What is a paediatric primary survey?
A paediatric primary survey is a fast way to find out how to treat any life-threatening conditions a child or baby may have in order of priority by using the anagram DRABC.
D – Danger: Make sure the area, you, the child/infant and any bystanders are safe.
R – Response: Check if the child/infant is conscious. Call their name and if it’s a child, gently shake or tap their shoulders. If it’s an infant or baby, gently tap the bottom of their foot to see if there is a response. If there is no response, assume they are in an unresponsive state.
A – Airway: Check and treat any life-threatening airway problems. Open the airway by placing your hand on their forehead and gently tilt their head back, propping the chin up slightly with your other hand to ensure the airway is open and clear. If the child or infant is unresponsive, move on to breathing very quickly. If they are responsive but their airway is blocked, you need to clear the airway.
B – Breathing: Check to see if the child/infant is breathing normally. Place your ear above their mouth, looking down their body and listen for the sound of breathing, if you can feel their breath on your cheek and see if their chest moves. Do this for 10 seconds. If unresponsive, call emergency help and start child/baby CPR. If they are breathing, move onto circulation.
C – Circulation: Look and check for any signs of severe bleeding. If they are, control and treat the bleeding by applying direct pressure to the wound and call 999/112 for emergency help. If they are unresponsive and breathing but no bleeding, put them in the recovery position and call 999/112 for emergency help.