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If something happened to your child would you know how to do CPR?? Just wondering how many parents do because DH and I were just talking about this. He has done a course so he would know what to do but I haven't. So he was teaching me the basics the other day so I at least know that until I actually do a course.
Ive done a 1st aid course before......but ill admit if i needed to use CPR i wouldnt have a clue what to do cos i have completely forgotten.
I did it years ago and I really need to renew it, however I do know the basics, least I think I remember...
DRABC (Doctor ABC to remember).
Danger - check for dangers (cars, electricity dangers etc)
Response - COWS (Can you hear me, Open your eyes, What is your name, Squeeze my hand)
Airway - Check to see if the airway is clear
Breathing - Check for breathing
Circulation - Check for pulse
From there CPR is essentially the same for babies as adults except you only use a finger to palpate the chest and the palpation/breath ratio is different. I think.
I wonder if a professional can come in and tell me if I have half remembered right LOL!
I was taught ABC
Airway - can they breathe?
Breathing - ARE they breathing?
Circulation - do they have a pulse?
I know how to deal with a choking, a drowning and a cardiac/breathing arrest. We were told on the course that only 7% of those people of any age given CPR by trained but non-medical-personnel actually survive.
Bx
I did a specifici baby First Aid 2 hours crouse in 2007 with a nurse from the Royal Childrens. The basics were what was already mentioned: DRABC and choking. CPR has now changed - the ratios are all the same..... 30 compressions to breaths. They changed the ratios because it was too hard for people to remember.
I was told that if you do something, even if you think it's not right then you're doing better than nothing so breathe for them and do compressions with your fingers (for babies) until ambulance arrives. Make sure you clear out their airway before breathing in case they have something lodged in there - do this while they're on their side so you don't push anything down their throat.
We were told 5 compressions to one breath if you're in a team (with one compressing and the other breathing) and 15 to 2 if you're on your own. I had to do it alone for seven minutes to pass my certificate (on resussiannie doll) and i was POURING sweat!
Bx
30: ? many breaths Jordie?
Or is it 30:30 ?
I thought adult CPR was always 20:4 so just curious on the difference now?
Gosh it's been so long I probably have no idea. I think I did my certificate in 2003... :o
The guidelines change every couple of years, which is why CPR qualifications need to be reviewed - annually I think. And general first aid is every 3 years from memory. Mine must be up now, I think I was pg with DS1 when did first aid most recently. I'd better look into doing another course.
In Qld, and probably the other states, The Red Cross and St Johns both run special first aid courses tailored to parents and other carers.
DH told me 30 compressions to 2 breaths.
I've held a First Aid Cert for quite a while and renew it regularly. I was a First Responder at my work which meant I got to use the defibrillators. DP & I did a child first aid course last year while I was pregnant. The DR ABC has changed. It's now DR ABCD, where the last D is for Defibrillation.
The new ratios are 30 compressions to 2 breaths for adults and children/babies. You also don't check for a pulse anymore, just go straight into the compressions if they're not breathing.
Also, it is really hard work, our instructor told us to be prepared to do it for up to 30 minutes before an ambo arrives.
I am an insturctor for st john in the act.
CPR changed in 2006 world wide. It is now DRABCD.
Danger, check if there is anything that could harm you.
Response. can they responde to voice, or squeezing shoulders.
Airway, is it clear (look in mouth without tilting head)
If clear tilt head back, if blocked roll onside clear and tilt head back while on side
Breathing, check for normal breathing. if breathing roll on side if not already there.
IF NOT BREATHING give two breaths (person on back tilt head back pinch nose and two breaths)
Check for breathing again max time 10 sec
CPR 30compressions:2 Breaths, do this 5 times in 2 minutes. and repeat till help arrives or signs of life (breathing and moving) return. for under ones two fingers on lower half of chest in the middle. over ones two hands heal of hand lower half of chest in the middle.
Defibrilation if there is a defib use it.
If you have some questions please pm me.
Wow, thanks for that info Laranna and sweetpea!
I second that- thanks for that info.
SaraJane I'm glad you reminded me... I am way overdue to do a new first aid course! I did one about 5 years ago.
But I do know the basics and like to think that if I had to do it, I could.
I worked in a nursing home for 4 years and had to do a lot ALOT of stuff like that.. done cpr quite a few tiems now, amongst other things, so I am GREAT in an emergency luckily.. dp isn't lol
Doing an annual CPR course is a fantastic idea. I'm lucky mine is done with work. DRABCD is a great start. Your compressions to breaths is 30 compression to 2 breath and you need to work off 100 compressions per minute so it is fairly fast. Your compressions need to be 1/3 of chest depth. With adults you need to use your entire hand with the head tilted whereas with a baby/child you use one/two fingers(depending on the size of the infant) with their head neutral. If you tilt their head you obstruct their airway.
Hope that helps.
I am lucky that in my job we do a CPR course 1 year and then a first aid course the next year and then this just gets repeated every year so we are updated with a new certificate and info every 2 yrs.
It is so important to know the basics. If you are in doubt when an accident happens call 000 pr get someone else to call 000 and they will direct you over the phone.
It has been changed to 30 compressions to 2 breaths as this is now the world wide standard ratio. That way it eliminates the confusion of what to do if you are in a different country or someone visiting here and someone needs CPR.
It has all changed! I have to do every 12months for work. Last year it was 30 compressions, 2 breaths. No cycles, no timing, no checking for a pulse, you just keep on going! I must admit, I thought it was a little different - but apparantly studies show that precious time is lost checking and breathing and 2 breaths is enough oxygen every 30.:
Also, they now recommend if you have two people to have the first person doing both breaths and compression for 2 minutes (about 4 cycles of 30 compressions and 2 breaths), and then the second person does it for 2 minutes and you keep taking turns until 1) the person starts breathing or 2) help arrives.
Bit of trivia: Do you know why they call the resusc dolls Annie?
I have done a paediatric first aid/CPR course and a regular level 2 first aid. The paediatric one was run by an ambo and the level 2 one was run by a TAFE trainer.
I found the paed course to be much more benificial - maybe it was the trainer. The ambo tod us that in a time of panic, sometimes you can forget what the ratio is so it is better to keep the heart beating.
I don't know why they call the dolls annie - but I heard they took the moulding of a 'Jane Doe' found drowned in a river in France. Don't know if this is true .....
Also, if anyone is keen, the St John Ambulance website as a "crash course" in first aid. This DOES NOT act as a substitution for a full proper first aid course, but it will give you the basic idea of what to do if you need to help someone.
A CPR course at QLD Ambulance is only $55 or thereabouts and only takes 3 hrs to do. Senior First Aid (which includes CPR) cost more - around $120, and takes two days to do.
I only recently did my refresher CPR. They say don't check for pulse - it can take too long to do, wasting precious time, and on its own doesn't really mean much, especially as you are not likely to know what their normal resting pulse is, meaning you don't have a base reading to go off. If a person is non-responsive and not breathing (which you can tell by observing their chest and by listening for breathing sounds), then get straight into CPR. If a person is non-responsive but is breathing, then you roll them into the recovery position and you can then do a pulse if you want - and pass that info onto the ambos when they arrive.
I'm doing my first aid course at work tomorrow so I'll let you know what they say (and if I can get down on the floor and up again with this belly :lol: )
lol Nai omg good luck!! I wouldn't be able to do it.
i can highly recommend these courses. i had to use my skills for DD when she was 4 weeks old.
the new thing i learnt from the session we organised through our mothers group was that you no longer check for a pulse. like Bon mentioned, it is highly inaccurate and if a person is not conscious, their heartrate is low anyway. also the trainer mentioned that many people find a pulse on a person who has died as they are feeling their own...
other interesting tid bits that i learnt was that it is not considered necessary with an adult to do the breaths. that in times of extreme emergency it is best to keep with the heart compressions.
BUT with kids you do do the breaths. and to not stop your CPR with a child, try to get someone else to do the calling for the ambos or bring the child to the phone with you.
one thing i was not prepared for was how hard it was to keep up with the compressions. it was exhausting!
Nai, i am sure you will be fine tommorrow, I was still training cpr at 35+ weeks preg went on mat leave just before 37 weeks. It is a great skill to learn.
Something that might be worth a mention seeing as there are a lot of pregas girls around here- if you are doing CPR on a pregnant woman, you need to put something like a cushion under her right butt cheek to alleviate pressure on the large blood vessel that supplies oxygen to the uterus.
An interesting thing to note, with regards to not needing to do the breaths - the ambo who ran our course said that that was a new thing coming out of the US - that you do not need to do the breaths when doing CPR if you don't want to. But the reason this came about was because a study done in America found that many people were reluctant to help in an emergency and perform CPR on a person because they did not want to put their mouth on another person's mouth. So basically there was an 'ick' factor. So because in any emergency it is always better to do something, anything rather than do nothing, they started telling people that as long as they do the compressions, that is enough. However, it has been shown that the breaths are important - doing the breaths as well as compressions gives a better chance of recovery than doing the compressions alone. So to give a person the best chance at recovery - you need to do the breaths.
Yep thats right - has recently been changed due to, as someone else said, making it easy for people to remember.:
I had to renew my CPR in July last year (work in the fitness industry) when I was 36 weeks pregnant, tell ya what it was hard blowing into a manequin! :lol:
The guy we had was really good and said to stop if I got the slightest bit of a head rush hehe
As an ex Emergency RN the most important thing you can do for anyone is simply give something a go. Even if you arent sure you are doing it 100%, its going to be better than nothing at all.
Dont get too caught up in the 30:2. Its a good guideline but i can assure you that when you are in a real life arrest, counting may be something that may not come to you, or you may get confused about what the correct ration is. Just do compressions and breaths as much as you can manage. And you WILL get tired. Get someone in to assist you and take over from you at regular intervals. A tired person will not effectively give CPR. Don't be afraid to admit that you are tired and need help. Its hard work and very different on a human body.
And spot on about chocking up the side of a pregnant woman. The same can be applied if you happen to come across a pregnant lady who has collapsed etc. Place a pillow or similar under her right hip so that her belly moves to the left, or you can physically pull the belly over to the left.
Great thread with loads of useful info for all. Its never too late to learn basic life support. You never know when you may need to help someone.
Hopefully no one ever needs to use the skills :)