Note: Your progress in watching these videos WILL NOT be tracked. These training videos are the same videos you will experience when you take the full ProFirstAid program. You may begin the training for free at any time to start officially tracking your progress toward your certificate of completion.
In this lesson, you'll learn how to help a choking victim who is an unconscious infant. And just like our last two fictional choking scenarios, this victim went unconscious while you were trying to help them.
Much of this lesson will look exactly like the last two choking lessons that you just finished. But remember that we learn through repetition, you can always expect to learn a couple new things in every lesson, and the importance of the material, as it could literally save someone's life.
As always, the first thing you want to do is make sure the scene is safe and that your gloves are on, and that you have your rescue shield handy.
Pro Tip #1: While repetitive and maybe not necessary, it bears repeating: The prevalence of technology has reached a point where everyone has a cell phone or mobile device. And those devices tend to have speakers making them hands-free. Also remember that in an emergency your adrenaline will likely be spiked and your brain mildly dazed and confused. If you're having trouble remembering your rescue skills, dispatch can help.
Pro Tip #2: It's important that the infant is laying on a hard surface that can support his or her bodyweight and not one that is padded. If the baby sinks into the surface – like a thick carpet or sofa cushion – this will greatly reduce the effectiveness of chest compressions.
Remember, once you perform a chest compression, make sure you allow for full recoil of the chest cavity. You want to allow the chest to come all the way back to the neutral position before performing another compression.
Pro Tip #3: Do not perform blind finger sweeps, as this can push an object back down the throat and make dislodging more difficult. Only perform a finger sweep if you see something. And with infants, it's best to use your pinky finger.
Remember, we're assuming your chest compressions were able to dislodge the obstruction and you got it out of the victim's mouth. At this point, either they're breathing normally and becoming more responsive, or they're not. If not, continue to perform 30 compression to two rescue breaths.
Continue to perform CPR until EMS arrives, an AED is located, or the victim becomes responsive and begins breathing normally again.