First Aid Fact Sheets
How to deal with childhood emergencies: Dealing with an unconscious child
RESUSCITATION ADVICE:
H.264 | WMV |
+ Resuscitation sequence:
ABC for children – Airway-Breathing-Circulation
This primary survey is a quick, systematic assessment of the child to establish if any injuries or conditions are
life threatening. Remember to stay calm and follow the steps below:
+ Either:
If the child is Breathing, put him/her in the recovery position and call an ambulance or if possible get
someone else to call one for you
Check their Circulation by ensuring there are no major injuries that could cause blood loss
Then treat other problems in this order: bleeding, burns, fractures and watch for signs of shock
Check the child’s Breathing by looking for chest
movement, listening for breath or feeling or breath on
your face for 10 seconds.
Open the Airway by tipping the head back with a
hand on the forehead then lifting the chin.
+ Or:
If there is no Breathing, pinch the nose, lift the chin, seal your lips over the mouth and blow steadily for
one second
Give five rescue breaths
Start cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR):
- Place your hand on the centre of the chest
- Lean over the child with your arm straight and press down vertically on the breastbone with the heel of
your hand
- Depress the chest by one-third of its depth
- Release the pressure without removing your hand
- Allow the chest to come back up completely before you give the next compression
- Compress the chest 30 times, at a rate of 100 compressions per minute
- Give 2 rescue breaths, pinch the nose, lift the chin, seal your lips over the mouth and blow steadily for
one second
- Repeat in a cycle of 30 compressions to 2 rescue breaths until help arrives, the child takes a spontaneous
breath or you are too exhausted to carry on
- Call an ambulance - if you need to leave the child alone to do this, perform a minute of CPR before leaving
+ If you suspect spinal injury (always suspect a spinal injury with a head injury)
- Do not move the child unless the airway is blocked
+ Recovery position for children age 1+
Remember to stay calm and follow the steps below:
- Kneel beside the child. Make sure that both of the child’s legs are straight
- Place the arm nearest to you at right angles to the child’s body, with the elbow bent and the palm
facing upwards
- Bring the arm that is farthest from you across the child’s chest, and hold the back of their hand against the
cheek nearest you
- With your other hand grasp the far leg just above the knee and pull it up, keeping the foot flat on the ground
- Keeping the child’s hand pressed against their cheek, pull on the far leg and roll the child towards you on
to their side
- Adjust the upper leg so that both the hip and knee are bent at right angles
- Tilt the child’s head back and lift the chin so the airway remains open
