President Javier Milei led an event at the school that educated him, Cardinal Copello.
In this context, two students who made up the institute's bodyguards and standard bearers fainted.
The moment was captured on video and replicated on networks, and raised both criticism of the president's attitude and doubts about why these types of episodes can develop among children and adolescents at school events:
is it more common than it seems?
“First we have to ask ourselves a question, this is the main thing:
is it a healthy boy or girl?
For example, one can ask in a hypothetical scenario: is he diabetic? Will he be suffering from hypoglycemia?
If it is a boy or girl who has a heart problem, it could come from there. Do you have an electrocardiogram done?
That could be the first warning of an arrhythmia, for example,” says Sergio Snieg, member of the National Ambulatory Pediatrics Committee of the Argentine Society of Pediatrics.
The specialist emphasizes that it is vital to ask ourselves if the child or adolescent has gone through something similar before: "Is this the first time this happens or does it always happen?
Can fainting warn us of something else?"
For example, abuse, or mistreatment, something that sometimes manifests itself in another way.”
Emphasize that asking all those first questions is key in this type of situation.
However, he explains that it is much more common for these types of sudden fainting at school events to occur
for other reasons: fasting, a lot of stress, nerves, few hours of sleep
, orthostatic hypotension, among others.
The possible explanations
“The most common thing that can happen is that if it happens in the morning, as in this act, there is a connection with breakfast.
Maybe the boy who passed out didn't have a good breakfast.
Blood glucose may be low, then the brain shuts down and fainting occurs
”, He warns.
Video
The President speaks in his college, Cardinal Copello.
Snieg refers to the fact that the context in which both faintings occurred
is not minor
: the students were at an event with a lot of media exposure and in front of the President of the Nation.
“The issue of 'I'm next to the president'
weighs a lot
: did I sleep at night? Because that can also be stressful, some people are more stressed than others, what emotional burden did this have for these kids?
It would make anyone nervous.
Not only are you going to be a flag escort next to the president, but they are also going to film you and you are going to go out everywhere,” he says.
Added to this is a factor that can be taken into account to explain the case: the fifth year students had just completed the UPD (Last First Day) on Monday night, just hours before Javier's act took place. Milei.
There are variables that could come into play, such as sleep deprivation and alcohol abuse.
The pediatrician indicates that the time factor also plays a role:
standing for a long time without moving
, in this case, on stage.
He highlights that people who have circulation problems begin to swell their legs or feet, although this is not common in children, "but
their blood pressure can drop
, and the brain can shut down and the fainting.”
Likewise, it delves into the concept of orthostatic tension, where blood pressure falls when the person stands up “suddenly” after having been sitting or lying down, or when making a sudden change in posture.
He clarifies that this
is very common in children
.
President Javier Milei with the Copello flag bearers.
Finally, Snieg advises on what can be done when a person's blood pressure drops in this type of context.
“If there is no blood pressure monitor nearby, you can
give something sweet
until the person is treated.
This is in case it is due to hypoglycemia,” he explains, referring to what happens when the blood glucose level drops too low for bodily functions to continue.
And he continues in his recommendation: “In that case, you can give him a little soda, a little sugar water, for example.
But once he is better and his blood pressure is taken, if he has low blood pressure, he has to be given something salty.”
P.S.