«MI gave you the right tools to save my daughter”. So writes a mother on the site of Salvagente, the Association for Social Promotion founded in 2014 by three friends: Mirko, Filippo and Silvia for years engaged in the dissemination of the culture of First Aid. Since then they have chosen to move independently to guarantee a streamlined organization, thanks to interventions aimed at the needs of the applicant. “I want to thank you while still crying from the joy and fear I just felt. I managed to unclog my 2 year old daughter who was choking on a piece of watermelon: her lips were already black and she was no longer coughing. He’s fine now! Thanks to you and what you taught me: you gave me the right tools to save her. I will forever be in your debt. Thank you”.
What to do in case of airway obstruction of children and adults? We talked about it with Mirko Damascus, President Salvagente Italy and Specialist in Pediatric First Aid.
Airway obstruction and other avoidable accidents
«Every year at least 500 children die in Italy alone from so-called avoidable causes, i.e. accidents that would be avoidable with the right training: at home, by suffocation, on the street. This is why we want to train as many parents as possible, to give them the right tools to save their children. Common sense is not enough, you need the right and scientific information », he explains Mirko Damascus.
The Lifesaver organizes dozens of online and local courses, face-to-face, in Italy and abroad (here the link to book)to promote knowledge of safety maneuvers for intervene in an emergency and for prevent dangerous events.
How to recognize an airway obstruction
“Obstructions can be of two types: partial or total. In the’partial obstruction the child coughsa sign that the air passes, and therefore it is not necessary to make any maneuver. Indeed, acting now could cause very serious damage. In the’total obstruction however, the child no longer breathes, does not cough does not make sounds: in this case we have less than 90 seconds to save him», explains Mirko Damascus.
How to intervene according to the age of the child
«In case of small children le maneuvers are divided by age: under 12 months and over 12 months. In the infants (under 12 months) alternate 5 interscapular pats (between the shoulder blades) with 5 chest compressionsWhile above 12 months it’s done there Heimlich maneuver, an emergency airway clearance procedure caused by the presence of foreign bodies in the airways. adds Damascus. The maneuver was developed starting from a brilliant intuition of the American doctor Henry Heimlich who first described it in June 1974.
What mistakes to avoid if there is airway obstruction
«Never put your fingers in your mouth, never turn the baby over, never pat while coughing. Prevention plays a big role», explains the expert.
Knowing what to do before an emergency strikes can really save lives and make a difference. “About 90 percent of chokes come from speech errors committed for lack of adequate preparation», underlines Damascus, which for years has been bringing First Aid prevention and intervention courses to schools, parents’ associations and hospitals.
In case of older children what to do and what to avoid?
We have to do the Heimlich maneuver, then the sub-diaphragmatic compressions. And avoid the same mistakes explained before.
Prevention in 4 steps
«There are 4 basic rules for prevention, which all the guidelines indicate. We remind you that all the indications we always give come from national and international guidelines.
1) never leave the child alone while he eats. Suffocation is a silent event that kills in 90 seconds.
2) Do not distract your child when he eats. Via TV, tablets, mobile phones. the child finds it difficult to chew, if we distract him the risk of suffocation increases
3) Cut food according to the rules of safe cutting always (maybe we could do more in depth)
4) Make the child independent. The child must learn how to cut food and be able to do it by himself by the first grade», explains Damasco.
What to teach children and adolescents to prevent choking
“In case there is no one capable of doing it, you cannot do any maneuver in case of suffocation by yourself. There are no self-applied maneuvers recognized by the guidelines. the smartest thing to do is go get help. For children it is essential teach them from 2 years to cut food, from 5 to call an ambulance. It is very useful to teach them where they live with all the information necessary to call their parents”, recommends Damascus.
iO Woman © REPRODUCTION RESERVED