Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is a life-saving method that can make the crucial difference between life and death. Often called the ‘kiss of life,’ CPR is essentially a heart massage, to get a heart in distress to keep the blood flowing in the body, so as to keep the organs functioning. This method has often saved lives and kept the person viable till medical help arrived. That help is normally a defibrillator; a device that administers an electric shock to the heart to restart it.
While the method is more or less the same in most cases- CAB-D, or Circulation, Airway, Breathing, Defibrillate- the administration will change depending on the age of the person in distress.
In the current PALS pretest, there are many questions on pediatric advanced life support and may include CPR techniques. Are the methods different for infant, child and adult? Yes they are. A child has different bone structure and physiology. Trying the technique you use on an adult, on a child, can cause more harm than good.
For Adults
Most times CPR is needed during a cardiac arrest in the case of adults. After a call to 911, you should proceed to check for a pulse. Now you need to clear the airway before breathing into the mouth. The head must be tilted back a little as well. Now, there must be compression applied on the center of the chest.
For Children
It goes without saying that children’s bones are more likely to break under pressure. Creating a safe airway can also be an issue because airways tend to be narrow, but the tongue is larger in proportion to the mouth. While it is a cardiac arrest in the case of adults, with children, more often than not, it’s a blocked airway that requires CPR.
The same method used for adults can be used on children from the ages of 1 to 8. But there are a few key differences.
1. 911 is step 2. Step 1 is CPR. Children are tougher than adults and early CPR might make the key difference.
2. Be careful about breaths- The head must not be pushed back too much and the breaths must be gentle, not forceful.
3. Compressions need to be less deep- 1.5 inches, instead of the adult 2.
For Infants
A baby is delicate and needs to be handled with utmost care. There must be no shaking or any violent action of any kind. If responses need to be checked, a simple tap on the soles or stroking the baby can elicit a response. With infants too, CPR must be given before a 911 call. The pulse needs to be checked not at the neck but the upper arm. As usual, care must be taken to not put pressure on the neck. When you breathe, you can exhale (gently) on the mouth and the nose. Use only two fingers for compression and not more than an inch or an inch and a half.
Thus, there are crucial differences between the administration of CPR for infants and adults. The right training can save a little one.
I am glad to learn that CPR must be given before the 911 call. I need to take a class to learn how to give CPR to an infant.
Really important article and great to highlight the need to take a CPR class if you haven’t already. You’d be surprised if you research it, as some places will have free classes for the community. I saw several posted on Facebook for my area in the previous few months. There are free CPR instruction sites too and I follow a few CPR sites that post daily reminders of different scenarios, to keep my skills fresh. Hands on practice for babies is very helpful if you don’t work with them normally. I imagine you could even practice on a baby doll.
I have taken a CPR class for infants in the past and this is a good reminder that I need to take a CPR class again and refresh my skills for both kids and adults.