Final answer:
Roberta's first step should be to call Emergency Services if her 2-year-old son is having a serious asthma attack. She may administer first aid, like using a prescribed inhaler to ease symptoms, if available and if she's trained, while waiting for help. Comforting the child and keeping them sitting up also helps.
Step-by-step explanation:
If Roberta's 2-year-old son is having a serious asthma attack, the first step she should take is to call Emergency Services. Asthma attacks can be life-threatening and require immediate medical attention, especially in young children. If she has been trained on how to perform asthma first aid and has a rescue inhaler prescribed for her child, she may use it while waiting for the emergency services. However, it is crucial to call for professional help without delay.
Administering first aid for an asthma attack may involve using prescribed medication, such as a rescue inhaler, that can help ease the symptoms of asthma. Tightness in the chest and difficulty breathing are common signs of an asthma attack, and quick-acting bronchodilators are often prescribed for relief. If the child does not have a rescue inhaler or if the situation worsens, CPR might be necessary, but only if the child stops breathing or if his heart stops beating, which would be after calling emergency services.
Lastly, while waiting for help to arrive, keeping the child as comfortable as possible is important. Sit him up, rather than lying down, to help ease breathing, and try to keep calm to avoid increasing the child's anxiety, which can worsen the asthma symptoms.