I drove by a local elementary school around noon today and noticed a little boy lying on the side walk with an adult standing over him. I pulled in as I dialed 911 and was ready to press send. I just completed a CPR class so I was current.
Shook him, no response. Checked his pulse, none. Breathing, nope. Eyes, fixed and dialated. By then the school nurse arrived on the scene and I told her what I had found. I said; "We need to begin CPR now". She checked for a pulse agreed and immediately began chest compressions as I opened his airway.
We continued for 10 mins, and she switched positions with a nurses aid as I tried to maintain an airway, but I was not able to. We could not get air into his lungs. His lips were turning blue and he was "going gray". We were losing him. We keep trying and I would announce when ever we seem to get air into his lungs. He was gasping for air in what appeared to be "death throws".
His mother showed up and said he has sever asthma. She went into shock and started to shake, and almost passed out. I grabbed her and laid her down and went back to the boy. There was a little improvement and by then the paramedics arrived.
They immediately relieved us and continued CPR, shocked him twice, installed an airway, administered O2 and other drugs trying to stabilize him for the ambulance ride.
The cops and the principle took my name and said what a great job I did.
I sit here now shaking, hoping I did all I could to save the boy. Should I have done a tracheotomy to help him breath? Were our chest compressions hard enough? Did we breath hard enough? I forgot to sweep his airway for debris. Did he choke on something the teacher didn't see? Did I do enough to save him?
I helped the medics clean up the site. There were a dozen syringes, tubes, trash, plastic bags. And his clothes as we had cut them off him so they could work on him. I have his clothes, but I can't bring myself to throw them away. They smell like the little boy I tired to save.
He was in very bad shape. I hope he makes it.
My PTSD didn't need this! Then again, the little boy didn't need this either.
Shook him, no response. Checked his pulse, none. Breathing, nope. Eyes, fixed and dialated. By then the school nurse arrived on the scene and I told her what I had found. I said; "We need to begin CPR now". She checked for a pulse agreed and immediately began chest compressions as I opened his airway.
We continued for 10 mins, and she switched positions with a nurses aid as I tried to maintain an airway, but I was not able to. We could not get air into his lungs. His lips were turning blue and he was "going gray". We were losing him. We keep trying and I would announce when ever we seem to get air into his lungs. He was gasping for air in what appeared to be "death throws".
His mother showed up and said he has sever asthma. She went into shock and started to shake, and almost passed out. I grabbed her and laid her down and went back to the boy. There was a little improvement and by then the paramedics arrived.
They immediately relieved us and continued CPR, shocked him twice, installed an airway, administered O2 and other drugs trying to stabilize him for the ambulance ride.
The cops and the principle took my name and said what a great job I did.
I sit here now shaking, hoping I did all I could to save the boy. Should I have done a tracheotomy to help him breath? Were our chest compressions hard enough? Did we breath hard enough? I forgot to sweep his airway for debris. Did he choke on something the teacher didn't see? Did I do enough to save him?
I helped the medics clean up the site. There were a dozen syringes, tubes, trash, plastic bags. And his clothes as we had cut them off him so they could work on him. I have his clothes, but I can't bring myself to throw them away. They smell like the little boy I tired to save.
He was in very bad shape. I hope he makes it.
My PTSD didn't need this! Then again, the little boy didn't need this either.