CPR and Choking Emergencies

It is essential that all teachers and colleagues have basic training and certification in first aid for infants and children. This paper will focus on two scenarios and they are: performing CPR and First Aid for children
I am a paraprofessional at an elementary school, and one day during lunchtime in the cafeteria, there was a 4th grader chocking on a piece of chicken. One of the paraprofessionals ran over to the table where the girl was sitting and asked her could she breathe, the child was unresponsive. The paraprofessional asked someone to call for medical help. In the meantime, the paraprofessional listen for breathing, she then gave the child breaths as she pinched the child nostril and sealed her mouth into the child’s mouth. The paraprofessional placed her hand in the middle of the child chest and gave her 30 chest compression and two breathe until the ambulance had arrived. Breathing emergencies is always life threatening. These are the following steps for performing CPR for a child. If the child is unresponsive, send someone to call 911 and get an automatic external defibrillator if available. If alone, shout for help and begin CPR if indicate. Open airway with head tilt/chin lift. Look, listen, and feel for breathing for 5-10 seconds. Pinch nose and cover victim’s mouth with your mouth. Give two breaths for 1 second each and make sure chest rises. Immediately begin chest compressions. Ensure the child is on a firm, flat surface and place the heel of a hand on the lower half of the sternum between the nipples. Keep fingers lifted off the rib area. Keep airway open by using the other hand to give gentle pressure to the forehead. Compress the chest 30 times at a depth of one-third to one-half the depth of the chest at a rate of 100/minute. If necessary, use two hands. Give two rescue breaths and continue for five cycles of CPR for 2 minutes. If 911 were not previously contacted, do so now and come back as quickly as possible. If an AED is present, use it after the five cycles of CPR. (Robertson, 2007)
There was a student who was stung by a bee in the back of the school on the playground. The child was crying and the teacher immediately performed first aid on the child. The teacher looked at the child to see if the child had an allergic reaction to the bee sting. She checked the child for swelling, redness, hives, and itching. The child did not have an allergic reaction so the teacher immediately removed the stinger by scraping it horizontally with a credit card. The teacher then applied an ice pack on the area of the skin. She reported the incident to the office and then called the child parents about the situation. The teacher suggested to the parent to apply an over the counter antihistamine, such as Benadryl.
It is always better to have advance planning to respond to an emergency situation such as CPR and first aid. Teachers should be well prepared to act when an emergency has occurred. The ability to perform CPR and being familiar with first aid procedures are important for teachers to have. Whether they are on a field trip, in the lunchroom, at the playground or in the classroom, teachers and colleagues could be faced with instances where CPR is required to save a child’s life. “The goal of CPR and first aid training is to educate people, not only about the skills required for saving a life, but also in prevention and safety that would greatly reduce risks of numerous preventable accidents.” (http://www.linkroll.com/first-aid/the-importance-of-cpr-and-first-aid-training.php)
Adults must develop advance planning in steps to ensure they are prepared to handle a crisis, such as knowledge of and training in basic emergency response procedures. “All teachers, colleagues, and parents should have training in basic first aid and rescue breathing, and at least one teacher per site must be certified in CPR. The teacher should organize for emergencies and plan accordingly. Emergency numbers and information should be posted and easily accessible. Every early childhood education program should have a comprehensive first aid kit that travels with the group if they leave the site for an outing or field trip. Every teacher should have an understanding of the nine steps for emergency response and be able to respond in the right order.” (Robertson, 2007)
In conclusion, it is important when a child has been burned, has ingested poison, or choking on piece of food, the plans that teachers, colleagues and parents have in place can make all the difference in a life-or-death situation.

References

Retrieved September 27, 2009 from (http://www.linkroll.com/first-aid/the-importance-of-cpr-and-first-aid-training.php)
Robertson, Cathie (2007). Safety, Nutrition, and Health in Early Education. Belmont, CA
Robertson, Cathie (2007). Safety, Nutrition and Health in Early Education. Belmont, CA