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Asfixia en niños menores de 1 año - Overview

Definición:

La asfixia o ahogamiento se presenta cuando alguien no puede respirar debido a que un alimento, un juguete u otro objeto está obstruyendo las vías respiratorias (garganta o tráquea).

Este artículo aborda la asfixia en bebés.

Consideraciones generales:

La asfixia puede resultar de un bloqueo parcial o completo de las vías respiratorias:

  • Un bloqueo total es una emergencia médica.
  • Una obstrucción parcial se puede convertir rápidamente en una situación potencialmente mortal si la persona no puede respirar.

Se puede presentar daño cerebral permanente en tan sólo 4 minutos cuando una persona no recibe suficiente oxígeno. La administración rápida de primeros auxilios para la asfixia puede salvar una vida.

Causas:

Por lo general, la asfixia en los bebés es causada por la inhalación de un objeto pequeño que se han llevado a la boca, como un botón, una moneda, un globo, una parte de un juguete o la batería de un reloj.

  • Reviewed last on: 7/16/2011
  • Jacob L. Heller, MD, MHA, Emergency Medicine, Virginia Mason Medical Center, Seattle, Washington, Clinic. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

Referencias

Manno M. Pediatric respiratory emergencies: Upper airway obstruction and infections. In: Marx J, ed. Rosen's Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 7th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Mosby Elsevier; 2009: chap 166.

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