Nasal route to ventilation during basic cardiopulmonary resuscitation in children under two months of age.
In order to determine the feasibility of performing mouth to mouth and nose resuscitation according to the established guidelines, a study was carried out on the facial dimensions of 40 children under 2 months of age (20 under 1 month and 20 aged 1 month) and the open-mouth dimensions of the 40 adults in charge of these children. Only nine adults in charge of children under 1 month of age would have been able to seal the mouth and nose of these infants. In the case of the 1 month old infants, only one adult (5%) proved able to encircle the mouth and nose. Strikingly, none of the adults involved in this study would have been able to perform the ventilation manoeuvres in children with open mouths as recommended by the American Heart Association and European Resuscitation Council guidelines. In conclusion, since adults are unable to cover with their mouths both the mouth and nose of the infants, the nasal route to ventilation, with oral sealing of the nose, is recommended as the best approach for the practice and teaching of the basic cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in children under 2 months of age who have respiratory arrest.
Sorribes del Castillo
J
J
Servicio Ordinario de Urgencias de Carlet, Centro de Salud de Carlet, Valencia, Spain.
Carrión Pérez
C
C
Sanz Ribera
J
J
D000328:Adult; D000572:American Heart Association; D001049:Apnea / Q000628:therapy; D016887:Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation / Q000193:education / Q000379:methods*; D002508:Cephalometry; D005060:Europe; D005145:Face / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D017408:Guidelines as Topic; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D009055:Mouth / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D009666:Nose / Q000502:physiology*; D012119:Respiration; D013663:Teaching; D014481:United States