Paediatric Life Support

Key points of algorithm (please see link attached for more details)

• unresponsive?
• shout for help
• open airway
• look, listen, feel for breathing
• give 5 rescue breaths
• check for signs of circulation
  • infants use brachial or femoral pulse, children use femoral pulse
• 15 chest compressions : 2 rescue breaths
  • chest compressions should be 100-120/min for both infants and children
  • depth: depress the lower half of the sternum by at least one-third of the anterior-posterior dimension of the chest (which is approximately 4 cm for an infant and 5 cm for a child)
  • in children: compress the lower half of the sternum
  • in infants: use a two-thumb encircling technique for chest compression

Paediatric Out of Hospital Basic Life Support Algorithm 2021.pdf

Remember

• give 5 rescue breaths before starting chest compressions*
• if you are on your own, perform CPR for 1 min before going for help
• compress the chest by at least one-third of its depth, approximately 4 cm for an infant and approximately 5 cm for an older child. Use both thumbs or two fingers for an infant under 1 year; use one or two hands for a child over 1 year as required to achieve an adequate depth of compression
• the compression rate should be 100-120/min.