CPR and
Choking Emergencies of Children
Working
in an early childhood environment one must remain calm and composed to keep the
environment a positive experience for the children. Remaining calm and level
headed is a must when an emergency arises in an early childhood environment.
When working with children 5 years old and under an individual must have training
in CPR, and know what to do in case a child is choking. I will give a scenario
of each case and the steps to follow during the emergency. Being prepared is the key to dealing with
emergencies. I will be explaining how to be prepared for these situations and
why.
Infants/toddlers
put things in their mouths constantly, so when working with them an educator
has to be on alert all the time. The first scenario is with a 4month old girl
and a 1 ½ year old girl. The 4 month old girl is playing on the floor rolling
over and chewing on appropriate toys. The 1 ½ year old girl is sitting at a
table eating cheerios with her baby doll; she is sharing her cheerios with her
doll. The 1 ½ year old looks over at the
infant, gets up and goes over to the infant placing a cheerio in the infants
mouth. The educator looks over to see the 1 ½ year old standing over the infant
saying hungry. The educator looks at the infant and hears a weak cough
indicating the infant could be choking. In this second scenario the children are
outside playing on a hot day. There are three boys playing tag. The one boy who
is 3 years old looks a little tired. The educator goes over to see if he is ok,
as she approaches he falls to the ground. Upon reaching him the educator
realizes he is unconscious and having a seizure. Once the seizure quite the boy
was unresponsive and not breathing. This boy does not have a history of
seizures or any other illness. [YOU NEED TO PUT IN ABOUT CPR].
For
scenario 1 the 4 month old is choking and needs immediate help. If the infant
“is not coughing forcefully or does not have a strong cry” then follow these
steps while remaining calm: (Medlineplus a, 2011, p. 1)
1.
Place infant face down on your forearm. The
infant’s chest in your hand and jaw between fingers. The head needs to be lower
than the body, so point head down.
2.
Using the palm of your hand “give 5 quick
forceful blows” to the infants back between the shoulder blades.(Medlineplus a,
2011, p. 2)
3.
Turn infant over placing her on you thigh with
head supported.
4.
Using 2 fingers find the middle of the
infant’s “breastbone just below the nipples” and give 5 quick thrust down
(Medlineplus a, 2011, p. 2). You only want to compress 1/3 to ½ deep on chest.
5.
Repeat with 5 back blows and then 5 chest
compressions. Continue this until the object becomes dislodged or infant losses
consciousness.
6.
If infant is unconscious call 911; then call
parents of child.
7.
Start CPR
8.
After 1 minute look in mouth see if you can
view object if not continue CPR until help arrives. DO NOT do blind sweeps of
the mouth as it can cause more damage.
If an infant is choking one should
have someone call 911 while you begin first aid.
For
scenario 2 the three year old boy is having exertion heat stroke, the symptoms
for this are increase in body temperature, change in consciousness, “seizures,
confusion, emotional instability, irrational behavior or decreased mental
acuity”(National Safe Kids Campaign, 2003, p.3). Other symptoms to look for are
nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, dizziness, weakness, fast breathing,
dehydration or combativeness. Steps that need to be taken are:
1.
First call 911 and then call the parents of
child.
2.
Follow seizure first aid by making sure that
there is nothing around that the child could harm themselves.
3.
DO NOT put anything in the child’s mouth; they
will not swallow their tongue.
4.
After seizure is over check it see it child is
breathing. If child is not breathing start CPR.
a.
CPR for a child; if no response from the child
when you gentle shake them then place child on their back.
b.
With the heel of your hand find the
breastbone, which is below the nipples then start chest compressions. Keep head
tilted back. “Give 30 chest compressions” only compressing 1/3 to ½ deep on
chest (Medlineplus, 2011, p.2).
c.
Once the chest compressions are complete check
for breathing. Look, Listen and Feel. Place ear close to the mouth of child to
do this, and watch for chest to move up and down.
d.
If child is not breathing then cover mouth
with yours and give 2 breaths. Make sure head is tilted and mouth is tightly
over the child’s mouth. Pinch nose closed and give 2 breaths. (There are masks
that should be in first aid kits).
e.
Repeat chest compressions and breathing until
help arrives or child starts to breath.
These two
scenarios can be scary, but if educators are prepared then they can handle it
very well. To be prepared for both scenarios an educator must be trained in
first aid procedures and CPR. Infants/toddlers can or will put anything in
their mouths so understanding the proper procedures is very helpful. First aid
training needs to be taken every year to keep personal up on changes and keep
it fresh in their minds. Making sure the first aid kits do not have out dated
equipment, and keep it stocked. It is best to have a child’s personal information
organized and quickly accessible, as it can help in the event of an
emergency. Exertion heat stroke is rare
but does happen when children are in sports and playing hard in hot weather. An
educator needs to be aware of what and how much a child is drinking, as well as
limiting exposure. “Children replace less of their fluid losses when drinking
water,” thus when in high activity sports drinks help replenish a child’s fluid
loss (National Athletic Trainers’ Association, 2003, p.4).
In
conclusion, first aid training and CPR training is a must educators of children
5 and under. Preparing personal in procedures of a choking infant and CPR of
children needs to be done every year. Helping staff stay calm in emergencies
will help resolve the emergency in a swift manner. Having emergency action
plans helps staff and parents understand what happens in the event of an
emergency.
Reference
Medline Plus (2011), Choking-infant
under 1 year, Retrieved on September 19, 2012 from http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000048.htm
Medline Plus (2011) CPR-children (1
to 8 years old), Retrieved on September 19, 2012 from http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000012.htm
National Athletic Trainer’s
Association (2003), Parents’ and Coaches’ guide to dehydration and other heat
illness in children, Retrieved on September 19, 2012 from http://www.nata.org/sites/default/files/Heat-Illness-Parent-Coach-Guide.pdf
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