Fainting Response and Treatment

Fainting occurs when the blood supply to your brain is momentarily inadequate, causing you to lose consciousness. This loss of consciousness is usually brief.

Causes:

Fainting can have be of minor medical significance, or the cause can be a serious disorder. Therefore, treat loss of consciousness as a medical emergency until the signs and symptoms are relieved and the cause is known. Any of the causes listed under shock may produce what looks like fainting.

• • Heat related illness

  • Dehydration

  • Electrolyte imbalance

  • Hypoglycemia

  • A vasovagal response causing blood to pool in the lower extremities reducing circulation to the brain. You may suffer from a simple fainting spell due to anxiety, fear, pain, intense emotional stress, hunger, or use of alcohol or drugs.

  • Although most people who suffer from simple fainting have no underlying heart or neurological (nerve or brain) problem one cannot rule out possible serious medical problems such as stroke or cause of shock. For this reason, all fainting experiences should be evaluated by a medical specialist.

Treatment:

• Call 911 if:

  1. If the person doesn't regain consciousness within one minute.

  2. Repeated fainting.

  3. No signs of breathing or movement. Start CPR if not breathing.

• • Position the person on his or her back.

• •  If the person is breathing, restore blood flow to the brain by raising the person's legs above heart level — about 12 inches (30 centimeters) — if possible. Loosen belts, collars or other constrictive clothing. To reduce the chance of fainting again, don't get the person up too quickly. Have them lie down 10 to 15 minutes.

  • Check the person's airway to be sure it's clear. Watch for vomiting. If need be, turn to recovery position as suggested in some demonstrations..

  • Check for signs of circulation and monitor breathing.

  • If the person was injured in a fall associated with a faint, treat any bumps, bruises or cuts appropriately. Control bleeding with direct pressure. Call 911 if needed.

  • Do not let them cycle or drive themselves home. All should seek immediate medical attention.

Addendum:

For completion, perform a secondary exam. In most cases, this may only need be a history: What happened and that listed under "AMPLE" below, which may give you a clue as to whether the individual is on medication and past (diabetic needing sugar which you may have stashed away as an energy bar), intake or output (suggesting dehydration requiring an electrolyte mix) or an previous event (prior medical illness or fall)

• 1. History: What happened, onset of illness or pain, quality of pain (1 to 10)

  2. Vital Signs: Breathing Pulse LOC (level of Consciousness): Alert, Oriented X3 (who, where, when), Verbal, Responsive to Pain, Unresponsive Skin (i.e, pale, cold, clammy, sweating)

  3. Exam: Chunk Exam

  4. AMPLE

     1. • Allergies

• • • Medications

    • Past history

    • Leak: last intake, last output

    • Events leading up to crisis

References:

• • Understanding Fainting -- the Basics   From WebMD

  • Fainting(Syncope)   From WebNet.com

  • Fainting: First aid   From the Mayo Clinic