Paediatric First Aid level 3 Notes

Baby & Child: Basic Life Support (with choking protocols for all ages)

 

Background Information

            Infant                                                     Child                                                         Adult

0 – 1year                                               1year – puberty                                             puberty+

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Most medical emergencies in infant and children occur due to a problem with the airway and breathing.

Signs of Sever Choking

Usually witnessed 

Unable to vocalise or cry

Sudden onset                                                                    Unable to breath

Recent history of eating or playing with small objects        Quiet or silent cough.

Reduced level of consciousness

Change in colour

Severe choking (adults and children)

         Up to 5 Back Blows                                              Up to 5 Abdominal Thrusts

if patient becomes unconscious start BLS

Severe choking (infants)

   Up to 5 Back Blows                                  Up to 5 Chest Thrusts

if patient becomes unconscious start BLS

Other points – choking

• Call an ambulance if the obstruction has not cleared after three cycles.
• Anyone that has received abdominal/chest thrusts should seek medical attention.

Normal breathing present

                                                                           

Normal breathing absent

send for an ambulance

if no helper, perform 1 min BLS before calling an ambulance

Initial rescue breaths

Basic life support (child)

Basic life support (child)

Continue Basic Life Support 30:2 until:

Professional help arrives

The casualty shows signs of regaining consciousness and starts to breathe normally

You become exhausted (stop & swap after 1-2 minutes)

Open the airway (infant)

Normal breathing present

Normal Breathing absent

Send for an ambulance

if no helper, perform 1 min BLS before calling an ambulance

Initial rescue breaths

Basic life support (child)

Basic life support (baby)

Continue Basic Life Support 30:2 

Professional help arrives

The casualty shows signs of regaining consciousness and starts to breathe normally

You become exhausted (stop & swap after 2 minutes)

Key points

                3 important modifications for babies/children:

• Give 5 initial rescue breaths before starting chest compression
• if you are on your own, perform BLS for 1 min before leaving to summon help.
• Compress to a 1/3 of the depth of the chest.

Health care professionals

• if you are a health care professional regularly working with sick children, you may consider using the 15:2 CPR ratio
• This should still be preceded by 5 initial rescue breaths.
• 15:2 is advocated by the Resuscitation Council (UK) for those with a ‘duty to respond’ as it increases the total number of ventilations per minute.
• 30:2 remains an acceptable alternative for lay rescuers or HCPs not working in acute settings.

Donate to Bart’s City Life Saver

• We are seeking charitable donations to support our outreach work;
• Our project has provided free basic life support training for over 200 patients and family members, from East London, who have experienced a heart attack or undergone cardiac surgery;
• Your donation can help us train even more patients and their families. if you would like to donate you can do so via www.jutgiving.org.uk/bcls

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