Premergency First Aid, CPR and AED Manual

3 Airway and Breathing

Infant Choking – First Aid Any time an infant suddenly has difficulty breathing you should suspect choking. Assess the infant carefully. As in adults, do not interfere with an infant’s attempt to clear their own airway if they are still able to cough forcibly or breath. The signs and symptoms of severe obstruction are the same as in adults: distress, inability to cry, weak or no cough, high-pitched wheezing or whistling noise when trying to breath, and cyanosis.

• Give up to five brisk back blows between the shoulder blades with the heel of your other hand. • If the obstruction remains, give chest thrusts. Supporting the infant on your arm, turn the infant face up on his or her back, keeping the head lower than the trunk.

Chest Thrusts for Infants

• Place two fingers over the lower half of the breastbone which is one

SKILL

finger breadth below the nipple line. (Avoid the lower tip of the breastbone). • Give up to five brisk chest thrusts, forcibly pressing inwards. Depress the breastbone approximately 4 cm (1.5 inches) for each thrust. Each thrust should be given with the intention of dislodging the obstruction.

• Supporting infant’s head and neck with one hand, position the infant face down, head lower than trunk, over one fore arm.

Back Blows for Infants

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