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Paediatric First Aid – Choking

29 November 2024

Paediatric First Aid – Choking article will look into helping a child and infant in case of choking. Choking happens when an object lodges in the throat or windpipe blocking the flow of air. In adults, a piece of food is usually to blame. Young children often choke on small objects. Choking is life-threatening. It cuts off oxygen to the brain.

 

Paediatric First Aid – Choking Child

How to recognise if the Child is choking?

First step is to ask the child if they are choking. Second step is to observe:

  • Mild obstruction: Difficulty in speaking, coughing and breathing.
  • Severe obstruction: Inability to speak, cough or breathe. Eventual unconsciousness.

 

How to Help Choking Child

Step 1. Encourage Child to Cough

If the child is breathing, encourage her to cough to try to remove the obstruction herself. If this fails, go to step 2.

Step 2. Give Up to Five Back Blows

If the child cannot speak, cough or breathe, bend her forward. Give up to five sharp blows between the shoulder blades with the heel of your hand. Check her mouth. If choking persists, proceed to step 3.

Step 3. Give Up To Five Abdominal Thrusts

Stand behind the child. Put both your arms around her, and put one fist between her navel and the bottom of her breastbone. Grasp your fist with your other hand, and pull sharply inwards and upwards up to five times. Recheck the child’s mouth.

Step 4. Call For Emergency Help

Repeat steps 2 and 3 until the obstruction clears. If after three cycles it still has not cleared, call 999/112 for emergency help. Continue the sequence until help arrives, the obstruction is cleared or the child loses consciousness.

Source: St. John Ambulance [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3G_0YxMEViE]

 

Paediatric First Aid – Choking Infant

How to recognise if the Child is choking?

With choking infant, it is very important to carefully observe and look for:

  • Mild obstruction: Able to cough but difficulty in breathing or making any noise.
  • Severe obstruction: Inability to cough, make any noise or breathe. Eventual unconsciousness.

 

How to Help Choking Infant

Step 1. Give Up To Five Back Blows

If the infant is unable to cough or breathe, lay her face down along your thigh, and support her head. Give up to five back blows between the shoulder blades with the heel of your hand.

Step 2. Check Infant’s Mouth

Turn the infant over so that she is face up along your other leg and check her mouth. Check the mouth – do not sweep the mouth with your finger. Pick out any obvious obstructions. If choking persists, proceed to step 3.

Step 3. Give Up To Five Chest Thrusts

With the infant still lying on your leg, place two fingertips on the lower half of her breastbone, a finger’s breadth below the nipples. Give up to five sharp thrusts, pushing inwards and downwards, towards the head. Recheck the infant’s mouth.

Step 4. Call For Emergency Help

Repeat steps 1 to 3. If after three cycles the obstruction is still not clear, take the infant with you and call 999/112 for emergency help. Continue the sequence until help arrives, the obstruction is cleared or the infant loses consciousness.

Source: St. John Ambulance [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oswDpwzbAV8]

 

Raising Awareness

There are a number of ways in which one can train and refresh their knowledge in Paediatric First Aid. eLearn Safety offers fully online, blended and face-to-face environmental and occupational health and safety courses. One of such courses is Paediatric First Aid course. At the end of this course, participants will be able to:

  • Assess the paediatric patient.
  • Perform the CPR on a child and infant.
  • Place the child and infant in the recovery position.
  • Know how to treat the choking child and infant.
  • Stop bleeding.

Furthermore, there are a number of useful resources available online. Such resources are St. John Ambulance and their Paediatric First Aid Get Advice section. This is First Aid advice for children and babies including choking, croup, drowning, head injuries, hypothermia, how to do a primary survey, CPR and the recovery position. In addition, the HSE provides information about how to treat cuts and bleeding in babies and children and when to get medical help via their webpage First aid.

 

Online Health and Safety Training

Proactive Health and Safety training is critical to ensure a safe workplace. An effective training program can reduce the number of worker injuries and deaths. It can also reduce instances of property damage, legal liability, illnesses, and missed time from work.

Health and Safety training helps establish a culture in which employees themselves help promote proper safety procedures while on the job. It is important that new employees be properly trained and embrace the importance of workplace safety. The role of training in developing and maintaining effective hazard control activities is a proven and successful method of intervention.

This is why we have established eLearn Safety school. We pride ourselves in how we guide, support and mentor our students. They receive support throughout their learning experience and into their working lives. Our staff have extensive training experience and also have many years industry experience. We understand the challenges that exist within Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety. Our priority is to ensure that all learners are fully prepared to differentiate themselves in the workplace after completing our Health and Safety courses.

eLearn Safety offers fully online Health and Safety courses.

To find out more, please check our Courses page.

Alternatively, should you need any additional information, please do not hesitate to let us know via email info@elearn.ie

eLearn Safety – Online Health and Safety Training

eLearn Safety – Online Health and Safety Training