Basics of Child CPR and PALS Classes for Healthcare Providers in Memphis

Like adults, children can also get involved in a cardiac emergency like a cardiac arrest. The most effective way to revive a victim involved in a cardiac emergency is by properly applying the CPR procedure. The procedure is a combination of chest compressions and rescue breaths. There are CPR courses for healthcare as well as non-healthcare providers. Choose a certified training center for acquiring training such as the AHA certified CPR Memphis in Tennessee. Classes are conducted through a series of audio and video lectures and hands-on practice.

Learn more about a “PALS class Memphis”:

Pediatric Advanced Life Support Classes- The class begins with basic life support and CPR testing for 1 and 2 rescuers on child and infant. Recognizing and managing respiratory emergencies, intubation, intravenous and intra-osseous vascular access are also covered in detail. The pediatric assessment approach of Identify, Intervene, and Evaluate is a focus throughout the class. The class concludes with actual PALS cases and a final written examination. Nurses, physicians, paramedics, and all other healthcare providers who must develop and enhance their pediatric assessment skills need to be PALS certified. Learn to identify onset of shock as well as respiratory and cardiovascular emergencies in infants and children.

The steps for performing CPR for children are similar to adults but there are key differences which are essential to remember:

Clear Airway:

1.      Place the child on his/her back on a firm surface.

2.      After kneeling next to the child’s neck and shoulders, open the airway by placing your palm on the forehead to carefully tilt the head back and lift the chin forward with your other hand.

3.      Check for signs of life for no longer than 10 seconds. Feel the pulse by placing your ear over the mouth of the victim, and also placing your two fingers on the carotid artery. Listen if the victim is breathing or has a pulse while counting from 10-0.

4.      Proceed to the next step (breathing) if there is no sign of life.

Remember, gasping for air is not considered normal breathing as with adult, so you should proceed with CPR immediately. In case the child is breathing, roll him/her onto his or her side, and wait for the arrival of emergency medical services.

Breathing:

Breathing refers to rescue breathing, also commonly referred to as mouth-to-mouth technique where one person is breathing into other.

1.      Pinch the child’s nose shut by using the thumb and forefinger of your hand that’s on the child’s forehead.

2.      Place the heel of your hand properly so that the child’s head remains tilted. With your other hand under the person’s chin, lift it up.

3.      Give first breath as you keep an airtight seal with your mouth. As you do that, watch the child’s chest rise, if rises give second breath, if not start from the beginning. The child should receive two full mouth to mouth breaths, 1 second each.

Proper breathing administration is extremely important for children- do not give large, forceful breaths, by adhering to 1 second limit per breath. The breaths should be sufficient to make the chest rise.

Compressions:

External chest compressions offer artificial circulation. Application of rhythmic pressure on the lower half of the child's breastbone forces the heart to pump blood. Follow the steps below to do external chest compressions:

1.      After kneeling beside the child’s chest, with the middle and index fingers of your hand nearest the person's legs, find the notch where the bottom rims of the two halves of the rib cages meet in the middle of the chest.

        

2.      Put the heel of one hand on the sternum (breastbone) next to the fingers that found the notch.

3.      With one hand in position, put your other hand on its top. Keep your fingers up off the chest wall. Interlocking your fingers may ease the process.

4.      In case of a child, you may use one hand for compression instead of two. The compressions must be 1/3 to 1/2 of the depth of the chest instead of 2 inches.

5.      The pressure on the sternum should completely be relaxed. Do not remove your hands from the victim's sternum but do let the chest rise to its normal position between compressions. Relaxation and compression should take equal amounts of time. The proper rate is 30 chest compressions to 2 breaths if you must give both rescue breathing and external chest compressions. Compress at a rate of 100 times per minute. Keep interruptions to less than few seconds. Continue administration until help arrives.

For more information or to register for a CPR program at CPR Memphis, call on 901-438-4200.