what is the correct technique for providing cpr to an infant under 12 months old?
What is the correct technique for providing CPR to an infant under 12 months old?
Answer:
Performing CPR on an infant under 12 months old requires specific techniques to ensure safety and effectiveness. Here’s a detailed, step-by-step guide on how to correctly administer CPR to an infant:
Solution By Steps:
-
Assess the Situation
- Check for Responsiveness: Gently tap the infant’s foot or shout to see if there is any response. Do not shake the infant.
- Check for Breathing: Look, listen, and feel for breathing for no more than 10 seconds. If the infant is not breathing or only gasping, CPR is needed.
-
Call for Help
- Shout for Help: If someone is nearby, ask them to call emergency services.
- If Alone: If you are alone with the infant and no one comes to help, after performing CPR for about 2 minutes, leave the infant to call emergency services and then return to continue CPR.
-
Provide Chest Compressions
- Positioning: Place the infant on a firm, flat surface.
- Hand Placement: Use two fingers (the index and middle fingers) placed just below the nipple line, at the center of the chest.
- Compressions: Compress the chest about 1.5 inches (4 cm) deep at a rate of 100-120 compressions per minute. Allow the chest to fully recoil between each compression.
-
Open the Airway
- Head Tilt-Chin Lift: Place one hand on the infant’s forehead and gently tilt the head back. Use the other hand to lift the chin, opening the airway.
-
Give Rescue Breaths
- Mouth-to-Mouth-and-Nose: Cover the infant’s mouth and nose with your mouth, ensuring a good seal. If you cannot cover both, you can cover just the nose or just the mouth, but ensure a tight seal.
- Breaths: Give two gentle breaths, each lasting about one second. Watch for the chest to rise with each breath.
-
Repeat Cycles of Compressions and Breaths
- Continuing CPR: Continue with cycles of 30 compressions followed by 2 breaths.
- Re-Assess: After 2 minutes, re-assess the infant to check for responsiveness and breathing. If there is no change, continue CPR until emergency responders arrive or the infant starts breathing.
Important Points to Remember:
- Depth and Rate: Ensure compressions are about 1.5 inches deep and at a rate of 100-120 compressions per minute.
- Rescue Breaths: Be gentle with rescue breaths to avoid causing damage to the infant’s lungs.
Final Answer:
When providing CPR to an infant under 12 months old, follow these steps: check for responsiveness and breathing, call for help, provide chest compressions with two fingers at a depth of 1.5 inches and a rate of 100-120 compressions per minute, open the airway with a head tilt-chin lift maneuver, give two gentle rescue breaths, and continue cycles of 30 compressions followed by 2 breaths. Ensure to re-assess the infant every 2 minutes and continue CPR if there is no improvement until help arrives.