Hyperventilation

Symptoms and background information:

1. Rosy skin – no blue lips or face!
2. Agitation, anxiety, dizziness.
3. Rapid, shallow breathing with an open mouth.
4. Feeling of shortness of breath.
5. Tingling in the fingers and lips (feeling of pins and needles).
6. Possibly clenched fingers.

Dial the emergency number 112 immediately

1. Seek a calm and low-stimulation environment.
2. Instruct the child to breathe in and out slowly and deeply.
3. Provide reassurance and calm the child.
4. Loosen tight clothing around the neck, chest, and abdomen to make breathing easier.
5. Keep the child in a sitting position and monitor continuously.
6. Instruct the child to breathe in and out slowly and deeply.
7. Perform rebreathing into a bag (if necessary, for several minutes):

Hold the bag firmly over the child’s mouth and nose.

Let the child exhale into the bag and then inhale.

Every 30 seconds, remove the bag from the mouth and nose and allow the child 1–2 breaths of fresh air.