Question

Read the case study given below and answer the question that follows:

The fire department received a call about a fire that swept through a house. The fire started with the explosion of a gas cylinder used for cooking. The injured Suman was lying on a hospital bed. She was talking to a press reporter. She expressed that her mother was in the kitchen when the incident occurred. The cylinder burst with a loud sound and the fire spread at great speed. The exit door of the house had also caught fire. Her mother shouted in panic as if she had lost all hope, and she fainted in the kitchen. However, Suman was determined to save her mother. She said “I don’t know how I got the energy to drag my mother to the room. I broke the window there and jumped out. My back got hurt, but without wasting any time, I sought the help of my neighbour and rescued my mother. I am happy that we are both safe.” Hearing her story, the press reporter was impressed with her chivalry.

Referring to the General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS) model, what immediate impact does the fire (noxious stimulus) have on Suman’s mother? 

Answer 1

Suman's mother goes through the alarm reaction stage after the fire, which results in anxiety, a racing heart, and possibly stress-related fainting.