Fat decrease

What you should do in emergencies at home

Call the doctor at once; it may be necessary to shift the patient to the hospital.

In the meantime, the following measures may be found useful. Remember, doing too much may be worse than doing too little.

Acute breathlessness

1. Acute asthma-like attack, without previous history of similar episodes, is usually due to a heart problem.
2. put the patient in semi-sitting position with three or four pillows behind his back
3. open the window for fresh air
4. Give substrate, if available, one tablet by mouth and one tablet under the tongue to be dissolved in the mouth.
5. Don’t give the usual asthma remedies.
6. shift patient to the hospital

Bleeding from the nose

1. The patient should sit on a chair with head bent forward
2. keep towel under the nose
3. Breathe through the mouth.
4. don’t sniff or breathe through the nose
5. apply ice to the bleeding side of the nose
6. pinch nose for 10 minutes
7. spit our any blood in the throat

Bleeding in urine

1. red colored urine can be due to certain foods (e.g. beetroot), drugs or wines
2. if due to blood, urine is smoky in color, unless the bleeding has been brisk, when it may be red
3. no action required on your part, but consult your doctor

Burns

1. put clean cold water immediately, nothing else
2. it burns are extensive, shift patient to hospital.

Cardiac arrest

1. if an elderly person suddenly stops talking, his head droops and he becomes unconscious and pale or blue, it may be cardiac arrest, i.e. the heart has stopped beating
2. you have less than four minutes to revive him, after which permanent brain damage or death takes place
3. feel for the pulse; it would be absent
4. immediately give a sharp firm thump with your fist on the front of his chest in the middle; repeat the procedure three times
5. the heart may start beating; in that case the person will soon become conscious
6. if not, start external cardiac massage as follows:
   1. lay the patient flat on a hard surface (e.g. floor) with his face up.
   2. Place the palm of your left hand flat on the lower part of the breast bone (it is the bone running down the middle of the chest in front; its lower end is just above the pit of the stomach)
   3. Place the heel of your right hand on the heel of your left hand
   4. With a sudden firm thrust, press the patient’s chest down about 1 ½ inches (4 cm), and then release the pressure.
   5. Wait for one second (say to yourself one-hundred and one; the time spent in saying these words is one second)
   6. Repeat the procedure of depressing the chest once every second, i.e. 60 times per minute. The maximum rate achieved should not be more than 90 per minute.
   7. Resist the temptation to increase the rate; this defeats the very purpose of the maneuver. Be cool and do not panic.
7. If respiration also stops, give, in addition, mouth-to-mouth breathing as under:
   1. extend the patient’s neck backwards
   2. inhale deeply; place your mouth on the mouth of the patient; with his nose closed with your fingers, exhale deeply into his mouth; you will find his chest expanding
   3. repeat the above procedure after every 4 or 5 compressions of cardiac massage.
   4. Continue the above procedures till the patient becomes conscious or the doctor arrives.
   5. In case of survival, shift the patient immediately to hospital for investigation  and treatment of possible heart attack/ brain damage.

Convulsions/epileptic attack

1. remove the person from a place of danger (e.g. road)
2. place rolled up handkerchief between teeth to prevent the tongue being bitten
3. don’t try to stop involuntary movements of the limbs,  but guide from them to prevent injury
4. Reassure the patient when he regains consciousness.

Falls

1. if there is any suspicion of injury to the backbone (spine), make no attempt to remove the patient; you can cause permanent paralysis.
2. let the doctor move him into an ambulance, for shifting him to hospital.

Heart attack

1. if substrate is available, give one tablet (or his dose) by mouth and equivalent dose under the tongue to be dissolved in mouth.
2. give aspirin (disprin or anacin) one tablet dissolved in a glass of water.
3. give no other drug without the doctor’s advice.
4. shift to intensive coronary care unit to hospital

Heat stroke and hyperpyrexia (fever above 105 deg Fahrenheit )

1. in heat stroke, the patient is unconscious.
2. the skin would be very hot but there is no sweating.
3. put a ceiling fan on;  cool the room with cooler/air conditioner, if available
4. uncover all four limbs and wrap them in towels or sheets of cloth soaked in cold water
5. presoak and apply when towels become warm
6. cover head with ice cap or cold water pack
7. discontinue when fever comes down to 102deg Fahrenheit
8. shift to hospital

hyperglycemia (high blood sugar) and diabetic coma

every diabetic patient should carry in his pocket a packet of sugar, a card bearing his/her name, address, telephone number, the name of the person to be contacted in case of emergency, and the dose and timings of ant diabetic drugs or insulin injections.

Hypothermia (low body temperature)

1.   Dangerous in old people, body, including armpits is cold to the touch.

2.   remove clothing, if wet, dry him, change into dry warm clothing.

3.   cover with enough blankets or quilts.

4.   heat the room with heaters.

5.   give hot, but not scalding, drinks and food.

6.   give 4 teaspoonfuls of brandy, avoid excess of alcohol.

7.   place hot water bottles to warm the bed;  do not place in direct contact with the        patient’s body.

Retention of urine

1.   occurs in the elderly with enlarged prostate

2.   no fluids, tea, coffee or beer is to be given

3.   no diuretic drugs to force urination should be given

4.   Hot water hip bath in a tub; ask patient to relax; urination may start

5.   shift to hospital

Unconscious patient

1. whatever the cause, do not force any fluids or food into the mouth
2. Do not induce vomiting (e.g. by salt water)
3. Remove the pillow and turn him to one side, so that if he vomits, the vomits is thrown out.
4. shift patient to hospital