Suffocation

With 400-800 cases in Germany per year, domestic emergencies due to swallowing are rather rare but by no means impossible. In most cases, the respiratory tract or the esophagus is displaced when food is ingested or when swallowing too large a bite. If the oesophagus is completely blocked, pressure on the vagus nerve supplying the heart can lead to sudden heart failure (bolus death).

In this case the patient will collapse immediately. If the airway is blocked, the patient will cough, choke and try to get the bite out of the throat with great fear. With the so-called Heimlich handle, in which the first aider should stand behind the patient, grasp him from behind and make jerky movements upwards, bringing both arms together under the diaphragm, one can try to get the bite out with the generated overpressure.

Domestic emergencies caused by kitchen appliances

Injuries (domestic emergencies) can also frequently occur in the household, which can be caused by the sometimes very sharp and pointed kitchen appliances. Thus, many very sharp kitchen appliances are still electrically operated, which can make an immediate stop impossible. Frequently there are cuts on kitchen knives, bread slicers or electric slicing knives. In very extreme cases, it can even lead to the severing of corresponding limbs.

Procedure

It is important to first turn off the corresponding kitchen appliance or move away from the danger zone. Afterwards, in case of cut injuries, the corresponding bleeding should be stopped. This should always be done with sterile pads from the first aid kit.

In the case of venous bleeding, a firm pressure for a few minutes is usually sufficient. In some cases, however, suturing may still be necessary, which should then be performed at the nearest hospital. In case of injecting arterial bleeding, a pressure bandage should be applied.

This consists of a sterile dressing applied directly to the wound, a firm pressure-releasing object on top of it, and a bandage on top of it to secure everything. An emergency doctor should be called in the event of arterial bleeding. An emergency doctor should always be called in the event of a severed limb.

The severed limb must be kept and cooled until the emergency doctor arrives. For all injuries, it should be checked whether a tetanus vaccination is available. Venous bleedings, which can be stopped first of all but cannot be healed, should also be examined by a doctor in the family doctor’s practice, because it can be necessary to sew the wound. In the kitchen, but also when working in the garden, the fingers are often injured. Depending on the extent of the injury, the finger may no longer be worth preserving and must be amputated.