Solve the Diving First Aid Scenario!

[Snowbear]

what do you want to do about that airway?

Crich him (LOL - I posted before you added the qualifier...)

 

[divemed06]

Clearing the spine on an unconscious patient is pretty hard and almost impossible to do reliably. I'd treat the patient as if they had a spine injury and, if I decided to move them, immobilize the spine as best I could with what I had before doing so.

I agree...but no air is getting in...what are you gonna do about that...

 

[archman]

Patient must be reliable. The patient must be cooperative, sober, and alert, and must be free of other distracting injuries significant enough to mask the pain and tenderness of the spine injury.

If a spine injury has not been ruled out, the patient must be fully immobilized except in the following case. In a wilderness context, with a reliable patient who has normal motor/sensory function, if spine pain and tenderness can be isolated to the lumbar area, the patient's head may be left free. Likewise, if the injury involves only the c-spine, the hips may be left free for patient comfort.
Transport patient to hospital.

Um... if I read this right, our patient doesn't rank as "reliable", as he's unconscious. Does that mean the wilderness folks can't move the dude either?

 

[divemed06]

Crich him

Damm...you got that in before I edited my post...you have no airway kit or crash carts!!!)

 

[jonnythan]

The swollen tongue is a weird one. Finger sweep just to be sure... try to ventilate through nose. Gotta get the air in there somehow. At that point, the guy needs to get the **** out of there and to a hospital.

 

[divemed06]

Um... if I read this right, our patient doesn't rank as "reliable", as he's unconscious. Does that mean the wilderness folks can't move the dude either?

Well...they can if they won't too but they wouldn't be following there protocol

 

[Snowbear]

Is the swelling "hard" or "soft?"
Does the swelling extend to the neck at all?

 

[divemed06]

The swollen tongue is a weird one. Finger sweep just to be sure... try to ventilate through nose. Gotta get the air in there somehow. At that point, the guy needs to get the **** out of there and to a hospital.

Agreed...mouth to nose vent does nothing...and this is about the time he starts seizing...what now?

 

[divemed06]

Is the swelling "hard" or "soft?"

Ah..good question...it's soft. The mouth is completely sealed...toung jaw lift...modified jaw thrust...nothing is going in. THe swelling is localized to the mouth and tongue...carotid pulse is palpable...

 

[jonnythan]

Get the shears and cut the damn thing out!