CHOKING INFANT (< 1 year age)

If the infant is conscious:

• Have someone call 911
• Hold the infant on your forearm and palm, face down. Let your forearm rest on the top of your thigh. Give 5 back blows between the scapulae, using the heel of your other hand. Make sure that the infant's head is lower than the body
• Then turn the infant over, so that he is on your forearm and palm, face up. Now deliver 5 chest thrusts, at the middle of the sternum, just below the nipple line. Use two fingers to do this. Depth of chest compression is 1.5 inch deep. Make sure the infant's head is at a lower level than the body.
• Repeat the above two steps until the object is expelled from the infant's mouth or the infant becomes unconscious.

If the infant becomes unconscious:

• Lay the infant supine on a firm surface
• Perform 30 chest compressions. Use two fingers and deliver the compressions over the breastbone, just below the nipple line. One and half inch deep. Compression rate 100-120 per minute.
• Open the airway again, look for any foreign objects, remove any if found. Give two breaths, looking for chest rise. If no chest rise, repeat the 30 chest compressions followed by two breaths. Each breath is for one second, and look for a chest rise. Repeat this sequence of chest compressions ->airway->breathing.
• Once you get a chest rise with the breaths , check the brachial pulse.
• If there is a brachial pulse, continue rescue breathing ; give one breath every 3-5 seconds.
• If there is no brachial pulse, continue alternating chest compressions and breaths. (30:2 if single rescuer, 15:2 if two rescuers)
• Repeat this cycle of -> 30 chest compressions -> open the airway->check for objects-remove if found->give two breaths until obstruction clears or ACLS available. If two minutes have passed and you have an AED / Defibrillator available, use it.