2023-08-07 08:31:00
the essential Episode 1/5. This week, La Dépêche invites you to learn or relearn how to practice lifesaving gestures. Today, Sophie Blaty, nurse with the Lot firefighters, explains to us what to do in case of vagal discomfort.
Pale complexion, tingling, sweating, ringing in the ears and an urge to vomit: little doubt, vagal discomfort is coming. In the Lot, firefighters are used to this: this discomfort concerns 70% of their activity. “This type of discomfort manifests itself when we are standing and the brain is less irrigated”, indicates Sophie Blaty, nurse with the Lot firefighters who will accompany us all week. Bottle of water in support, she demonstrates to us: “Like the water in the bottle that I tilt, the blood flow decreases because the vessels dilate”. When the half-filled bottle of water is placed upright, the fluid rebalances. Moral of the story: when you’re lying down, your balance is restored.
In addition to the feeling of dizziness, “the victim may also have flies in the eyes, sphincters that relax and eyes that roll back”. These signs are to be taken seriously. They can appear especially after the meal, when the blood circulation is concentrated towards the intestines and during periods of heat which dilates the vessels. In case of vagal discomfort, the procedure to follow could not be simpler (we start this series with the easiest exercise). Here, there is no a priori need to control breathing or take the pulse.
The waiting position
“We will place the victim in what is called a waiting position. That is to say, put him flat on his back, delicately without necessarily raising his legs as we are used to hearing”, informs the firefighters nurse who also works at the Gourdon hospital. Once the patient is placed on the ground, the rescuer advises to ask questions, if the person is conscious: “We ask him how long he has been feeling bad to identify the moment of the feeling of discomfort, if he has any already had, if she is undergoing special treatment”. Questions that firefighters can ask over the phone. “We avoid crowding around and bombarding her with questions, the environment must remain calm. Vagal discomfort can be the most serious symptom of heart problems so it is better that the victim does not go home alone” , notes the nurse again.
The ideal is to call the fire department, even if the patient regains consciousness. “We always take the risk that it is not just vagal discomfort. By calling the fire brigade, we will have the opinion of a doctor. Otherwise, the victim must be advised to consult their doctor or specialist”, continues Sophie Blaty. If the gesture of assumption of responsibility is easy, the diagnosis is not as easy. “It is not always easy to tell the difference between vertigo, vagal discomfort, hypoglycemia or even cardiac discomfort,” she notes again. If the victim complains of pain, do not hesitate to call for help.
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