The most common cause of human acute intoxication is poisoning with toxic gaseous substances. The consequences of their ingress into the body can be very serious, so it is important to administer first aid to the injured person in a timely manner.
At the Dengizkul field Booster Compressor Station (BCS) construction site, a training session was held to familiarize personnel with first aid techniques for gas poisoning.
Kakhramon Oymurodov, a medical assistant, who organized the event, told the audience about the typical poisoning symptoms and showed in practice what measures should be taken in this case:
— First of all, you need to remove the injured person from the gas affected zone and take off clothes that restrict breathing. At the same time, it is important to take into account the wind direction - it should not carry poisonous vapors to people. If the injured person is unconscious, check the presence of a pulse and respiration. In the absence thereof, artificial respiration and closed-chest cardiac massage be performed. If a person is conscious, he should rinse his mouth with warm water to reduce the gas effects on the body. Eyes should be rinsed with warm water or fomentation should be applied.
During the training, it was also noted that the use of ammonia spirit as a remedy for fainting was prohibited. In combination with gas it can cause severe burns of the mucous membranes. In case of respiratory failure, long-term oxygen inhalations are indicated.
Another important point, according to K. Oymurodov, is the need to maintain self-control, - panic and ignorance of what needs to be done is fraught with the loss of precious time, during which you can manage to administer first aid to the injured. However, the health care specialist is convinced that an employee equipped with the necessary knowledge and skills will always be quick on the uptake in an emergency and come to the aid in a timely manner.