Dr Awaneesh Katiyar MBBS MS MCh PGDDM
“Together, we can prevent accidents and related preventable deaths on the road and in hospitals ”.
Myth and Fact
By caringsurgeon | Published | No Comments
- Myth – Giving water orally to the unconscious person – in India, it’s the biggest myth to awaken any person by giving water orally, which kills a person within 10-20second. Few think a person should not die thirsty. Various myths associated with giving water to an unconscious person are even followed in educated families in India due to a lack of proper medical knowledge.
- Fact – Once a person becomes unconscious, He/ She lost sense of deglutition. water given orally directly goes to the trachea(airway or windpipe) which further causes suffocation and killed the person within 10-20 seconds. Most people assume the loss of consciousness is near death considering that nature actually water killed him/her faster.
- What to do with an unconscious person?
- person at old age/ child / intoxicated/ pregnant – are more prone to become unconscious due to various reasons that do not mean they going to die. Of course, it’s a serious condition, that may be life threatening. How to react in the situation
- Step 1 – Don’t get Panic – ask for help from other family members, and neighbours and call an ambulance (108).
- Step 2- Keep the person in the left lateral position (Not Supine) and comfortable position – which allows oral content (vomitus) to come out spontaneously.
Step 3 – Rush Person to the Hospital as soon as possible – don’t give anything from mouth to unconscious person.
(Immediate CPR is needed in case of cardiac arrest / Pulseless Victim)
