CPR For Children on the Playground
CPR, or cardiopulmonary resuscitation, is an emergency first-aid procedure used to get oxygen-rich blood to the heart and brain when a person's breathing and heartbeat has stopped.
"As a parent, it is absolutely imperative that you know how to perform CPR - it could save your child's life!" "It really is best to attend a first aid course to acquire the necessary hands-on skills and learn the most up-to-date methods of CPR. In this learning environment you have the opportunity to practice your skills so that you feel confident should an event arise that requires first aid."
Before any form of CPR commences, it is important to identify whether the person's heart is still beating. If it is beating, he or she may just require artificial respiration.
However, if the heart has stopped beating and the person has stopped breathing, it is absolutely essential that CPR begins within minutes.
An excerpt from St John Ambulance details the basic procedure to follow, should a child between the ages of 1 and 8 years of age require CPR. Again, this is simply a guideline and attending a course is highly recommended.
1. Ascertain whether the child is responsive by gently tapping his/her shoulder and asking "Are you Okay?"
2. If the child does not respond, shout for help AND send someone to contact an ambulance.
3. Place the child face up, protecting their head as well as their neck during this movement. If you think there may be a possibility of a head or spinal injury, don't move the child at all, but stabilise the neck and continue.
4. Open the airway by pressing down on the forehead and lifting up the jaw from underneath the chin.
5. Take up to 10 seconds to check for breathing - look for movement in the chest area, listen for breathing sounds or feel for breath by placing your cheek near the nose and mouth.
6. If there is no breathing, apply as Artificial Respiration, covering the child's mouth with yours, and closing the nostrils. Breathe slowly for 1 to 1½ seconds into the child's mouth, with just enough pressure to make the chest rise. Let go of the nostrils, allowing the air to escape and the chest to fall. Repeat for up to 5 breaths.
7. Check for a pulse. If you feel a pulse, continue with Artificial Respiration as in Step 6. If there is no pulse, apply CPR.
8. A cycle of CPR includes 5 compressions then 1 ventilation, as described above. Give CPR for 1 minute, which is equal to 15 cycles of CPR.
9. Ensure the child is on a flat but firm surface. Kneel next to the child and identify the bottom of the rib cage with the fingers of the hand closest to the feet side. Slide the middle finger to the notch where the ribs meet in the central part of the body. Then place the index finger on the breastbone, which is two fingers width up. Place the heel of the hand midline on the breastbone just above the area where the index finger was pointing. Lift your fingers off the chest.
10. With your hand in the correct place, position your shoulders directly above your hand and lock your elbow. Press the heel of your hand straight down onto the breastbone, depressing the chest 2.5 to 3.5cm. Rhythmically depress and release the chest, at a rate of 100 per minute, counting aloud. DO NOT remove your hand in between compressions.
11. Take 5 seconds to reassess pulse and breathing. If you can feel NO pulse and NO breathing, continue with CPR. If there is a pulse, but NO breathing, continue with Artificial Respiration. Repeat the relevant steps until help arrives.
"If you are faced with an emergency, it is possible to be coached over the telephone by a medical professional to perform CPR. However, there is no substitute for attending first aid classes. Here you will learn not only how to perform CPR, but also how to stabilise the head of a casualty with a neck injury, and how to deal with many other injuries. These skills should be refreshed each year to ensure you know the very latest techniques in the CPR procedure," concludes Hoole.
Leo Playground Equipment
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Bradley_Hoole
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