Facebook Twitter Linkedin Instagram
Book Now
ProTrainings Approved Centre #90199

The important of rescue breaths in infants

With so much emphasis around giving hands-only CPR compressions in adults to protect the lifesaver from covid risk caused by rescue breaths, it’s easy to get confused about what you should do for infants who have stopped breathing and are showing no signs of life.

WHY ARE RESCUE BREATHS SO IMPORTANT?

It’s actually pretty clear. Rescue breaths are absolutely VITAL for saving the life of a child. Rarely do little ones have heart related issues. It’s far more likely to be a blocked airway causing them to stop breathing. Therefore giving 5 rescue breaths is always the FIRST and most important thing to do, before giving chest compressions.

LATEST 2021 GUIDANCE FOR GIVING CPR IN INFANTS/CHILDREN.

  1. Assessment of breathing is the first step in an unresponsive child. The assessment of other signs of life is done during the rescue breaths. Chest compressions should be commenced immediately after delivering/attempting five rescue breaths unless you are a single rescuer. If there is only one rescuer, with a mobile phone, they should call for help (and activate the speaker function) immediately after the initial rescue breaths.
  2. Feeling for a pulse is not a reliable way to determine if there is adequate or effective circulation and should not be used as the determinant of the need for chest compressions (de-emphasis on checking for a pulse).
  3. Chest compressions in infants should preferably be provided using the two-thumb encircling technique, although single rescuers, or those not trained in paediatric basic life support, may prefer using two-finger technique.
  4. Those who are really unable or unwilling to provide rescue breaths should be encouraged to at least perform hands-only CPR – as they have been in adults.
  5. Use of mobile phone with speaker phone to facilitate bystander access to dispatcher guided CPR and remove need to leave infant/child to summon help. It is advised that an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) be used in all non-traumatic prehospital paediatric resuscitation if available, especially if there is more than one rescuer.

For children, Resuscitation Council UK has reiterated:

“It is likely that the child/infant having an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest will be known to you. We accept that doing rescue breaths will increase the risk of transmitting the COVID-19 virus, either to the rescuer or the child/infant. However, this risk is small compared to the risk of taking no action as this will result in certain cardiac arrest and the death of the child.”

So to reconfirm, despite the risk with covid, breaths for children and infants is VITAL to their survival.

For step by step instructions on how to give Infant and Child CPR, and know the differences, read our previous blog.

More recent articles