How can you prevent choking in adults and children. What is the recommended first aid technique for choking. How can you learn the proper way to help someone who is choking. What are the steps to perform back blows and abdominal thrusts. How should you respond if you are alone and choking.

Understanding Choking: Causes, Risks, and Immediate Dangers

Choking occurs when a foreign object, often food, becomes lodged in the airway, obstructing the flow of oxygen to the lungs and brain. This life-threatening situation requires immediate action, as brain damage or death can occur within four minutes of oxygen deprivation. Recognizing the signs of choking and knowing how to respond are crucial skills for everyone, both at home and in public settings.

Are there different types of choking? Choking can be categorized into two main types:

1. Partial airway obstruction: The person can still breathe, speak, or cough
2. Complete airway obstruction: The person cannot breathe, speak, or cough effectively

In cases of complete airway obstruction, immediate intervention is necessary to prevent loss of consciousness and potential fatality.

Preventing Choking in Adults: Essential Safety Measures

Choking prevention in adults involves mindful eating habits and awareness of potential risks. By implementing these safety measures, you can significantly reduce the likelihood of choking incidents:

• Cut food into small, manageable pieces
• Chew food slowly and thoroughly, especially if wearing dentures
• Avoid talking or laughing while chewing and swallowing
• Limit alcohol consumption before and during meals
• Be cautious with foods that are known choking hazards, such as large pieces of meat or hard candies

How does alcohol consumption increase choking risk? Excessive alcohol intake can impair swallowing reflexes and reduce awareness, making it more likely for food to enter the airway instead of the esophagus.

Child-Specific Choking Prevention Strategies

Children, especially those under four years old, are particularly vulnerable to choking hazards. Implement these safety measures to protect young ones:

• Keep small objects out of reach (e.g., marbles, beads, coins, latex balloons)
• Prevent children from eating or playing with objects in their mouth while walking or running
• Avoid giving children under four years old foods that pose choking risks, such as:
  • Hot dogs
  • Nuts
  • Large chunks of meat or cheese
  • Whole grapes
  • Hard or sticky candy
  • Popcorn
  • Large amounts of peanut butter
  • Raw carrots
• Supervise mealtimes closely
• Educate older siblings about not giving dangerous foods or toys to younger children

Why are children under four at higher risk for choking? Young children have smaller airways, less developed chewing and swallowing abilities, and a tendency to put objects in their mouths, making them more susceptible to choking incidents.

Recommended First Aid Techniques for Choking Adults and Children Over One Year

When faced with a choking emergency in adults or children over one year old, the recommended first aid technique involves a combination of back blows and abdominal thrusts. This method, also known as the Heimlich maneuver, is designed to dislodge the obstruction and clear the airway.

Performing Back Blows

1. Stand behind the person and slightly to one side
2. Support their chest with one hand
3. Lean the person forward so their upper body is parallel to the ground
4. Give up to 5 sharp blows between the shoulder blades with the heel of your hand

Administering Abdominal Thrusts

1. Stand behind the person and wrap your arms around their waist
2. Locate the navel and place one fist, thumb-side in, just above it
3. Grasp your fist with your other hand
4. Pull sharply inward and upward, as if trying to lift the person
5. Perform up to 5 quick thrusts

How do abdominal thrusts work to expel the obstruction? Abdominal thrusts create an artificial cough by rapidly compressing the diaphragm, forcing air from the lungs to push the obstruction out of the airway.

Alternate between 5 back blows and 5 abdominal thrusts until the obstruction is cleared, the person becomes unconscious, or professional help arrives. If the person loses consciousness, begin CPR immediately.

Special Considerations for Choking First Aid

While the basic technique remains the same, there are some special considerations to keep in mind when performing choking first aid:

• For pregnant women or obese individuals, perform chest thrusts instead of abdominal thrusts
• If you are alone and choking, perform self-administered abdominal thrusts using a chair back or counter edge
• For infants under one year old, use a modified technique involving back blows and chest thrusts

Why is a different technique used for infants? Infants have more delicate bodies and different anatomical proportions, making the standard abdominal thrust technique potentially dangerous. The modified infant technique is designed to be effective while minimizing the risk of injury.

Learning Proper Choking First Aid Techniques

To ensure you can effectively respond to a choking emergency, it’s crucial to learn the proper techniques from certified instructors. Several organizations offer comprehensive first aid and CPR training that includes choking response:

• American Red Cross
• American Heart Association
• Local hospitals and healthcare facilities
• Community centers and adult education programs

These courses provide hands-on practice with mannequins, allowing you to develop muscle memory for the techniques. They also cover a wide range of emergency scenarios, including choking in different age groups and special circumstances.

How often should you refresh your first aid skills? It’s recommended to retake a first aid course every two years to stay current with the latest guidelines and maintain your skills.

Recognizing and Responding to Choking in Public Settings

Choking can occur anywhere, and being prepared to respond in public settings is crucial. Here are some tips for recognizing and responding to choking in various environments:

• Restaurants: Be alert for the universal choking sign (hands clutched to the throat)
• Workplaces: Familiarize yourself with your company’s emergency response procedures
• Schools: Know the location of first aid kits and any staff trained in emergency response
• Public events: Identify security personnel or medical stations in case of emergencies

When responding to a choking incident in public, remember to:

1. Quickly assess the situation and confirm the person is choking
2. Ask for consent to help if the person is conscious
3. Delegate someone to call emergency services
4. Perform first aid techniques as learned in training
5. Stay with the person until professional help arrives

Why is it important to ask for consent before helping? Asking for consent respects the person’s autonomy and protects you legally. If the person is unable to respond, consent is implied in life-threatening situations.

Post-Choking Care and Medical Follow-up

Even after a choking incident has been resolved, it’s important to seek medical attention. Here’s what to do after a choking emergency:

• Encourage the person to be examined by a healthcare provider, even if they seem fine
• Watch for signs of respiratory distress or persistent coughing
• Be aware of potential complications, such as aspiration pneumonia
• Follow up with the person’s primary care physician for any necessary tests or treatments

Why is medical follow-up necessary after a choking incident? Medical examination can detect any injuries caused by the obstruction or the first aid techniques, and ensure there are no residual effects on breathing or swallowing.

Potential Complications to Watch For

While choking first aid is often successful, be aware of these potential complications:

• Bruising or soreness from abdominal thrusts
• Rib fractures (rare, but possible with forceful thrusts)
• Aspiration of foreign material into the lungs
• Damage to internal organs (in severe cases)

Any persistent pain, difficulty breathing, or unusual symptoms following a choking incident should be evaluated by a medical professional promptly.

Innovative Technologies and Future Developments in Choking Prevention and Response

As medical science and technology advance, new tools and techniques are being developed to prevent and respond to choking emergencies. Some innovative approaches include:

• Wearable devices that detect choking and alert nearby people or emergency services
• Smart utensils that monitor eating habits and warn of potential choking risks
• Virtual reality training simulations for first aid responders
• Advanced imaging techniques to quickly locate airway obstructions

How might these technologies change choking response in the future? While these innovations show promise, they are not yet widely available or proven to be more effective than traditional methods. Current first aid techniques remain the gold standard for choking response.

Ongoing Research and Guidelines

Medical organizations continually review and update choking first aid guidelines based on the latest research. Stay informed about any changes to recommended techniques by:

• Following updates from reputable health organizations
• Regularly refreshing your first aid certification
• Attending health and safety seminars or webinars
• Subscribing to medical journals or newsletters focused on emergency care

By staying current with the latest guidelines and technologies, you can ensure you’re prepared to provide the most effective assistance in a choking emergency.

Choking prevention and response are critical skills that can save lives. By understanding the risks, implementing preventive measures, and learning proper first aid techniques, you can protect yourself and others from the dangers of choking. Remember to stay calm, act quickly, and seek professional medical attention after any choking incident. With proper knowledge and preparation, you can confidently handle choking emergencies and potentially save a life.

Choking: First Aid and Prevention

When food or some other foreign object
becomes stuck in the airway it can cause choking. Choking prevents oxygen from getting
to
the lungs and the brain. Lack of oxygen to the brain for more than 4 minutes may cause
brain damage or death. It’s important for all people to recognize and know how to
handle
choking at home and in public places. Experts advise using back blows and abdominal
thrusts
to treat an adult or child over age one year who is choking.

How can I prevent choking?

You can prevent choking in adults
with these safety measures:

• Cut food into small pieces.

• Chew food slowly and thoroughly, especially if wearing dentures.

• Don’t laugh and talk while
  chewing and swallowing.

• Don’t drink lots of alcohol
  before and during meals.

You can prevent choking in children
with these safety measures:

• Keep marbles, beads, thumbtacks, latex balloons, coins, and other small toys and objects
  out of reach, particularly in children younger than 4 years old.

• Prevent children from walking, running, or playing when they have food and toys in
  their mouth.

• Don’t feed children younger
  than age 4 foods that can easily get lodged in the throat. This includes hot dogs,
  nuts, chunks of meat or cheese, grapes, hard or sticky candy, popcorn, chunks of
  peanut butter, or raw carrots.

• Supervise mealtimes with young children.

• Prevent older siblings from giving a dangerous food or toy to a young child.

What is the advised first aid technique
for choking?

A series of back blows and
under-the-diaphragm abdominal thrusts are advised for adults and children over age
one
year who are choking on a piece of food or a foreign object and are conscious. Choking
is when a person can’t speak, cough, or breathe because something is blocking
(obstructing) the airway. No air can get through. If the airway stays blocked, it
can
lead to a loss of consciousness and death. When applying the abdominal thrusts, be
careful not to use too much force so you don’t damage the ribs or internal organs.
If
the person is unconscious, use chest compressions.

First, perform a series of 5 back blows.

• If you are able, gently lean the person forward so their
  upper body is parallel with the ground. Use one arm across the person’s chest for
  support. If the person is a child, kneel down behind them.
• Use the heel of your free hand to give 5 quick thumps (back
  blows) between the person’s shoulder blades.

Then perform 5 abdominal thrusts.
Abdominal thrusts lift the diaphragm. They force enough air from the lungs to create
an
artificial cough. This cough helps move air through the windpipe, pushing and expelling
the obstruction out of the airway and mouth:

• Reach around the person’s
  waist.

• Position one clenched fist
  above the navel (belly button) and below the rib cage.

• Grasp your fist with your
  other hand. Pull the clenched fist sharply and directly backward and upward under
  the rib cage 5 times quickly.

• If the person is obese or in
  late pregnancy, give chest thrusts.

• Keep doing back blows and
  abdominal thrusts without stopping until the obstruction is relieved, the person
  becomes unconscious, or advanced life support is available. In either case, the
  person should be examined by a healthcare provider as soon as possible. 

If you are by yourself and choking, you can do thrusts on yourself.
Or you can thrust your upper abdomen against the back of a chair or the edge of a
counter.

To minimize possible harm, back blows and abdominal thrusts should only be used in actual emergencies when it is sure that the person is choking. Use this method only in adults and children
over
1 year old.

A different method is used in
infants under 1 year old. Discuss the correct first aid choking method for your child
with their healthcare provider.

How can I learn the right way to help someone who is choking?

Using back blows and abdominal
thrusts is simple to learn. It is often taught during first aid and cardiopulmonary
resuscitation (CPR) classes. Contact your local chapter of the American Red Cross
or
American Heart Association. Or contact your local hospital or healthcare facility
for a
class schedule and more information.

First aid for someone who is choking

This advice is for helping an adult. Find out:

• how to help a baby (1 year and under) who is choking
• how to help a child (1 year to puberty) who is choking.

Someone who is choking may be clutching at their chest or neck and won’t be able to speak, breathe or cough.

1. If someone is choking, encourage them to cough.

If the blockage is severe, they may be holding their chest or neck and won’t be able to speak, breathe or cough, and you will need to help them.

2. Bend them forwards and give up to 5 back blows to try and dislodge the blockage.

Hit them firmly on their back with the heel of your hand between the shoulder blades.  

Hitting them on their back creates a strong vibration and pressure in the airway, which is often enough to dislodge the blockage. Dislodging the blockage will allow them to breathe again. 

3. If they are still choking, give up to 5 abdominal thrusts: hold around the waist and pull inwards and upwards above their belly button.  

Abdominal thrusts squeeze the air out of the lungs and may dislodge the blockage. 

4. If they are still choking call 999.

Repeat the steps until they can breathe again or until help arrives.

Watch how to help someone who is choking (1 minute 24 seconds)

Watch a British Sign Language version of how to help someone who is choking.

Common questions about first aid for someone who is choking

What should I do if back blows don’t stop the person choking?

What should I do if the person becomes unresponsive?

Should I help a child who is choking in a different way to how I help an adult?

How do I help a baby who is choking?

What should I do if back blows don’t stop the person choking?

If back blows do not dislodge the blockage, stand behind them, join your hands around their tummy and form a fist. Pull your hands sharply inwards and upwards. Repeat up to five times.

This is sometimes called the Heimlich manoeuvre or abdominal thrust. Don’t do this on a child under a year old.

Back to questions

What should I do if the person becomes unresponsive?

Support them, lowering them gently to the ground and treat them as someone who is unresponsive and not breathing.

Find out how to help someone who is unresponsive and not breathing.

Back to questions

Should I help a child who is choking in a different way to how I help an adult?

Help children more than a year old in the same way as adults. Give up to five firm blows on the back, reducing the force of the blows for a smaller child.

Find out more about how to help a child who is choking.

Back to questions

How do I help a baby who is choking?

Babies under one year old should be held face-down along your thigh with their head lower than their bottom. Hit them firmly on their back up to five times to dislodge the blockage.

Find out more about how to help a baby who is choking.

Back to questions

During life-threatening emergencies, call 999, or for non-emergency medical help, call 111.

Test your knowledge with our First aid app quiz

Fear of suffocation during a panic attack. Fear of lack of air, phobia to suffocate

In order to analyze in more detail such a symptom of a panic attack – lack of air and a state of suffocation, let’s remember what a panic attack is, as such, and what are its main symptoms.

So, as many people know, a panic attack is a sudden attack of anxiety and fear without any objective reasons. The state arises absolutely spontaneously, and also suddenly subsides. The main symptomatology lies mainly in the somatic field. According to statistics, 1 out of 20 people suffer from this psychosomatic disease, and young people and women experience it more often than the elderly and men.

Main symptoms:

As noted above, the symptoms of this psychopathy appear absolutely for no reason, in other words, nothing bad happens in the patient’s life, the attack is not associated with a stressful situation or any real threat. In addition, unlike other similar destructions, the manifestations of a panic attack pass within 10-30 minutes and do not leave any reminders of themselves, as if they never happened. What are the basic sensations of the patient expressed in:

• Vividly manifested anxiety , feeling of danger, fear of death and fear of suffocation, without any objective reasons or reasonable explanations
• Tachycardia and dyspnea
• Persistent anginophobia feeling short of breath and fear of suffocation
• Sensation of a lump in the throat
• Neuralgia , chest compression, body pain
• Disorientation in space, dizziness
• Attack of nausea , pain in the gastrointestinal tract
• Tremor and numbness of limbs
• Increased sweating , flushing
• Vision problems , veil before eyes
• Feeling unreality of the situation (events can be perceived as in a dream)

One of the fundamental signs, as noted above, is anginophobia. We will talk about it in more detail in this article.

What is anginophobia

Anginophobia is a persistent fear of suffocation or the inability to breathe. In earlier interpretations, this term meant only the fear of suffocation against the background of a heart attack. In modern psychiatry, the anamnesis of anginophobia is expanded and includes the fear of suffocation or even choking, in general, to face any causes that can stop breathing. The cause of this phobia can be anything, moreover, that does not exist in real life: other people, poor ecology, unhealthy lifestyle, diseases that may not exist. It’s important to notice. That anginophobia can also occur in people who are healthy from the point of view of somatics.

Signs and causes of anginophobia

General signs of this particular symptom of panic attacks do not differ much from the main list and include such manifestations as:

• Vertigo disease (vertigo) and spatial disorientation
• Feeling sick
• Tachycardia
• Increased sweating
• Gastrointestinal disorder
• Trembling and numbness of limbs
• Numbness, fear of losing speech or inability to say anything
• Discoloration of the skin on the face or body
• Coughing fit and general feeling of being unable to breathe
• Loss of contact with reality , feeling faint

Causes of anginophobia:

It is worth noting that, according to the psychiatric community, anginophobia often comes in combination with such types of neurosis and neurasthenic disorders as anxiety, schizoid, bipolar and cardiophobic (fear of cardiac arrest).

Common causes include:

• Hazardous working conditions and professions involving a real risk to life, a modified environment and confined spaces. Work in mines, at depth, at height (high-rise workers, submariners, miners, firefighters). A subconscious sense of danger can lead to similar neurotic changes.
• Wrong way of life and addictions: Alcoholism, drug addiction, substance abuse and even smoking. As well as deliberate provocation of the state of asphyxia, for example, a tendency to suffocate during intimate games.
• Presence of bronchial asthma or allergies . Subconsciously, the patient is afraid that in the end he will not be able to breathe during the next attack.
• Increased suggestibility and information rubbish. Some people attach too much importance to stories and what the media broadcasts.
• Past psychotrauma associated with suffocation. Such a stressful situation can subsequently accompany a person all his life and manifest itself when, in fact, there is no real threat.
• Real serious diseases related to the respiratory or cardiovascular system. Fear of attacks of the past.

How to overcome the fear of suffocation

With a mild course of the disease and moderate symptoms of an attack, a person is able to calm himself and reduce the symptoms to nothing in the shortest possible time.

It is in relation to panic attacks and any of their manifestations that the phrase “saving the drowning is the work of the drowning themselves” comes in very handy. In a situation of an attack, it is extremely important for a person to remember that breathing is a natural process, and by itself it cannot be interrupted. Even the presence of serious pathological changes, such as asthma, for example, cannot lead to suffocation if you monitor your condition and control the course of the disease. In order to minimize possible attacks, it is very important to treat yourself and your body with care and attention, lead a proper lifestyle, control your physical, and above all, your mental state. Quite often, people are able to anticipate the onset of an attack and calm themselves down on their own or take a number of actions that can help.

What to do during a panic attack. How to quickly relieve a symptom

In the event of an attack, it is important:

• Move away from the edge of the road and from the main streams of people, ideally find a calm, least crowded place.
• If medication is prescribed, take medication as soon as possible.
• Independently shift the focus of attention from internal to external sensations, you can simply start counting up to 100 or look around and name the colors of the surrounding objects.
• Concentrate on sounds and sensations, say out loud what you see, feel or hear.
• Try to find tension in the body and relax.
• Decentralize attention, for example, play a game on the phone

What to do if during a panic attack you suffer from suffocation and lack of air:

• Work with breathing and try to stabilize it yourself. For 4 seconds a slow breath and for 4 seconds the same exhalation.
• Optional bag breathing method to neutralize lung hyperventilation and carbon dioxide concentration.
• Try to exhale as much as possible. Exhalation should be easy, which means that the feeling of the impossibility of inhalation is nothing more than a consequence of neurosis.

If a panic attack overtook a person next to you, the main task is to take him to a quiet deserted place and help stabilize his breathing.

As we already know, one of the most frightening signs for the patient is a feeling of lack of air. Most often, our patients describe this symptom as a state of complete destabilization of breathing.

Difficulty breathing during panic attacks

Shortness of breath is one of the most common and frightening symptoms. In a state of suffocation, it is important for the patient to remember that everything that happens and even real sensations in the body are a consequence of his neurotic state at the moment. The most dangerous moment is the possibility of a real attack of asphyxia associated with a physical condition, but even here there is a way to calm yourself. Take, for example, a disease such as asthma, which can actually be a symptom of suffocation. So, in this aspect, it is important to know that in a state of neurosis, a person, first of all, cannot inhale, although he does not feel any problems with exhalation, and there may also be a “lump in the throat.” So, with asthma, everything happens the other way around: inhalation is easy, but the asthmatic can no longer exhale or does it with great difficulty.

Is it possible to suffocate from a panic attack

No. If asthma attacks are associated specifically with a panic attack, then this is not dangerous to health. All symptoms disappear as soon as the patient manages to calm down.

Lack of air and the inability to breathe evenly affect the mental state, anginophobia and unregulated fear can prolong the attack and eventually lead to a more severe stage and chronic pathology, for example, develop a generalized disorder, the duration of an attack in which can reach up to 1 hour.

That is why it is extremely important to monitor your condition and try to prevent the development of the chronic form of various disorders.

What can I do to prevent a panic attack from turning into a panic disorder?

First of all. It is necessary to follow the rules of prevention, which we have already talked about in this article: control of one’s own condition, the right lifestyle, accompanying body-oriented practices (meditation, yoga, massages, hydrotherapy), correct thinking and avoiding an overabundance of information. However, if the choking attack provoked by a panic attack has happened more than once, then you should immediately contact a specialist. Professional timely treatment can not only prevent the development of various disorders, but also completely nullify the symptoms.

How to treat panic attacks and when to see a specialist

In fact, it is necessary to see a specialist even if you are experiencing an attack for the first time. There can be a huge number of reasons for a panic attack, which can only be determined by resorting to professional diagnostics. Timely initiation of treatment can save a person from many further problems. It is also worth paying attention to the symptoms. If asthma attacks, accompanied by a feeling of inability to inhale, occur more than 1 time, then this is the sign in which you should immediately contact specialists: a psychotherapist, a neurologist and a psychiatrist. A psychologist will not help in this case, since he works exclusively in the mental field. A panic attack is a psychosomatic disease that affects not only the mental, but primarily the physical plane. Psychotherapeutic treatment includes an integrated approach consisting of medication and psychotherapy.

Definitely will be in the development of a treatment plan. The initial causes that led to the development of panic states, as well as concomitant diseases and individual characteristics of the patient’s psyche, were taken into account.

Psychotherapeutic approach

Most often, the most popular method in psychotherapy is the method of CBT (cognitive – behavioral therapy), the main purpose of which is to correct the patient’s behavior during an attack and change his perception of what is happening. In other words, this technique can be called fear management lessons. Next, classical psychoanalysis is applied, aimed at finding the underlying causes and possible psychotraumas that led to the current state. Also mandatory will be body-oriented practices that help to relax and learn to be aware of the processes occurring in the body. Quite often, psychotherapy also includes gestalt therapy, which can identify unmet needs and family sessions, in which the specialist works with the patient’s relatives in order to teach them first aid and general support.

Drug therapy

A well-chosen course of drugs helps to reduce the frequency and intensity of panic attacks. Most often in modern drug psychotherapy, drugs of the following clusters are used:

• Tranquilizer Cluster . It is used for immediate relief of an attack. It is advised to use with caution and only in a situation of urgent need, since this group has a number of side effects: decreased attention, deconcentration.
• Cluster of antidepressants . The use of course therapy is allowed. Aimed at improving mood, relieving anxiety and relieving symptoms of depression.
• Cluster of beta-blockers . Aimed at stopping seizures with pronounced somatics: increased blood pressure, tachycardia, shortness of breath.
• Nootropic Cluster . It has an anti-stress effect, activates the brain and increases the effectiveness of other medicinal groups.

Cluster of nootropics. It has an anti-stress effect, activates the brain and increases the effectiveness of other medicinal groups.

Emergency Allergology. Types of allergic reactions and treatment regimen

All upper respiratory tracts are involved in the process. From the side of the eyes, acute conjunctivitis can be observed, from the side of the nasal mucosa – sneezing and profuse rhinorrhea, from the side of the throat – cough (bronchospasm).

Quincke’s edema can be acute and single , i.e. manifest itself once in a lifetime, or may be recurrent . Recurrent Quincke’s edema is divided into familial (the patient says that there were similar cases in his family) and non-familial. In the case of family Quincke’s edema, a pathology in the compliment system is detected, treatment is prescribed up to plasma transfusion and donor blood. If Quincke’s edema is non-familial, it is necessary to identify the pathology (the underlying disease is treated and standard emergency care is performed).

Consider also such an allergic reaction as anaphylactic shock.
This is an extreme degree of hypersensitivity, it can be both allergic and non-allergic.

Causes of anaphylactic shock:
– Most common: nuts, fish, seafood, fruits, sesame, berries, protein, legumes.
– In second place: preservatives, dyes, stabilizers, antiseptics, enzymes.
– In third place is the medical list: penicillins, cephalosporins, sulfonamides, serums, vaccines, iodine.

In addition, anaphylactic shock can be provoked by physical exertion, cold stress and insect bites.

Anaphylactic shock clinic
Shock may be accompanied by urticaria with systemic manifestations. With a mild degree, symptoms appear 2 hours after contact (itching, lacrimation, sneezing, swelling of the eyelids, mucous membranes). With an average degree – shortness of breath, cough, suffocation, anxiety, accompanied by lethal fears. In severe cases, asphyxia can develop – a lightning-fast anaphylactic reaction.

Treatment
– Stop the allergen first!
– The patient must be given oxygen, if bitten, apply a tourniquet, ice.
– Inject epinephrine 0.1% 0.3-0.5. After 15 minutes – re-introduction, then every 4 hours.
– Antihistamines the patient should receive at least two days every 6 hours (parenteral).
– If the case is more severe, use corticosteroids (prednisolone 50-100 mg IV) for 4-6 days.
– All patients with anaphylactic shock must be hospitalized for 10 days!

Consider also the classification of antihistamines.

1st generation drugs (sedative antihistamines): Suprastin, Tavegil. Diphenhydramine, Pipolfen, Ketotifen, Phencarol, Diazolin, Peritol.

2nd generation drugs (non-sedating antihistamines): Cetirizine (Zyrtec, Parlazin, Zodak), Fexofenadine (Telfast), Desloratadine (Aerius), Ebastine (Kestine), Loratadine (Claritin).

The clinical advantages of 1st generation antihistamines are that these drugs effectively eliminate sneezing and rhinorrhea when attached to a rhinovirus infection; help eliminate the feeling of itching and normalize disturbed sleep, so they are more often prescribed at night. The lipophilic properties of the preparations of this group provide penetration to the histamine receptors of the skin better than the hydrophilic ones.

Side effects of 1st generation drugs
This group of drugs penetrates through the BBB and has a pronounced sedative effect. They can also cause impaired coordination, dizziness, decreased ability to concentrate, dry mucous membranes. Perhaps the development of tachyphylaxis – a decrease in therapeutic activity with prolonged use. It is important to remember that 1st generation drugs do not leave the medical arsenal, but are used only for a few days! When it comes to basic therapy, 2nd generation antihistamines are used in the treatment. 9No cardiotoxicity

The optimal treatment regimen for patients with allergic reactions is as follows: epinephrine is prescribed at the peak of the acute state (with anaphylactic shock), after which 1st generation antihistamines are prescribed for several days. When the severity of the allergic condition is relieved, the patient must be switched to 2nd generation antihistamines, which are used for a long time, taking into account their criteria.