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HWN Suggests

Resuscitation of the crashing infant (pediatric resuscitation)

As I walk into a pediatric resuscitation, I always rapidly consider the pediatric assessment triangle.

This assessment, completed in seconds, examines 3 essential aspects of the child’s presentation from the foot of the bed: appearance, work of breathing, and circulation to the skin.

Appearance

• What is the tone? A newborn is normally slightly flexed, a 6 month old can sit and control their head, the toddler can cruise
• Are they normally interactive? A 2 month old should have a social smile, a toddler is interested in who enters the room
• What are the vocalizations?

Work of breathing

• Carefully…

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Articles of Interest

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You have all of the skills you need to care for an acutely ill infant. Learn a few pearls to make this a smoother endeavor.

Resources

CRACKCast

Rosen’s advocates for the “encircling” hands technique in infant CPR, which according to animal models gives better hemodynamics than using the standard two finger technique.