Child CPR

CPR and AED:

1. According to AHA, a child is from 1 year of age to puberty.
2. Signs of puberty include chest or underarm hair in males and any breast development in females.
3. The Pediatric Chain of Survival is different from the adult. The first link is preventing injury and sudden cardiac arrest.
4. The second link is to perform early CPR.
5. The third link is to phone 9-1-1 as soon as it is available.
6. Children usually have healthy hearts. Breathing trouble is often the cause of a child needing CPR.
7. Other reasons a child may need CPR are drowning, trauma, and electrical injury.
8. Preventing cardiac arrest is one of the most important things you can do.
9. Respiratory problems are often the cause of cardiac arrest in children. If alone and don’t have a phone nearby, provide CPR for 2 minutes before leaving to call 9-1-1.

Make Sure the Scene is Safe and Check for Responsiveness:

10. When you encounter a child who may have a cardiac arrest, always ensure your own safety by making sure the scene is safe.
11. Check for responsiveness by tapping and shouting.
12. Check for breathing.
13. Begin CPR, phone 9-1-1 and get an AED.
14. If you have a phone available, put it on speaker mode while assessing the victim.

Shout for Help:

15. If the victim does not respond, shout for help. When more people are helping, you are able to provide better care to the child.

Check for Breathing:

16. If the child is unresponsive, check for breathing.
17. When checking for breathing, scan the chest from head to waist repeatedly for at least 5 seconds but no more than 10 seconds looking for chest rising and falling.
18. If the victim is only gasping and not breathing normally, he needs CPR.
19. If the victim is breathing normally but is unresponsive, roll him onto his side. This keeps the airway clear in the event he vomits.
20. When providing CPR, be sure the victim is lying on his back on a firm, flat.
21. Have someone call 9-1-1 or use your cell phone on speaker mode.

Provide Compressions:

22. Give 5 sets of 30 compressions and then 2 breaths.
23. After 5 sets of compressions and breaths, phone 9-1-1 and get an AED if no one has done this yet.
24. Try not to interrupt compressions for more than 10 seconds, even when you give breaths.
25. When providing compressions for a child, use 1 hand. If you can’t push down at least one-third the depth of the child’s chest (or about 2 inches) then use 2 hands to compress the chest.
26. Push at a rate of 100 to 120 compressions per minute. Count out loud.
27. If someone else knows CPR, take turns to prevent fatigue. Switch rescuers about every 2 minutes, or sooner if you get tired.

Give Breaths:

28. After each set of 30 compressions, you will need to give 2 breaths. Breaths may be given with or without a barrier device, such as a pocket mask or face shield.
29. When giving breaths, make the chest rise visibly.
30. Before giving breaths, open the airway. This lifts the tongue from the back of the throat to make sure your breaths get air into the lungs.
31. To open the airway, put one hand on the forehead and the fingers of your other hand on the bony part of the chin. Avoid pressing into the soft part of the neck or under the chin because this might block the airway.
32. To give breaths without a pocket mask: Pinch the nose closed with your thumb and forefinger. Take a normal breath. Cover the victim’s mouth with your mouth. Give 2 breaths (blow for 1 second for each). Watch for the chest to rise as you give each breath.
33. Try not to interrupt compressions for more than 10 seconds.
34. If the chest does not rise, allow the head to go back to the normal position and open the airway again by tilting the head back and lifting the chin. Then give another breath. Make sure the chest rises.
35. If unable to give 2 effective breaths within 10 seconds, go back to providing compressions.
36. Barrier devices, such as Pocket Masks, protect rescuers from blood, vomit, or disease.
37. To give breaths with a pocket mask, put the mask over the victim’s mouth and nose. If the mask has a pointed end, put the narrow end of the mask on the bridge of the nose, position the wide end so it covers the mouth.
38. Tilt the head and lift the chin while pressing the mask against the victim’s face. Make an airtight seal between the victim’s fast and the mask while you lift the chin to keep the airway open.
39. Give 2 breaths (blow for 1 second each). Watch for chest rise.
40. Give 30 compressions followed by 2 breaths. Repeat.

Use of an AED:

41. CPR combined with using an AED provides the best chance of saving a life.
42. AED is an acronym that stands for automated external defibrillator.
43. To use an AED, turn it on by either pushing the “on” button or lifting the lid. Once you turn on the AED, you will hear prompts, which tell you what to do.
44. AEDs may have adults and child pads. Use child pads if the child or infant is less than 8 years old. If child pads are not available, use adult pads.
45. Before you place the pads, quickly scan the body to see if there are unique situations that might require additional steps. Peel away the backing from the pads and attach to the chest. Follow the pictures on the pads for proper placement.
46. Make sure pads don’t touch each other. If the child’s chest is small, the pads may overlap. In this case, you may need to put one pad on the child’s chest and the other on the child’s back.
47. Let the AED analyze the heart rhythm. If the AED advises a shock , it will tell you to stay clear of the person. If so, then loudly state “Clear”. Make sure that no one is touching the victim just before you push the shock button. If no shock is advised, continue CPR.
48. Provide CPR and AED use until someone else arrives to assist you, the victim begins to move, speak, blink, or otherwise react, or until advanced training arrives.

Special Situations:

49. Before applying placement of the AED, check to see if there are special situations.
50. If the victim has a hairy chest, the AED pads may not stick. If so, then quickly shave the area where you will place the pads using the razor provided in the AED kit.
51. If no razor, then use the second set of AED pads, press firmly onto the chest then rip the pads off forcefully to remove the chest hair. Reapply a new set of pads to bare skin.
52. If the victim is lying in snow or a puddle of water, you may use the AED. If the chest is covered in water or sweat, quickly wipe it before attaching the pads.
53. If the victim has an implanted defibrillator or pacemaker, don’t put the AED pad directly over the implanted device.
54. If the victim has a medicine patch where you need to place the AED pads, remove the medicated match, wipe the area clean, and attach AED pads.