CPR training has saved countless lives and knowing how to perform CPR can be the difference between life and death for someone in your life. However, different age groups require adjusted methods for CPR training or BLS training.
When someone collapses or stops breathing, chest compressions and rescue breaths help keep blood flowing to vital organs like the brain until EMTs arrive. Adults, children, and babies have differently sized bodies, in particular the chest cavity requires adjustments to the force, depth and method of compression. Knowing how to make these adjustments is incredibly important and can make all the difference when moments count the most.
Understanding the Basics of CPR
Many CPR or BLS trainings will walk you through how to administer CPR in more detail, but let’s go over some basics. CPR can restart the heart and breathing of someone who has experienced cardiac arrest. Hands-only CPR uses chest compressions alone and is advised when someone collapses. It can be just as helpful for adults who suffer cardiac arrest as traditional CPR methods and is easier to perform.
Performing CPR on Adults (ages 8 and above)
Check Responsiveness
The first thing you want to do when someone falls unconscious is check for responsiveness. For adults, gently shake the person and shout for a response. If they don’t respond, look for a pulse and check for breathing. Using your index and middle finger (not your thumb), press gently on the side of the person’s neck just beside the windpipe.
To check if they are breathing, follow the procedure of Look, Listen, and Feel. Watch their chest to see if it rises and falls. Put your ear close to their mouth and nose to listen for breathing. Lastly, place your hand or cheek near their mouth to feel for airflow.
Call 911
Before you begin CPR, ask someone to call 911. If you’re alone, make sure to call 911 yourself so that a professional can get to you as quickly as possible and take over resuscitation efforts.
Begin Chest Compressions
Put both hands in the center of the chest, one on top of the other with interlaced fingers, just below the sternum. Keep your arms straight and compress at least 2 inches deep at a rate of 100-120 beats per minute. To keep track of time, think of the songs “Stayin’ Alive”, “I Will Survive”, or “Don’t Stop Believing” in your head.
Continue Until Help Arrives
Keep compressions steady until help arrives. Do not stop unless the person revives. If someone can take over when you get tired, let them.
Performing CPR on Children (Ages 1-8)
Check for Responsiveness
When you check for responsiveness on a child under 8, tap the child on the shoulder and shout to get their attention instead of shaking them. Shaking a child– even gently – can be inappropriate for their less-developed frames and cause more problems. Check for a pulse and breathing using the same methods as an adult.
Call 911 and Start Chest Compressions
If alone, perform CPR for two minutes before calling 911. If someone else is nearby, have them call. Because children are more likely to have respiratory issues, early CPR can be lifesaving. For chest compressions, use one hand on smaller children and both hands on larger children. Place your hand in the middle of their upper chest and compress about 2 inches deep at the same rate of 100-120 beats per minute.
Continue Until Help Arrives
Just like with an adult, keep going until emergency services take over or the child revives. CPR for children is a little less physically taxing than adult CPR, but it can still tire you out.
Performing CPR on Infants (Under 1 Year Old)
Check for Responsiveness
Babies need an even gentler approach to check for consciousness than adults of children. Tap the bottom of the foot and look for movement. To check for a pulse, place the baby on their back, and using two fingers, press gently on the inside of their upper arm between the shoulder and elbow (near the armpit).
You will use the same Look, Listen, and Feel approach to check for breathing, though you should use your cheek instead of your hand to feel for breath.
Call 911 or Have Someone Call
If alone, perform CPR for two minutes before calling 911. As with a child, moments count because of the heightened risk of respiratory issues. If someone is nearby, get them to call 911 and begin CPR.
Start Chest Compressions and Repeat Until Emergency Services Arrive
Instead of a hand, use two fingers in the center of the baby’s chest to perform compressions. Compress 1.5 inches deep at a rate of 100-120 per minute. Keep doing CPR until EMTs arrive or the infant revives.
Common CPR Mistakes to Avoid
Waiting to call 911: CPR training dictates to always call 911 as soon as possible. The longer the heart is stopped, the higher the likelihood that CPR alone is insufficient.
Using too much force on a child or infant: Remember that a child – especially a baby – has smaller, more delicate bodies than an adult. Don’t apply too much force as you want to avoid causing internal injuries when performing CPR for children.
Performing compressions too slowly or not deep enough: Compressions should be deep and fast, as failure to compress deeply enough at the right rate greatly decreases the efficacy of CPR.
Not allowing full chest recoil between compressions: The chest needs to fully rise back to normal between compressions. This maximizes blood circulation.
If you’re looking for CPR training or more advanced BLS training, it’s important to understand the slight procedure differences for each age group. Specialized Health and Safety offers BLS as well as CPR training. Sign up for a CPR class today to ensure you know exactly what to do in an emergency.
