Are you afraid of being the the kind of father or mother that doesn't know how to save your baby, your son or daughter, from choking?

 

Well then all you have to do is ... learn how to use the LIFEVAC! 

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Choking is the fourth leading cause of unintentional injury death, the leading cause of infantile death, and the fourth leading cause of death among preschool children. The majority of choking-related incidents among children are associated with food, coins and toys. One child dies every five days from choking. Now they don’t have to. 

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Rockwall CPR has been teaching how to use the LifeVac since 2022 in ALL our classes!!

 

Of course we do teach the Heimlich Maneuver and Back blows/Chest thrusts, but what if they do not work?

• What if the person is too big to get your arms around?

• What about a pregnant woman? Will performing the Heimlich with chest contact work?

• What about an infant or toddler that swallows hard candy or a piece of hot dog? WIll the back blows work? See story below.

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How Effective Is LifeVac?

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Garland Fire Department featured on CBS: Click Here.

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From the Garland Fire Department Facebook page: 03/19/2024

"A11 arrived on scene to find a 5-month-old in mom’s arms.

 

The 5-month-old patient was turning blue, the patient was unable to make a sound, and was not moving air.

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Driver/Engineer Gunnoe took the patient and performed back blows. The patient remained unable to move air. During this time Firefighter/Paramedic Kasper was getting the Lifevac device ready. FF/PM Kasper used the Lifevac device on the patient’s airway.

 

The device successfully cleared the airway and she let out a loud scream immediately.

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The devices have only been on ambulances for about two weeks. Great work by all!"

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More About Choking

"Many foods that are thought to be 'kid friendly' are actually dangerous. Foods like grapes, popcorn and nuts can easily become lodged in a young child’s throat or lungs. Hot dogs pose the greatest risk, as they cause more choking deaths than any other food."

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"In order to reduce the risk of choking, parents and caregivers can do their part by following these safety tips:

• Do not give children younger than 4 any round, firm foods unless they have been cut into very small pieces. Cut hot dogs lengthwise and cut grapes into quarters. This changes the dangerous round shape that can block a young child’s throat.

• Do not give toddlers other high risk foods, such as hard candy, nuts, seeds and raw carrots.

• Never let small children run, play or lie down while eating.

• Keep coins and other small items out of reach of young children at all times.

• Carefully read warning labels on toys before giving them to young children.

• To check if a part of a toy is too small, use a small parts test device, which is available at many toy stores.

• Additionally, parents and caregivers should learn first aid for choking and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in the event a choking episode occurs."

From Science Daily​