Respiratory Emergencies / Shortness of Breath / Asthma

Breathing and respiratory emergencies a varied and can be very complex since they may be the result of multiple respiratory disorders taking place simultaneously. For example, a person could have a combination of the following respiratory disorders: asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, pneumonia, congested heart failure and bronchitis.

The challenge is to determine which of these disorders is the primary cause of the respiratory distress since the treatments for each disorder is different and if the wrong therapy is administered it could create additional complications. In any case all breathing and respiratory emergencies are serious and can prove to be fatal if not treated

Individuals with basic first aid training may be limited as to what they can do in regards to treatment. However, if you can recognize the emergency early and can get them appropriate emergency care and transportation to an appropriate medical facility you may save their life.