The Star Online

Thursday December 11, 2003

Be prepared at all times

By CHAN LILIAN

Much as we hate to think about it, accidents do happen. Would you know what to do in an emergency? CHAN LILIAN looks at the importance of equipping ourselves with life-saving techniques.

AS PARENTS we are ever protective of our young charges. We want to keep them safe from harm at all times. However, accidents can and do happen even under close supervision.

Often times we read about the deaths of children due to drowning, choking and other tragic incidents. We tend to brush off such cases as something that happens to others, not to us. Though some accidents may be unavoidable, there are cases where a precious life could have been saved.

Have you ever wished that a trained person was around to save that little boy or girl from tragedy? Do you have fleeting thoughts of what you could do to prevent loss of life? If you are a parent, has it occurred to you that you could equip yourself with some basic knowledge of first aid to help you in an emergency?

Two years ago, my husband and I revived our premature baby at home. Armed with just a doctor's brief demo on cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR), we jumped into action and successfully breathed air into our fourth son who had stopped breathing.

That episode spurred me to learn more about CPR. Last year, I attended a course on CPR of infants and children conducted by a consultant paediatrician/neonatalogist. I came away from the course convinced that CPR was not something too difficult to learn.

The course participants were given proper coaching by the instructor and senior nurses. We learnt hands-on the ABCs of CPR.

A baby-size mannequin equipped with wires and an alarm light were provided for the participants to try out what they had learnt.

It must be noted that the wrong application of CPR can do more harm than good. CPR procedures or techniques vary between adults, children and infants. Never apply CPR techniques meant for an adult on young children or infants as the result can be fatal.

A few months ago, I received a frantic phone call from my husband's niece who said that her daughter was unable to breathe because of phlegm in the airways. As the young girl has a disability, she could not cough up the phlegm. The mother panicked as her daughter was beginning to change colour.

In the chaos of the moment, all I could think of was to ask her to put her daughter on the floor, pinch the girl's nose and blow air into her mouth - something akin to blowing balloons. I asked her to observe if the chest was inflated. If not, I told her to pick up the girl and give her a few hard blows on the back. Thankfully, the girl was given enough oxygen and recovered after a stay in hospital. Prior to the incident, I had the chance to demonstrate CPR procedures to the mother during one of her visits to my house.

My hubby was initially sceptical about learning CPR but an encounter at a hospital changed his stance. He came across a distraught father who had brought in his lifeless baby. Both of us know there is no time to spare when a child has stopped breathing. It is important to breathe air into the child. It would be too late to bring the child to hospital for medical assistance. Every second counts.

All these encounters made me even more passionate about preaching the importance of this life-saving skill. My friend Mei who is a doctor sees to it that her maid is given some basic instructions on things to do in an emergency. In fact, she will be sending her maid, who helps to look after her baby, to attend a CPR course.

Life and death are usually not within our control. No amount of knowledge can prevent death but there are circumstances where something can been done instead of standing by helplessly. I know that I would have carried a much heavier burden of regret and guilt had I failed to revive my baby Vincent when he was two months old. It was through that short and simplified CPR that I got to spend another five memorable months with him. Vincent passed away at seven months old due to premature-related illness in May last year.

I see hazards in our everyday life: apartments with swimming pools, picnic spots without lifeguards, choking hazards in everyday food, untrained babysitters, daycare centres without trained staff - the list is endless. As I have four other children, life can be full of paranoia if I were to dwell on the negative side of things.

On the other hand, I can equip my children with some first aid knowledge. I remind them often of what they can do if something happens to their friends. They are to call an adult, be brave and not run away if a friend is hurt. I know I have made a difference when my six-year-old got burnt recently. A piece of skin had peeled off his upper arm. Instead of screaming in pain and staying rooted to the spot, he rushed to the sink and thrust his injured arm under the running tap water before his sobs alerted me. I am relieved that all my "campaigning" has not been in vain.

A CPR For Parents course will be conducted by Dr Cheang Hon Kit, a consultant paediatrician/neonatalogist of a private hospital in Penang, on Dec 20, 2004. Dr Cheang is a certified neonatal resuscitation programme instructor/certified paediatric advanced life support instructor. For more information, contact 04-6571888, ext 1011 or e-mail hlwe@po.jaring.my

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