Question

You are alone providing care for an unresponsive infant with an obstructed airway. You must look in the infant's mouth for the object that is obstructing the airway, and remove it with your pinky if you can see it. When is the appropriate time to perform this step?

Answer 1

When caring for an unresponsive infant with an obstructed airway, after giving back slaps and chest thrusts, check the mouth following chest compressions during CPR and remove visible objects with a pinky; do not perform a blind sweep.

Step-by-step explanation:

When you are alone providing care for an unresponsive infant with an obstructed airway, it is crucial to perform aid steps correctly and in the proper sequence. Initially, you should give up to five back slaps, followed by five chest thrusts, to try to dislodge the object. If the object does not come out and the infant becomes unresponsive or is not breathing, you would then begin CPR with chest compressions. At this point, after each set of compressions and before attempting rescue breaths, you should look in the infant’s mouth to check for the obstructing object. If you see an object that can be removed, you should use your little finger, or “pinky,” to gently sweep it out. Be careful not to push the object further into the airway. It is important not to perform a blind finger sweep, which means you should only attempt to remove an object that you can clearly see. If you cannot see the object, continue with CPR and try to get professional medical help immediately.