each year in the United States. Visit www.redcross.org for more technical information on how to combat the danger of choking. It happens everywhere, even in Summerville.