Breathing difficulties - first aid

Alternative names:

Difficulty breathing - first aid; dyspnea - first aid; shortness of breath - first aid

Symptoms:

Associated with difficulty breathing:

• cough
• gurgling, wheezing, or whistling sounds
• labored breathing; tense chest muscles
• pale or bluish lips and fingernails
• shortness of breath; inability to breathe deeply
• confusion
• weakness
• lightheadedness

Associated with airway or chest injury:

• chest moving in an unusual way as the victim breathes
• chest pain
• obvious signs of injury, such as bruises or open wounds

Updated Date: 02/09/00

Updated By:J. Gordon Lambert, MD, Associate Medical Director, Utah Health Informatics