First aid in case of electric shock, actions in case of electric shock

There are many accidental effects of voltages on a person, but only a small number of them are accompanied by the flow of large currents, causing electrical injuries and, even more rarely, death. Statistics note that one death occurs in 140 - 150 thousand cases of occurrence of an electrical circuit through the human body.

Numerous studies and practice have established that the condition of a person who is under stress and does not show external signs of life should be considered only as an imaginary death caused by a temporary functional disorder of the body.

That is why, in the event of an electric shock to a person, it is necessary to take measures to release the victim from the current and immediately start giving him first aid.

Freeing a person from the action of the current is necessary as soon as possible, but precautions must be taken. If the victim is at a height, measures must be taken to prevent him from falling.

Touching an energetic person is dangerous, and when performing rescue operations, it is necessary to strictly observe certain precautions against possible electric shock to persons performing these operations.

The easiest way to free the victim from the current is to turn off an electrical installation or that part of it that a person touches... When the device is turned off, the electric light can go out, therefore, in the absence of daylight, it is necessary to have another source of light ready light — lantern, candle, etc.

If it is impossible to quickly switch off the installation, it is necessary to take appropriate precautions so that they do not come into contact with the part under voltage or the body of the victim, as well as under the voltage of the foot.

In installations with a voltage of up to 400 V, the victim can be pulled out of dry clothing. In this case, do not touch unprotected parts of the victim's body, wet clothes, shoes, etc.

In the presence of electrical protective equipment - dielectric gloves, galoshes, carpets, stands - they should be used when freeing the victim from the current.

In cases where the victim's hands cover the wire, cut the wire with an ax or other sharp object with insulated handles (dry wood, plastic).

In installations with a voltage of more than 1000 V, in order to free the victim, it is necessary to use an insulating rod or insulating tongs, observing all the rules for using these safety devices.

If the victim falls as a result of the pole tension, he should be isolated from the ground by slipping a dry wooden board or plywood under him.

After releasing the victim from the current, it is necessary to establish the degree of damage and, in accordance with the condition of the victim, to provide him with medical assistance. If the victim has not lost consciousness, it is necessary to provide him with rest, and in the presence of injuries or injuries (bruises, fractures, sprains, burns, etc.), he must receive first aid before the arrival of a doctor or taken to the nearest medical facility.

If the victim has lost consciousness, but breathing is preserved, it is necessary to place him flat and comfortably on a soft bed - a blanket, clothes, etc., etc., unbutton the collar, belt, take off tight clothes, clean the mouth of blood , mucus, provide fresh air, let the ammonia smell, spray with water, rub and warm the body.

In the absence of signs of life (in the case of clinical death, there is no breathing and pulse, the pupils of the eyes expand due to oxygen starvation of the cerebral cortex) or in the case of interrupted breathing, the victim must be quickly released from the clothing that restricts breathing, cleans the mouth and performs artificial respiration and heart massage.

Artificial respiration

The existing methods of artificial respiration are divided into hardware and manual.

The simplest apparatus for artificial respiration is a hand-held portable apparatus RPA-1. The device blows and removes air from the victim's lungs through a rubber tube or tightly fitted mask. The RPA-1 is easy to use, allowing up to 1 liter of air to be blown into the lungs per cycle.

To perform artificial respiration using the RPA-1, the victim must be laid on his back, open and clean his mouth, insert an air tube into the mouth (so that the tongue does not sink), and put on an appropriately sized mask . Using the belts, set the degree of extension of the fur, which determines the amount of air supplied. When the fur is stretched, air from the atmosphere is drawn into the fur. When the fur is compressed, this air is pumped into the victim's lungs. During the next stretch of fur, a passive exhalation occurs through the breathing valve, which prevents the pressure in the victim's lungs from increasing above normal.

In addition to this method, mouth-to-mouth and mouth-to-nose artificial respiration are widely used today, which are the most effective.

Before beginning artificial respiration, you must ensure that the victim's airway is patent. If his jaws are clenched, they are spread with some flat object. The oral cavity is freed from mucus. The victim is then laid on his back and the clothing that restricts breathing and circulation is unbuttoned. At the same time, his head should be sharply thrown back so that the chin is in line with the neck. In this position, the root of the tongue deviates from the entrance to the larynx, thereby ensuring complete patency of the upper respiratory tract. To avoid retraction of the tongue, it is necessary to simultaneously push the lower jaw forward and hold it in this position. The caregiver then takes a deep breath and, holding his mouth to the victim's mouth, blows air into the lungs (mouth-to-mouth method).Once the victim's chest has expanded sufficiently, the air blow is stopped. In this case, the victim has a passive exhalation. Meanwhile, the caregiver takes another deep breath and repeats the stroke. The frequency of such blows for adults should reach 12-16, for children - 18-20 times per minute. During air blowing, the victim's nostrils are pinched with fingers, and after the blowing stops, they are opened to facilitate passive exhalation.

In the mouth-to-nose method, air is blown through the nasal passages, supporting the victim's chin and lips so that air does not escape through the mouth opening. In children, artificial respiration can be carried out "mouth to mouth and nose".

Heart massage

Indirect or closed heart massage is used to restore cardiac activity. The victim is laid on his back. The caregiver stands at the victim's side or head and places their palm on the lower third of the sternum in the middle (atrial region). The other hand is applied to the back of the first hand to increase pressure, and assisting with vigorous pressure from both hands displaces the front of the victim's chest 4-5 cm towards the spine. After pressing, the hands should be quickly removed. A closed cardiac massage should be performed in the rhythm of normal heart function, that is, 60 — 70 pressures per minute.

With the help of closed massage, it is not possible to bring the heart out of the state of fibrillation. To eliminate fibrillation, special devices are used - defibrillators. The main element of the defibrillator is a capacitor that is charged by the mains and then discharged through the victim's chest.The discharge occurs in the form of a single current pulse with a duration of 10 μs and an amplitude of 15 — 20 A at a voltage of up to 6 kV. The current impulse brings the heart out of the state of fibrillation and causes the function of all the muscle fibers of the heart to synchronize.

Resuscitation measures, including the simultaneous conduct of closed heart massage and artificial respiration, are carried out when the victim is in a state of clinical death. Closed heart massage and artificial respiration are performed in the same way as described above. If two people help, then one of them performs a closed heart massage, and the other - artificial respiration. In this case, with each puff of air, 4-5 pressures on the chest are performed. While blowing air, it is impossible to press on the chest, and if the victim is wearing thermal clothing, then the pressure can be simply dangerous.

If one person helps, then he himself should perform both closed heart massage and artificial respiration. The sequence of operations in this case is as follows: 2 — 3 puffs of air, and then 15 thrusts in the area of ​​the heart.

Resuscitation activities should be carried out until the normal functioning of the heart and respiratory organs is restored, which is evidenced by the pinkness of the skin, the narrowing of the pupils and the restoration of the reaction to light, the appearance of a pulse on the carotid artery and the restoration of breathing.If it is not possible to revive the victim, then these measures should continue until the arrival of medical personnel or until the appearance of obvious signs of irreversible (biological) death: lowering of body temperature to ambient temperature, cadaveric mortification, cadaver stains.

Also read on this topic: How to do artificial respiration and external heart massage