What is the recommended way to deliver supplemental oxygen to a child? Supplemental oxygen can be delivered to a child by a variety of different means. For the sickest patients, oxygen should be delivered in the highest concentration and by the most direct method possible. Children who demonstrate spontaneous breathing might require less invasive means …
Which children require intubation? Although the most obvious indication for endotracheal intubation is sustained apnea, a number of other indications exist: • Inadequate CNS control of ventilation • Functional or anatomic airway obstruction • Strong potential for developing airway obstruction (e.g., inhalation airway burns, expanding airway hematoma) • Loss of protective airway reflexes • Excessive work of breathing, which might …
What is the recommended way to establish a patent airway? • The first attempt to establish airway patency should be through proper airway positioning . Often, this step alone will be effective. Because most airway obstruction is due to the effect of gravity on the mandibular block of soft tissues, it can be relieved by either a head-tilt …
After establishing a clear chain of command and assigning specific duties to all members of the resuscitation team, what is the order of priorities? The order of priorities is: 1. Identify the patient’s level of responsiveness. 2. Properly position the patient on a firm surface, considering the potential for head or cervical spine injury. 3. Establish a patent …
Does the initial approach to childhood resuscitation differ from that for adults? Historically, the initial approach to adult resuscitation is similar to that for children: A (airway), B (breathing), C (circulation/compression), D (drugs), E (exposure). Attention to proper positioning, oxygenation, and ventilation comes first, and drug therapy comes last. However, in recent years, there has …
Does the initial approach to childhood resuscitation differ from that for adults Read More »
What are the outcomes of pediatric cardiopulmonary arrests? The survival rates for children who experienced isolated respiratory arrest ranges from 73% to 97%, and survival rates for children who experienced full cardiopulmonary arrest ranges from 4% to 28%. One recent comprehensive review of 41 articles on pediatric arrest found that of 5363 out-of-hospital pediatric arrests, …
Prognosis of cardiopulmonary arrests in children Read More »
What is the typical age distribution of pediatric cardiopulmonary arrests? Almost regardless of the underlying disease, the age distribution of cardiopulmonary arrest in children is skewed toward infancy. In published series on childhood cardiopulmonary arrests, 56% (range, 43%-70%) of patients are younger than 1 year, 26% (range, 21%-30%) are between 1 and 4 years of …
Typical age distribution of pediatric cardiopulmonary arrests Read More »