04 Feb, 2010
Child Basic Resuscitation :: choking
Posted by: blissfule In: Perth ()
This week I'm sharing the notes I took during a half-day first aid course. I hope you enjoy and benefit from them, but please remember that this information is not a substitute for hands-on first aid training.
During the tea break I asked our instructor if we would be learning the
Heimlich maneuver. She explained that the Heimlich maneuver is no longer recommended in Australia because (a) arms are not long enough to reach right around every adult, and (b) rib and spleen injuries have been associated with the maneuver. Instead, the accepted protocol for a choking victim is as follows:
Help the person who is choking to
relax. This will cause the muscles in the throat to relax and could be all that is needed to dislodge the obstruction.
Ask the choking victim to
breathe as deeply as possible. This not only helps the person to calm down, but also may shift a partial obstruction.
Encourage coughing, which should dislodge a partial obstruction.
The majority of choking cases are cleared by following those first three steps (relax, breathe, cough).
If the choking victim is an infant who cannot respond to requests to cough OR coughing is unsuccessful, call emergency services.
With emergency services en route, lean the casualty forward with head and chest low. If an infant, position infant on your forearm with the head downwards.
photo source :: childsafetyaustralia.com.au
Deliver up to five sharp blows between the shoulder blades, pausing after each blow to check if the obstruction is cleared. For an infant, use two fingers. For children and adults, deliver the blows with the heel of your hand.
After five blows, if the obstruction is not cleared, next deliver up to five sharp blows to the casualty's breast bone, in the same manner as the blows to the back.
Alternate in sets of five, back and front until the obstruction is cleared or emergency services have arrived.
Tomorrow I will conclude this first aid series with some Australia-specific information.
