The main difference between adult, child, and infant CPR is the ratio of compressions to breaths and depth.
Adults: 30 compressions to 2 breaths and a depth of 2 inches, at a rate of 100-120 compressions per minute.
Children: 15 compressions to 2 breaths and 1.5 inches deep for children, at a rate of 100-120 compressions per minute.
A simple lifesaving action can make a difference between life and death in an emergency. So whether it's your loved one or a stranger, knowing how to perform the correct CPR for children and adults is essential. Let's discuss more about the important difference between adult and child CPR in this article.
CPR is similar for adults and children, but there are key differences that you should know. While adult and child CPR requires abdominal compressions and rescue breaths, their application differs slightly because a child's physiology, bone density, and strength differ from an adult's. It is essential to know the difference between adult and pediatric CPR so that you can offer lifesaving aid in an emergency.
There are different guidelines for performing CPR for adults and children because they are two different age groups with different needs. Because a child's body is not as developed as adults, they require different techniques and equipment when performing CPR. In addition, children are more likely to suffer from cardiac arrest due to respiratory problems, so the American Heart Association's protocols focus on providing rescue breaths and chest compressions.
CPR is needed when a person is unresponsive, not breathing, and has no pulse. CPR is used to help maintain blood flow and oxygenation until medical professionals can take over and provide advanced care.
When administering CPR on a child, it is important to take into account their size and age. Children require different chest compression depths, rates, and ratios of breaths to compressions than adults. Additionally, rescuers should be sure to support the head in order to keep the airway open. It is also important to provide rescue breaths at the correct rate for a child – one breath every three to five seconds. Finally, it is important to be gentle when administering CPR on a child as they can be more fragile than adults.
When performing CPR on an adult, the rescuer should place their hands in the center of the chest and push down at a rate of 100-120 compressions per minute with a depth of two inches. For a child, the rescuer should use one hand to perform chest compressions with a depth of one and a half inches. Additionally, the ratio of breaths to compressions should be 30:2 for both adults and children.
When providing CPR to an adult, it is important to ensure that the chest compressions are deep enough and performed at the correct rate. Additionally, the rescuer should be mindful of not pushing too hard or too fast. For a child, it is important to provide gentle chest compressions as they can be more fragile than adults. It is also important to support the head in order to keep the airway open, and to provide rescue breaths at the correct rate – one breath every three to five seconds.
When performing CPR on adults and children, the steps are generally the same. However, there are some important variations between adults and children. For instance, when providing chest compressions for an adult the rate should be 100-120 per minute with a depth of two inches, whereas for a child it should be 120-150 per minute with a depth of one and a half inches. Additionally, the ratio of breaths to compressions should be 30:2 for both adults and children. Finally, it is important to provide rescue breaths at the correct rate for a child – one breath every three to five seconds.
Unlike the Chain of Survival for adults, which begins with early recognition and calls for emergency assistance, the Chain of Survival for a child dictates that high-quality CPR starts immediately. Infants and children have a higher survival rate than adults following immediate CPR because their bodies are more resilient than adults and because it's usually an airway blockage that causes them to need CPR. Children must receive CPR right away to increase their chances of survival.
What is the chain of survival for adults?
According to the American Heart Association, the five links in the adult Chain of Survival are:
What is the chain of survival for a child?
The pediatric chain of survival consists of:
The two chain of survival pathways in cardiopulmonary resuscitation that are the same for an adult and pediatric victim are early recognition and activation of the emergency response system and early cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
There are significant differences in the timing and ratio of breaths to compressions in adult and child CPR. Children require a higher ratio of compressions to breaths and a faster ventilation rate than adults.
Some essential considerations when providing CPR to infants compared to adults include the need for specialized equipment like an infant-sized bag-valve-mask, using two fingers for chest compressions instead of the heel of the hand, and the need to clear the airway of any obstructing material.
The critical age cutoffs for determining whether to provide adult or child CPR are typically defined as age 8 or puberty. Children under age 8 or before puberty generally require child CPR, while those over age 8 or after puberty typically require adult CPR.
The anatomical and physiological differences between adults and children can impact the effectiveness of CPR. For example, the smaller size of a child's chest and airway can make it more difficult to perform effective compressions and ventilations. Additionally, children's hearts are more likely to stop due to respiratory failure than adults, which can impact the underlying cause of cardiac arrest.
To determine if a victim is an infant, child, or adult, you can look at the victim's physical characteristics such as size, weight, and age. Typically, an infant is considered to be under 1 year of age, a child is between 1 and 8 years of age, and an adult is over the age of 8 or after puberty.
Before starting CPR, it's essential to check if the victim is unconscious. With adult CPR, it's generally recommended that you tap or shake the person to check for consciousness. It's the same procedure with children. You need to tap their shoulder and ask, "Are you okay?" loudly. If you don't see movement or other responsiveness, begin CPR.
Before starting CPR, it's essential to check if the victim is unconscious. With adult CPR, it's generally recommended that you tap or shake the person to check for consciousness. It's the same procedure with children. You need to tap their shoulder and ask, "Are you okay?" loudly. If you don't see movement or other responsiveness, begin CPR.
With adult CPR, we're taught that if we're alone and have to choose between starting CPR and dialing 911, we should dial 911 first. With babies and children, it's the opposite. Start by doing five cycles of compressions and breaths right away, which takes around two minutes. Then, as with adults, give 30 chest compressions and then two rescue breaths; this counts as one cycle.
When performing CPR on an adult, you'll likely have to use full lung strength to administer effective rescue breaths. The breaths should be much gentler with children. Pinch the child's nose shut, and then use your mouth to make a seal over the child's mouth. Since a child's airway is more fragile, it's vital to be cautious when giving rescue breaths and not tilt the victim's head back too far. Watch for the chest rising and falling when performing rescue breaths.
For adults, place your hands in the center of the victim's chest between the nipples. Put the heel of your one hand in the center of the chest on the breastbone. Then place the other hand's heel directly on top of the first. Lift or interlace your fingers. Position your shoulders directly over your hands. Keep your arms straight. Push straight down to compress
In hand placement for CPR on a child, continue to place your hands in the center of the child's chest, between the nipples. Use either 1 or 2 hands for compressions, depending on the child's body size. If you become tired during compressions, use both hands to ensure you continue to reach the desired depth.
There's no difference in the ratio of compressions for adults and children. This means that for every 30 compressions, two rescues breathes are needed at a CPR chest compression rate of 100-120 compressions per minute. That's about 2 compressions per second. So start by doing 5 compressions and rescue breathes cycles, which take around 2 minutes. Push hard and fast as you can on the center of the chest during chest compressions and allow complete chest recoil after each compression.
The adult chest compression depth should be at least two inches. If you are CPR-certified, remember to use the ratio of 30 compressions to two rescue breaths. For children aged 1 to 8 years old, push down 1 1/2 to 2 inches, approximately one-third of the chest diameter. For the larger child, it will be the same for adults. Release the pressure, then rapidly repeat at about 100-120 beats per minute.
Complete chest recoil is important during CPR because it allows the chest to fully expand between compressions, allowing for optimal blood flow from the heart. CPR is needed when a person's breathing or heartbeat has stopped.
Rapid defibrillation is important because it can restore the heart's normal rhythm and improve the chances of survival. Defibrillation delivers an electric shock to the heart, stopping the abnormal rhythm and allowing it to resume its normal beat.
Children have a 17-40% survival rate if a child victim receives CPR out-of-hospital. The survival rate may seem low, but it has dramatically improved from around 2.6% because more people nowadays know how to perform CPR. Additionally, their chances of survival are higher when a child is found within a few minutes.
For Adults, the survival rate to discharge is typically much lower at around 7% if they didn’t get CPR from bystanders. However, this survival rate increases to 11% when a bystander initiates CPR.
Two key differences when giving care to an unresponsive choking infant compared to an unresponsive choking adult or child include supporting the infant's head and neck during rescue breaths and using back slaps and chest thrusts instead abdominal thrusts to relieve choking.
You may have heard of a method of CPR where you do continuous chest compressions but don't do rescue breathing. This is intended for situations in public where an adult collapses and needs help from a stranger who may be more willing to do CPR. This can only work for adults. Don't use hands-only CPR with children. Use conventional CPR instead, where you alternate 30 compressions with two breaths.
If you are not trained in CPR and witness an unconscious child or adult, it's an important step to activate EMS by calling 911. The operator will give you basic lifesaving instructions over the phone, including performing hands-only CPR.
You never know when someone will suffer from a cardiac emergency or any emergency that may require CPR. It could happen in your home, office, or any public place. However, when you know how to perform CPR for adults and children, you will have the training and confidence to act fast and potentially save a life. The basic steps can keep the oxygen-rich blood flowing to the victim's brain and other vital organs until emergency medical treatment can restore the normal heart rhythm. You may enroll in an online CPR/AED certification course that follows the American Heart Association for Emergency Cardiovascular Care guidelines to do this successfully. Many organizations and training centers like CPR Select are offering this course.
Many organizations also offer online CPR class for free, making it more accessible for people to learn the necessary skills from the comfort of their own homes. It cover the same material as traditional classes, including the proper techniques for administering CPR and in depth explaination on what is AED.
Basic Life Support providers performing successful resuscitation contribute to the survival rates from hospital cardiac arrest. Knowing the difference between performing CPR on an adult, child, and infant will significantly affect the victim's survival. Providing the wrong compression rate and depth to a specific age group will lead to complications such as breaking ribs. Though rib fracture is a common complication of CPR, the chances will be higher if you perform the wrong guidelines.
