First Aid: Choking, Recovery Position and Basic Life Support

Question 1

What is the acronym to manage an incident?

Answer 1

ADADS

A - Assess for danger to self and others
D - Delegate: ask individuals to help: traffic management, crowd control, information gathering from witnesses and help with casualties.
A - Assess casualties, the one making the most noise is probably not the one most seriously injured.
D - DONT move the casualties unless they are in immediate danger.
S - Summon help. 999 or 112.

Question 2

What does DR (s) ABC stand for?

Answer 2

Danger - Check it is safe to approach the casulty
Response - Shake and Shout - do not go near the face
Shout - Summon help
Airways - Head tilt/ chin lift
Breathing - Look/listen/feel for normal breathing up to 10 seconds (do not go near the face - COVID) Circulation/Compressions - start resuscitation

Question 3

Who is at an increased risk of choking?

Answer 3

1. Those with reduced consciousness
2. Drug/ or alcohol intoxication
3. Neurological impairment with reduced swallowing and cough reflexes (e.g. stroke, parkinsons disease)
4. Respiratory disease
5. Mental impairment
6. Dementia
7. Poor dentition
8. Older age

Question 4

What do you do if an adult or child is choking?

Answer 4

• Ask if they can cough
• 5 back blows
• 5 abdominal thrusts
• Alternate above until they recover or
• They become unconsious carry out CPR
• Call 999/112

Question 5

What are general signs of choking in infants/small children?

Answer 5

• Witnessed episode
• Coughing or choking
• Sudden onset
• Recent history of playing with or eating small objects

Question 6

What are signs an infant is coughing effecively?

Answer 6

• Crying or verbal response to questions
• Loud cough
• Able to take a breath before coughing
• Fully responsive

Question 7

How to give a choking infant (baby) CPR

Answer 7

1. Lay baby over your arm face down
2. 5 back blows
3. Turn baby over
4. 5 chest thrusts (similar to compressions but sharper and slower) using two fingers
5. Alternate above until baby recovers or becomes unconscious… start CPR
6. Call 999/112

Question 8

What are the rules regarding abdominal thrusts?

Answer 8

1. Never do them on a baby
2. Never do them on someone who is unconsious
3. Always send the casualty to the hospital when you have carried out abdominal thrusts on them

Question 9

What does the chain of survival consist of?

Answer 9

1. Early recognition and call for help - to prevent cardiac arrest
2. Early CPR - to buy time
3. Early defibrillation - to restart the heart
4. Post resuscitation care - to restore quality of life

Question 10

Who do you call if a casualty is not breathing?

Answer 10

999

Question 11

What does CPR stand for?

Answer 11

Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation

Question 12

How do you carry out CPR?

Answer 12

30 compressions, centre of the chest, rate of 100-120 a minute, 5-6 cm depth, allow for recoil. Do not lost contact with the casualty’s chest.

Continue until:
- Help arrives
- The casualty recovers
- Your become exhausted

Question 13

How do you give ventilations?

Answer 13

1. Open airway
2. Pinch the nose
3. Place your mouth over their mouth getting a good seal
4. Steadily blow a normal breath over 1 second watching the chest rise and fall

Question 14

What is the CPR ratio?

Answer 14

30:2

30 chest compressions to 2 rescue breaths

Question 15

What does AED sand for?

Answer 15

Automated external defibrillator

Question 16

How do you use an AED?

Answer 16

1. Open and turn on
2. Follow the prompts
3. Ensure the pads go onto a dry chest
4. Remove medication patches
5. If more than one rescuer, CPR should be continued while pads are being attached to the chest
6. Make sure that no one is touching the casualty when analysing or delivering shock
7. Immediately restart CPR at a ratio of 30:2

Question 17

If an infant isn’t breathing what should you do?

Answer 17

Ensure that help is on the way. Give 5 ventilations and assess for signs of life. Give compressions. If on your own, 1 minute of CPR and then get help.

Question 18

How do you give rescue breath?

Answer 18

• Carefully remove any obvious airway obstruction and open airway (head tilt/chin lift)
• Give 5 initial rescue breaths
• Note any gag or cough response to your action

FOR AN INFANT
- Ensure a neutral position of the head (as an infant’s head is usually flexed when supine, this may require some extension) and apply chin lift.

Question 19

How to give compressions to a child?

Answer 19

• Compress the sternum one figer’s breadth above xiphisternum
• one-third of the depth of the chest (one hand)
• 100-120 per min
• Allow chest recoil
• Ratio of 15:2

INFANT
Compress with two fingers

Question 20

Regarding CPR, what do you do when the child or infant is breathing spontaneously but requires airway management or when the child has a traumatic injury?

Answer 20

In these cases the recovery position is not recommended, in these circumstances keep the patient flat, maintain an open airway by either continued head tilt or chin lift or jaw thrust.