First Aid & Emergencies

Smoke Inhalation Treatment

Call 911

1. Get Emergency Help If the Person:

• Is unconscious
• Is dizzy or confused
• Has chest pain or tightness
• Is coughing or choking violently
• Has wheezing, shortness of breath, or irregular breathing
• Has ash or smoke around mouth and nose
• Has burns inside mouth, throat, and nose
• Has swollen airways
• Has black or gray saliva
• Is nauseated or vomiting
• Is hoarse
• Has double or blurry vision
• Has numbness or tingling in his or her extremities

If the person is alert, ask if he or she has a lung disease such as COPD or asthma, and check to see if the person's acute inhaler is nearby for the person to self administer.

2. Get the Person to Safety

• Move the person into fresh air if you can do so safely.

• Sit or lay the person down, but not on back if the person is vomiting or coughing up sputum.

3. Give CPR

While waiting for help, if the person is not breathing, give CPR:

• For a child, start CPR for children

• For an adult, start adult CPR.

If the person has pale and clammy skin, glazed eyes, sweating, rapid and shallow breathing, weakness, dizziness, or vomiting:

• Treat for shock. See Shock Treatment.

4. Go to a Hospital Emergency Room

• The person should be examined immediately, even if there are no symptoms.

• Damage from toxin inhalation may not show up for hours and can worsen quickly.

5. Follow Up

At the hospital, the next steps depend on the particular case.

• A doctor will examine the person's airways for damage, do tests, and may administer oxygen.

• The person may be hospitalized.

• An antibiotic, bronchodilator, inhaled cortisone, or other medication may be prescribed.