Cardiac asthma is manifested in an attack of suffocation, which can cost a sick person life. Cardiac asthma is not considered an independent disease, but is a complication after a heart attack, high blood pressure disease, cardiosclerosis of atherosclerotic origin and cardiovascular defects. The most basic symptom of cardiac asthma is shortness of breath in the form of an attack with the prevalence of a noisy long breath.
Help a patient with an attack of cardiac asthma
In the process of an attack of cardiac asthma, the patient should lie down, lifting the upper body on pillows. Emergency care consists in stopping the excited state of the center of respiration and relieving stress from the small circle of blood flow.
In order to reduce the state of excitation of the respiratory center, an injection of morphine is performed, with the introduction of which the treatment of cardiac asthma begins and the relief of its attack. In addition to localized effects on the center of respiration, morphine reduces the amount of blood flowing to the heart and congestion in the lungs by reducing the excited state of the centers of the motor vessels, soothes the patient. Morphine injection is performed subcutaneously in 1 ml of a one percent solution of the drug in combination with a 0.5 ml solution of the drug atropine, which inhibits the emetic urge that provokes the introduction of morphine. In addition, atropine relieves muscle cramps. If the patient has an increased pulse during the attack, then it is better to inject pipolfen or diphenhydramine. In addition, you can inject suprastin. Injections are performed intramuscularly. Literally in ten minutes relief comes, it becomes easier to breathe, the patient’s condition stabilizes. If a patient has low blood pressure during an attack of cardiac asthma, then instead of morphine, promedol is injected. It acts a little weaker.
Relieving stress from the pulmonary circulation
The direct method of relieving stress from a small circle of blood flow is the method of bloodletting. The use of bloodletting is indispensable for an obvious stagnant process in the lungs, in particular with swelling. In addition to bloodletting, you can tighten the tourniquets on the arm, tightening the veins, but in any case, the pulse should be felt. The maximum wearing time of the tourniquet is half an hour. Harnesses are removed carefully and not abruptly, since otherwise the blood flow to the heart will increase rapidly. There are contraindications to the application of tourniquets , consisting in the tendency of the extremities to edema, thrombophlebitis, diathesis of hemorrhagic origin, angina attacks or heart attacks, with heart collapse.
The second emergency measure for an attack of cardiac asthma, used in almost all patients, is an intravenous injection of strophanthin. This drug is administered with a heartbeat of less than sixty beats per minute and no digitalis preparations at hand. The injection is done slowly and carefully. Possible combination with glucose solution.
Often, with the aim of stopping an attack of cardiac asthma, the drug Eufillin is administered along with strophanthin. This drug relieves bronchial spasms, lowers pulmonary arterial pressure and pressure in a large circle of blood flow. It also stimulates the work of the heart, the expansion of arteries, is a diuretic.
Movement and hospitalization of patients during an attack of cardiac asthma
With an attack, the patient should be in a state of utter rest. The patient cannot be moved, and emergency care is performed on the spot. When the attack of cardiac asthma recedes, the patient must be taken to the hospital or emergency room as soon as possible .