Final answer:
When two healthcare workers are performing CPR on a child and one leaves to activate EMS, the remaining providers should use a compression to ventilation ratio of 15:2. Proper technique and hand placement between the T4 and T9 vertebrae are critical to ensure effectiveness and minimize injury.
Step-by-step explanation:
For two healthcare providers performing CPR on a child, the correct compression to ventilation ratio is 15:2. When one healthcare worker leaves to activate EMS and get equipment, the remaining providers continue CPR using this ratio.
During CPR, compression depth should be at least 5 cm with a rate of 100 compressions per minute. The aim is to manually compress the blood within the heart to push it into the pulmonary and systemic circuits, which is crucial for maintaining blood flow, especially to the brain. The compression point should be on the sternum between the T4 and T9 vertebrae to ensure effectiveness and minimize the risk of injury.
It’s essential that CPR is performed by those with proper training to avoid serious injuries such as broken ribs or damage to the liver from incorrect hand placement. Also, CPR should persist until the patient regains spontaneous heart contractions or is declared deceased by a healthcare professional.