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Would you give CPR to an asthmatic child who was not breathing if you had just been diagnosed with H1N1?
What if you were the only adult around (under any type of circumstances) and just a day earlier you were diagnosed with H1N1. You witness an asthmatic child passing out and stop breathing with no signs of circulation, and realize that cardio pulmonary resuscucitation will be necessary to help the child prior to calling 911. You know that H1N1 will, with a great liklihood, transfer over to the child during mouth-to-mouth contact, who due to his medical condition would then be considered at risk if infected with the virus. But you also know you must act quickly if the child is to have a chance of survival. Would you try to find another adult?
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October 26, 2009 01:08 AM
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Of course I would if the choice was a dead child or a possible sick one who can heal.
How could I stand there and do nothing when I could save a child's life?
You should call 911 first and then quickly proceed with helping the child to breathe again. That way you know help is already on the way and their chances are better while you do what you can to resuscitate the child.
The parents of that child would be a lot happier with a sick living child who can get better than a safe dead one.
You have a very limited time in which you can resuscitate a human being. If it was one of my children, I would want them resuscitated.
The possibility of the child catching the H1N1 virus is there but just because the child was exposed does not mean the virus will take hold and develop into the illness.
I would save the child and tell whoever was treating him or her that they were exposed to the virus so they could treat that child accordingly and be aware.
How could I stand there and do nothing when I could save a child's life?
You should call 911 first and then quickly proceed with helping the child to breathe again. That way you know help is already on the way and their chances are better while you do what you can to resuscitate the child.
The parents of that child would be a lot happier with a sick living child who can get better than a safe dead one.
You have a very limited time in which you can resuscitate a human being. If it was one of my children, I would want them resuscitated.
The possibility of the child catching the H1N1 virus is there but just because the child was exposed does not mean the virus will take hold and develop into the illness.
I would save the child and tell whoever was treating him or her that they were exposed to the virus so they could treat that child accordingly and be aware.
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October 26, 2009 12:15 AM
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I wouldn't hesitate to give CPR
I would not wait to find someone else, the time is too precious when someone isn't breathing, you only have minutes to help.
I would tell the medical team what I did so they could give anti-viral medication to the child if required.
You never know, the child may already have immunity, may have already been given an anti-viral at some point. I have no idea, the child might have AIDS and give it to me! so what...that is all irrelevant when CPR is required.
What I do know is that without my help they will probably die. So I help.
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I would not wait to find someone else, the time is too precious when someone isn't breathing, you only have minutes to help.
I would tell the medical team what I did so they could give anti-viral medication to the child if required.
You never know, the child may already have immunity, may have already been given an anti-viral at some point. I have no idea, the child might have AIDS and give it to me! so what...that is all irrelevant when CPR is required.
What I do know is that without my help they will probably die. So I help.
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October 26, 2009 12:18 AM
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If I am the only one available, absolutely I would give the child CPR. Without CPR, the child will die immediately. Even with exposure to the virus, the child has a fantastic fighting chance, especially if Tamiflu is administered immediately after the child is stabilized.
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October 26, 2009 02:01 AM
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I would definitely give the child CPR. If he were not breathing the consequences of doing nothing would be bran damage or death. The risk that the child would have being exposed H1N1 are negligible compared to that.
Once the child had been stabilized then preemptive efforts to minimize any risks arising from H1N1 exposure could be addressed.
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Once the child had been stabilized then preemptive efforts to minimize any risks arising from H1N1 exposure could be addressed.
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October 26, 2009 07:41 AM
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Yes I would, it's not like the flu would kick in within seconds...That child would survive and recieve the medicine to prevent them from getting the flu...I would rather save a life and they get sick...then know I let someone slip between my fingers.
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October 26, 2009 10:52 AM
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Given that situation first i would try find another adult to do the CPR, i mean how hard could that be finding some adult walking around your area... But if ever i can't find anyone at that moment then i would be forced to do it myself since it would be the only way to save the child from immediate death... Then just have the child get the necessary medication to fight or prevent the diseases from infecting the child...
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October 26, 2009 05:56 PM
http://americanheart.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=43&item=815
http://www.kcendt.com/?p=16897 Helpful Answer? (0)
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I would probably do chest compressions only, these have been shown to be the most important part of CPR, and if a child has asthma, their lungs are not working probably, so the air portion would probably not be very effective. It is now known that it is the chest compression portion of CPR that is really the most important. Hopefully, I would also have a mask I could wear while being in close contact with the child. The American Heart Association is recommended Compression only CPR for adults with sudden cardiac arrest. Certainly it may be different for a child with asthma. From Medical Medscape News: "The AHA scientific advisory statement, which is labeled for the public as a "call to action for bystander response" and uses the terms "hands-only" and "compression-only" CPR interchangeably, was published online March 31, 2008 in Circulation and is expected to run in the journal's April 29, 2008 issue. The document is intended to "amend and clarify" the group's most recent formal CPR guidelines, which were released in 2005 2; the next one is slated for 2010." http://cme.medscape.com/viewarticle/572238.
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http://americanheart.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=43&item=815
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October 26, 2009 06:21 PM
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I would rather see the child alive and breathing again, so I would give mouth to mouth without hesitation. Even though I would most likely pass the H1N1 virus to them I would alert the emt's and hospital that I have the virus that way they could give antibiotics to the child immediately. I think any time spent unconscious and not breathing is worse for a child because there is a likely hood of brain damage, or never waking up again. Time shouldn't be spent looking around for another Adult when you are the closest to the child and time is everything. I don't think any parent would be upset that you saved the life of their child . They may be concerned about the H1N1 but I think they would know that if caught early enough, that there child would have a fighting chance for survival from it then they would if there child was dead because you didn't want to give that child H1N1. This is just my opinion on the matter.
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