| OCR Text |
Show increase the chance of success of later rescue measures: 1. If the snow cover is not too thick or too dense, the buried person will breathe longer, however insufficiently, than would be the case if the air were completely cut off; the same applies if the accident victim is able to maintain a larger air space around his face. 2. If the buried person loses consciousness, mainly because of insufficient breathing, heat- producing defense mechanisms- for example, shivering due to the cold- are inhibited; this results in a thorough cooling of the entire organism. This extends life to a certain degree because the lowering of the body temperature also decreases the metabolic processes and the available oxygen suffices for a longer period of time. While this cooling tends to prolong life, it also poses a problem to the rescuer. The victim's body heat must be restored to aid revival. Simply protecting the victim from cold is not enough- he must be warmed by careful application of external heat. In the case of many persons saved after burial by avalanche, this life-prolonging condition of the " apparent death" with a lowering of the signs of life to a " Vita minima" has actually occurred. There was the case of a woman skier who was rescued after twenty hours of severe chilling and who was saved despite prolonged unconsciousness. In February 1963, a Swiss soldier buried by an avalanche for eight hours was dug out from a depth of 1.5 meters and saved; he had quickly lost consciousness; the body temperature at the time of rescue was between 30 degrees and 33 degrees centigrade; the blood pressure 80/ 65 mm Hg; the pulse rate 44 per minute; the breathing was extremely superficial and slow. Similar cases are continuously reported by members of rescue teams in avalanche accidents. 3.2 Initial Treatment of the Victim During the first urgent treatment of a victim after burial by an avalanche, as is the case in other resuscitation situations, measures for restoring sufficient ventilation are most important. This is because restoring gas exchange in the lungs is the prerequisite for a recovery of circulation, and because the breathing can usually be brought under control by non- medical helpers and with simple manipulation. These measures are begun as soon as the head of the victim is exposed. The wiping out of the mouth and throat with the extended finger covered with dry gauze or a handkerchief is often not sufficient for opening the breathing passages, where the mouth and throat of the accident victim are full of snow- water, blood or vomit. In this case, a simple, light, small, efficient and reliable foot suction pump gives good service. If the foot suction pump is not available, then one should attempt to suck the liquid from the throat and pharynx with a catheter or with a thin rubber tube. Since the suction pump is independent of foreign power sources and since it leaves both hands free, a single helper can operate it reliably at the 57 |
