Staff Zone - BSLC Introduction

Introduction

Situations may arise when you come across a child whose breathing or heart has stopped. Immediate action, which includes calling for help early and commencing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), is the most effective way to increase the chances of survival for the child.

In this session we will look at how to recognise a child in cardiorespiratory arrest as well as how to effectively resuscitate them using CPR. We will also look at how to recognise a deteriorating child by utilising an ABCDE (Airway, Breathing, Circulation, Disability, Exposure) assessment. This is important as early recognition and management of deterioration can prevent a cardiac arrest from happening.

Please note: this e-learning has been designed to give you an overview of what to do in an emergency situation. All organisations will have their own resuscitation guidelines and this e-learning should be used in conjunction with your organisation’s face-to-face training.

Your Responsibilities

National resuscitation guidelines are set by the Resuscitation Council UK and the European Resuscitation Council.

You have a responsibility for your own paediatric resuscitation training.

Local policy and procedures

Responsibilities include:

Knowing your organisation’s local paediatric resuscitation policy and procedures, for example:
- Location of emergency buzzers
- Equipment available and how to use it
- Emergency access routes
Ensuring your knowledge and training is up to date and finding out how often you need to complete mandatory training
Being aware of your own knowledge and capabilities
Complying with your professional code of conduct

Reporting and recording details

It is important to record factual details of an emergency event to document what has happened. This can then be shared or communicated with other agencies as appropriate and used as an aid to recall if further investigation is required.

When recording emergency events these need to be reported in accordance with national and/or local policies. This is because it will help to identify trends which may alert you to potential problems and can be used for auditing purposes to aid organisational learning.

The final document should be written in black ink so that it is clear and legible. It should also include the date and time and have the name of the person completing, along with their signature.

Personal capabilities

It is inappropriate and potentially dangerous to work beyond your level of knowledge and skills, or personal capabilities, even in an emergency situation. This is because you may negatively influence the patient's outcome; you may injure yourself and you may leave yourself open to possible disciplinary action or litigation.

It is important that your competencies and capabilities are up to date and reflect the requirements and responsibilities of your job role, as these can decline rapidly if not utilised or updated. By doing so you also help to protect the patient and yourself and ensure that your practice follows the current and latest guidelines.

Paediatric Definitions

The Resuscitation Council UK uses four different definitions for paediatrics. In this session, we will look at infant and child resuscitation only. For newborn and neonate resuscitation please refer to the session Resuscitation Newborn Level 2.

Newborn

A child just after birth.

Refer to the session Resuscitation Newborn Level 2 for more information on resuscitation of a newborn.

Neonate

A child in the first 28 days of life.

Refer to the session Resuscitation Newborn Level 2 for more information on resuscitation of a neonate.

Infant

This refers to a child under the age of 1 year old.

Child

This refers to a child between 1 year and puberty.