CPR is an emergency procedure that can help save a life when someone’s breathing or heart stops. It involves a combination of actions designed to support circulation and breathing until professional medical help arrives.
Key CPR Terms
Two primary actions define CPR: compressions and ventilations. Chest compressions involve rhythmically pressing down on the chest over the breastbone, which helps to pump blood manually throughout the body, especially to the brain and other vital organs. This action mimics the heart’s natural pumping function when it has stopped.
Ventilations, also known as rescue breaths, deliver oxygen to the lungs. During a ventilation, the rescuer breathes air into the person’s mouth or nose. Both compressions and ventilations work together to maintain a minimal level of blood flow and oxygen supply until advanced medical care arrives.
Recommended Ratios for Infants
For infants, defined as individuals under one year of age, the recommended compression to ventilation ratio for a single rescuer is 30 compressions followed by 2 ventilations. This means after delivering thirty chest compressions, the rescuer provides two rescue breaths. This cycle is then repeated.
Chest compressions on an infant typically involve using two fingers placed on the breastbone, just below the nipple line, to a depth of about 1.5 inches (approximately 4 cm). Rescue breaths are often given by covering both the infant’s mouth and nose with the rescuer’s mouth, delivering a gentle puff of air over about one second. These guidelines align with recommendations from major resuscitation organizations.
Recommended Ratios for Children
For children, generally considered to be between one year of age and the onset of puberty, the single-rescuer compression to ventilation ratio also stands at 30 compressions to 2 ventilations. This ratio ensures a consistent approach to providing both circulation and oxygen delivery in pediatric emergencies. The technique for chest compressions on a child involves using one or two hands, depending on the child’s size, to compress the chest by about 2 inches (approximately 5 cm).
Similar to infants, each rescue breath for a child should be delivered over roughly one second, ensuring enough air to make the chest visibly rise. These specific ratios and techniques for children are established by major resuscitation organizations, providing a standardized approach for emergency care providers and lay rescuers alike. The consistency in the 30:2 ratio for both infants and children by a single rescuer simplifies training and application.
Why Ratios Matter
Adhering to specific compression to ventilation ratios is important for maximizing the effectiveness of CPR. Compressions are designed to circulate oxygenated blood to the brain and heart, which are highly sensitive to oxygen deprivation. Delivering a sufficient number of high-quality compressions helps maintain vital organ function during cardiac arrest.
Ventilations provide the necessary oxygen to the blood, which is then distributed by the compressions. A balance between these two components ensures that both blood flow and oxygen supply are effective. Deviating significantly from these ratios can reduce the overall effectiveness of CPR, potentially leading to poorer outcomes by compromising either circulation or oxygenation.
When to Use These Ratios
These specific CPR ratios for infants and children are applied in situations where a cardiac arrest is suspected. This typically means the infant or child is unresponsive and not breathing normally or at all. Recognizing the need for immediate action is the first step in such emergencies.
Call for emergency medical help immediately, or have someone else do so, before or while beginning CPR. Initiating CPR with the correct ratios provides support, maintaining some blood flow and oxygen to the brain and other organs, until professional medical responders arrive to take over.