Bac Giang Three brothers were cleaning a well. The older brother climbed down to a depth of nearly 10 meters and could not get back to the surface. The two younger brothers who went to save him had difficulty breathing and felt dizzy.
All three were brought to the ground by the people around them. The older brother died, the two younger brothers (36 and 45 years old) were given artificial respiration, taken to the local medical center for first aid, then transferred to the Department of Internal Resuscitation and Anti-Poison, Hospital 108, Hanoi. Doctors diagnosed the patients with suffocation, after intensive treatment they recovered and were discharged from the hospital.
On May 15, Dr. Le Lan Phuong, Director of the Intensive Care Center, Hospital 108, said that in deep well environments, especially wells that have been covered for a long time and are rarely used, organic substances in the wells decompose, forming many toxic gases such as CH4, CO2, CO, H2S. These gases have a heavier density than oxygen, and the deeper the environment, the more concentrated the content.
"The victims had difficulty breathing and died due to lack of oxygen and inhalation of toxic gases," said Dr. Phuong.
In areas with many coal mines, oil mines, landfills, agricultural waste, and deep wells, methane gas often appears. This is a toxic gas that at high concentrations can quickly kill a person, according to Dr. Phuong.
To prevent suffocation, doctors recommend that people wear full protective gear and gas masks before going down the well. If there is no protective gear, you can ventilate the bottom of the well by using a large, leafy tree branch, tied with a long rope, lowered into the well and pulled up and down several times. A better way is to use a pure oxygen aerator to pump air down into the well. You should prepare a rubber tube to both lead air from the ground down for breathing and to signal people above in case of an accident.
Check for safety before going down the well by lighting a candle or lamp, and slowly lowering it down to the water surface at the bottom of the well. If the candle still burns normally, it means that there is enough oxygen in the air at the bottom of the well for breathing. On the contrary, if the candle flickers and then goes out, you should not go down the well.
In case of suspicion of suffocation in the well, do not go down the well immediately to save the victim but call the rescue team. The best first aid for the victim after bringing them to the surface is to perform artificial respiration on the spot, then transfer them to the nearest medical facility.
Le Nga
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