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Here is a reminder of the steps for high-quality Child/Infant CPR paired with use of an AED:
Remain calm and try your best. Any attempt at CPR is better than no attempt!
Remember to always protect yourself by verifying that a scene is safe and using gloves and other personal protection equipment whenever possible in a medical emergency. (If the scene is not safe, is there anything you can do to make it safe?)
CHILDREN (1-puberty)/INFANTS (under 1):
After verifying scene safety, approach the child or infant. Check for responsiveness by shouting and tapping both shoulders on child or bottom of the foot on infant. If the child/infant does not move, speak, blink, or otherwise respond to you when you tap, yell for help.
If someone hears you, have that person phone 911 and get an AED, if available. Then scan the child/infant chest while checking for normal breathing for 5-10 seconds. If not breathing or only gasping, make sure the victim is lying on back on a firm, flat surface and begin CPR.
IF YOU ARE ALONE, have no mobile device and no one comes when you yell, "CALL FAST!" Check for breathing/visible chest rise; if not breathing CPR is needed. Before leaving the child/infant’s side to phone 911, provide 5 sets of CPR (30 compressions, 2 breaths) and then leave the victim to phone 911 and get AED. The protocol differs from that of Adults because often times respiratory issues cause cardiac arrest in children and infants. Immediate CPR with breaths is needed to increase chance of survival.
When performing CPR, always follows the C-A-B sequence of Compressions-Airway-Breathing. For children: press down with heel of hand about 2 inches on the lower half of the breastbone. For infants: press down with two fingers only in the center of the chest (just below the nipple line) about 1.5 inches (or 1/3 the depth of the chest.) Always compress at a rate of BETWEEN 100 AND 120 per minute (no more than 2 per second!)
After 30 compressions, open the airway and deliver 2 breaths, pinching the nose closed for a child, or covering mouth and nose with your mouth for an infant. Keep the interruption in compressions as short as possible (no more than 10 seconds). Watch for the chest to begin to rise to know your breaths are going in (try not to over-ventilate as their lung capacity will likely be much less than yours.)
When an AED arrives, use it immediately. “Turn it on and follow the prompts.” If pediatric pads (or key/switch) are available, they can be used only on anyone under 8 years of age and less than 55 pounds. If not available, or if you are unsure of the age/weight of the child, it is acceptable to use adult pads. Place the pads on a bare, dry chest as directed by the pictures. If the torso is small and the pads risk touching each other, use the anterior-posterior (front and back) placement. Always use front and back pad placement for an infant (under 1 year of age.)
If the victim does become responsive, do not remove the pads or turn off the AED. The AED will continue to reanalyze the victim's heart rhythm every 2 minutes, but will not deliver a shock unless needed. Stay with the victim and keep the child or infant calm until paramedics arrive. Be sure not to clear the victim during the analyzing stage that occurs every 2 minutes.
The information presented below is a review for our class participants. It does not replace a training course but is to be used as a refresher to remind of the skills that were learned so rescuers are prepared in an emergency.