Calla Sees her 10 Year Old Sister Choking. She Does the Five-and-Five Approach. What Did Calla do?
Imagine the scene: Calla, a 10-year-old girl, is enjoying dinner with her family when suddenly, her younger sister starts choking. A terrifying moment for any onlooker, but particularly for a child. Yet Calla doesn’t panic – she knows what to do. She’s learned about the Heimlich Maneuver and it’s time to put that knowledge into action.
Calla springs into action using the Five-and-Five Approach. This isn’t just a random act of bravery; it’s an application of life-saving first aid techniques that anyone can learn. But what exactly did Calla do? And more importantly, how could you replicate her actions if faced with a similar situation?
The Five-and-Five Approach refers to five back blows followed by five abdominal thrusts, also known as the Heimlich Maneuver. It’s designed to dislodge whatever is obstructing the airway in order to restore normal breathing. In this piece, I’ll walk you through each step of this vital procedure so you too could potentially save a life like Calla did.
Understanding the Heimlich Maneuver
When we’re discussing life-saving techniques, it’s vital to understand the Heimlich maneuver. This action is a first-aid response for choking and can be used on children as young as one year old and adults alike. Now, let’s think about a scenario where Calla sees her 10-year-old sister choking. She immediately jumps into action with what’s known as the Five-and-Five approach – but what does that mean exactly?
The Five-and-Five approach is an alternative to the traditional Heimlich maneuver specifically designed for use on younger children. First off, she’d give five back blows between her sister’s shoulder blades using the heel of her hand. It’s essential here to make sure these aren’t too forceful – we don’t want to cause any additional harm.
Next up in Calla’s fast-thinking response would be five abdominal thrusts, also known as performing the Heimlich maneuver. Here, she’d stand behind her sister, place a fist just above her belly button, cover it with her other hand and then perform quick inward and upward thrusts.
So why does this work? Well, these actions create artificial coughing essentially. They increase pressure in the throat which helps dislodge whatever object is causing obstruction in air passages.
It’s important to state though that while Calla was able to save her sister by taking immediate action at home, professional medical advice should always be sought after such incidents occur – even if you believe everything ended well. There might still be remnants or injuries that need checking out!
Remember though: The Five-and-Five approach shouldn’t replace professional medical help – it’s merely meant as an initial response until professionals arrive!
The Five-and-Five Approach: A Detailed Look
We’ve all heard about the Heimlich maneuver, haven’t we? It’s a life-saving technique that’s often used when someone is choking. But what exactly did Calla do when she saw her 10-year-old sister choking? She employed the Five-and-Five approach. Now, you might be asking yourself, “What on earth is that?” Well, let’s delve into it and unravel this mystery together.
The Five-and-Five Approach, also known as abdominal thrusts and back blows, is a two-step method recommended by the American Red Cross for dealing with airway obstructions in children above one year old and adults. When Calla saw her sister choking, she didn’t panic; instead, she followed these steps:
- Back Blows: Standing behind her sister and slightly to the side (for safety), Calla gave five sharp blows between her sibling’s shoulder blades using the heel of her hand. These back blows can dislodge an obstruction.
- Abdominal Thrusts: Post administering back blows if necessary (as it was in this scenario), Calla executed five quick upward squeezes — or abdominal thrusts — against her sister’s diaphragm to force out whatever was blocking her windpipe.
This combination of actions – five back blows followed by five abdominal thrusts – aptly gives this method its name: The Five-and-Five Approach.
There are some vital pointers to remember while executing the Five-and-Five approach:
- Always start with back blows before moving onto abdominal thrusts.
- Abdominal thrusts require precision – they should be applied at the spot just above where your lower ribs meet but well below the chest bone.
- This method should be repeated until professional help arrives or until the blockage gets cleared.
So there you have it! That’s what our brave young girl Calla did. She followed the Five-and-Five Approach, potentially saving her sister’s life. This approach is something we should all familiarize ourselves with because you never know when you might need to use it – and your actions could very well save a life too!
