BLS for Infants and Children Flashcards
How do we define “infants”?
Less than one year of age (excluding newborns)
How do we define children?
1 year old to puberty
Where do you check the pulse on an infant?
Radial pulse
Where do you check the pulse on a child?
Carotid or femoral pulse
When should you begin chest compressions on a child or infant?
1) When the child is unresponsive, not breathing or only agonal gasps, and no pulse.
2) Or when the child is unresponsive, not breathing or only agonal gasps, and pulse rate is below 60 beats per minute with signs of poor perfusion.
How deep should child and infant comressions be?
1/3 the diameter of the chest (about 2 inches in children, about 1.5 inches in infants)
What should you do initially if you are alone and witness a child or infant go into cardiac arrest?
Leave the victim to activate the emergency response system and get an AED. Then return and start compressions.
What should you do if you are alone and find an infant or child in cardiac arrest (but no one witnessed the arrest)?
Do five rounds of 30:2 chest compressions to breaths. Then go activate the emergency response system and get an AED.
What is the appropriate compression-to-ventilation ratio for a child or infant if two rescuers are present?
15:2
What technique should you use for compressions on an infant if two rescuers are present?
The 2 Thumb-Encircling Hands Technique
Why are rescue breaths more important for infants and children in cardiac arrest than for adults?
Because infant and child cardiac arrest is often caused by respiratory failure, the oxygen saturation is already low. Adults, in contrast, usually already have enough oxygen in their blood to meet the demands of the body for the next few minutes.
