If you have an unconscious toddler or child who is breathing, you need to put them into the recovery position and then call an ambulance.
The first step is the primary survey to help assess the casualty and find out what’s wrong.
The procedure is the same for anyone over the age of one year.
First of all you need to make sure the scene is safe – so you can work there without danger – look all around them and above them too.
Having done that, you need to see whether you can get a response from them and if they’ll wake up.
Where you can, try to approach the casualty from the foot end, so if they do wake up, you’re facing them the right way and won’t be frightened.
Start with a simple question – such as “Can you hear me?” and a direct command – such as “Open your eyes” to see if you can get a response.
Hearing is the last sense you lose when you lose consciousness.
If there’s no response to your voice, see if they’ll respond to what’s called a painful stimulus – squeezing the fingers and a tap and squeeze of the shoulders.
If they don’t respond to this – you can assume they are “unconscious” or “unresponsive”.
If there’s someone who can help – get them to call an ambulance straight away.
If not – carry on the primary survey on your own
Open the casualty’s airway – this is because when you lose consciousness, all your muscles relax, including your tongue, which can fall into the back of the throat and block the airway. To get it out of there is very straight forward.
Place one hand on their forehead, two fingers under the chin, then lift the chin up towards the ceiling. This will lift the tongue up out of the back of the throar.
The next step is to check whether the casualty is breathing or not.
Normal breathing is a minimum of 2 clear breaths in 10 seconds.
Put your ear down close to their mouth and listen and feel for breath against the side of your face, and watch for their tummy rising.
If breathing OK – then check with your hands for bleeding. Check around head, shoulders, body and legs.
Always tell the person what you’re doing – since they may be able to hear you.
An unconscious/ unresponsive casualty who is breathing normally, need to go on their side in the recovery position.
This is a safe position that will keep their tongue at the front of their mouth, so it doesn’t block their airway – and being on their side, if they do vomit, it will drain away and not choke them.
Watch the video for clarity – kneel on one side of them and take their arm nearest to you, and place it straight out, as if they are stopping a bus.
Check pockets for anything sharp before you pull them over.
If they’re wearing glasses, carefully take them off and put to one side.
Pick up knee furthest away from you – bend it up – keep a hold of it – use it as a lever to turn them over.
Tell them what you’re doing all the time.
Adjust the head so the airway stays open. Check they’re still breathing for at least 10 seconds.
Gently bring knee out to a right angle.
Check again for any blood.
This is a safe and stable position. You can now call an ambulance.
