CPR and Choking Emergencies.

      Scenario one begins with children eating lunch, for lunch today, we are having grapes, carrot sticks and ham sandwiches.  The children in my care are all over three years old and therefore are able to chew their food well.   I get up from the table to get more milk for a child when all of a sudden little Caden begins to cough and choke.  I immediately return to the table and see that he has dropped a half eaten carrot stick on the floor so it is apparent to me that he is choking on a carrot.  It is important that I stay calm and because I am sure that he is indeed choking on food I give Caden the Heimlich maneuver in order to dislodge the carrot from his throat.  To do this I would stand him up and position myself behind him, wrap my arms around the front of him and clasp my hands into a ball and give him upward thrusts just below his ribcage.  Caden is only 3 so I may need to kneel on my knees to be on this level.  Once the food is dislodged I would be sure that his breathing is back to normal and call his parents to let them know what had happened.  If after several attempts the food does not come out I would call 911 and than continue this maneuver until medical personnel arrives.

      Scenario two involves a 6 month old infant who is sleeping in his crib.  Even though I put the baby down to sleep on his back, he had rolled over and was laying face down on the mattress with his mouth and nose covered.  When I check on the infant I see that he is not moving or breathing.  My first step is to roll the infant over and check for a response by tapping the bottom of his foot.  If there is no response I would immediately begin Infant CPR which consists of 30 chest compressions using 2 fingers to compress the chest right below where the ribcage meets, about ½ inch deep, followed by 2 rescue breaths.  When giving the breaths you have to make sure that the airway is open by tilting the head back slightly and positioning your mouth over the child’s open mouth and nose and blowing air into his mouth for 1 second.  I would watch to be sure the chest was rising.  If I don’t see the chest rise I would reposition his head to be sure the airway is open and administer another breath.  If it still does not go in I would sweep his mouth to be sure he is not choking on anything.  In the meantime I would yell for help and be sure someone is calling 911 and would continue CPR until help arrives.

      It is extremely important that people who work with children are CPR and First Aid certified and keep the certifications current.   It is also a good idea to refresh your skills by going over the CPR steps once a month.  I have been very fortunate to not have ever had to use CPR on an adult or a child.   You never know when an emergency will occur and being prepared can and will save a child’s life.  One way to prevent an emergency is to make sure the environment is safe for kids.  Ensure there are no choking hazards for small children, cut up foods small so that children may not be able to choke on them as easily.   Keeping first aid supplies easily accessible is important also.  If you use something in your kit be sure to replace it promptly.  Also, keep emergency contact phone numbers handy, store them in your cell phone if you are outside for a walk, I keep them on my refrigerator by my phone in the kitchen.  I always know where they are at, in an emergency you can get panicked very easily and it will take much longer if you have to fumble around and don’t know where to find something.  Be prepared for emergencies and you will be better equipped to potentially save a child’s life.