The doctor told how dangerous tongue retraction is and how to give first aid

A doctor told how dangerous tongue lolling is and how to render first aid

Spartak’s Georgy Dzhikiya quickly oriented himself and helped his opponent. We asked the ambulance paramedic to comment on the episode.

Soccer is not only goals and bright matches, but also often clashes on the verge of life and death. Such an episode happened in the 24th round of RPL between Spartak defender Georgiy Dzhikiya and Krasnodar midfielder Kadi Borges. The Spartak defender became the hero of a terrible episode: in the 47th minute, in an attempt to win a top ball, Dzhikiya unintentionally hit his opponent in the face with his shoulder. The blow was hard: the next frame – Kadi was lying unconscious on the pitch. Giorgi, having seen it, immediately, before the doctors arrived, rushed to Borges to render first aid. And the first thing he did was to try to prevent his tongue from sticking out.

Spartak captain

“I felt the contact, he hit his shoulder, and when I ran back, I saw that Borges was lying unconscious – I helped as much as I could. As for skills, we have a medical service that sometimes gives lectures. But there is another side: when such contact happens, it is not quite right to touch and help if you do not know. You can do harm with that because you don’t know what the problem is and what the injury is. Anyone in my position would do the same thing. We’re definitely not gonna be heroic here. I think it’s a serious injury. I wish him a speedy recovery.”

Dzhikiya turned out to be right, Kadi, according to the head coach of Krasnodar, has a fracture of the facial bone.

Did Dzhikiya act correctly? Judging by the fact that Kadi eventually regained consciousness, and Georgiy himself admitted that he had the necessary skills, we can say one thing: the Spartak captain definitely did not do any harm. Most likely, he did help. But what should be done at times like this? We’ll get to the bottom of the issue with an expert – ambulance paramedic Ekaterina Sinitsyna.

ambulance paramedic

“When the tongue is trapped, many take the wrong measures. Never put anything in your mouth – no rags or spoons. Do not try to forcibly unclench your teeth! Why? There is a risk of tearing your lips and breaking your teeth. In addition, a foreign object can get into the airway. You should not be afraid of biting your tongue. It does not carry serious consequences. What should be done, we will understand further”.

Causes

When a person is unconscious, there is a risk of displacement of the root of the tongue. Why does this happen? Because of the relaxation of the muscles of the lower jaw. These are the ones that control the position of the tongue in the mouth.

While conscious, a person is also at risk of tongue retraction. For example, due to obstructive sleep apnea. Under the influence of gravity, the tongue stays down, thereby blocking the airway. How often can this happen? Two to a hundred times a night. However, this is a big separate topic.

What are some other causes of tongue retraction? Anesthesia, coma, deep shock, bilateral mandibular fracture.

What’s the danger and how to prevent it

A sunken tongue blocks the airway. In turn, this can lead to respiratory arrest and subsequent cardiac arrest.

How to act? Before the arrival of doctors, it is usually enough just to turn the victim’s head to the side – carefully and without sudden movements. Under no circumstances should you try to put any objects between the teeth.

Even if the tongue or cheek has already been bitten, or if you see vomiting or bleeding (from the nose or mouth), turn the victim completely to the side.