CASE STUDY 1: FIRST AID AND ACCIDENT PREVENTION

Four-year-old boy chokes to death on fish-ball

SUNGAI PETANI: A four-year-old boy choked to death after eating a fish-ball which he had taken from his mother.

The incident occurred at about 4pm Monday at the boy's relative's house at Resort Home in Persiaran Cinta Sayang here.

It is learnt that the deceased, identified as Lim Wei Kiat, ate the fish-ball, which was the size of a 50cen coin, in a hurried manner.

A relative, identified only as Wong, rushed the child to the Sultan Abdul Halim Hospital for emergency treatment where he died three hours later from oxygen deprivation. 

When contacted, Kuala Muda district police chief Assistant Commissioner of Police Khalil Ariffin confirmed the case and said that it had been classified as a sudden death.

QUESTION 1:

Based on the newspaper report above, describe the steps of first aid treatment that should be given to the child in case of choking.

Choking occurs when a foreign object lodges in the throat or windpipe, blocking the flow of air. In adults, a piece of food often is the culprit. Young children often swallow small objects. Because choking cuts off oxygen to the brain, give first aid as quickly as possible.

The universal sign for choking is hands clutched to the throat. If the person doesn't give the signal, look for these indications:

1. Inability to talk

2. Difficulty breathing or noisy breathing

3. Squeaky sounds when trying to breathe

4. Cough, which may either be weak or forceful

5. Skin, lips and nails turning blue or dusky

6. Skin that is flushed, then turns pale or bluish in color

7. Loss of consciousness

If the person is able to cough forcefully, the person should keep coughing. If the person is choking and can't talk, cry or laugh forcefully, we recommend a "five-and-five" approach to delivering first aid:

Give 5 abdominal thrusts. Perform five abdominal thrusts (also known as the Heimlich maneuver). To perform abdominal thrusts on someone else:

STEP 1: Stand behind the person. Place one foot slightly in front of the other for balance. Wrap your arms around the waist. Tip the person forward slightly. If a child is choking, kneel down behind the child.

STEP 2: Make a fist with one hand. Position it slightly above the person's navel.

STEP 3: Grasp the fist with the other hand. Press hard into the abdomen with a quick, upward thrust  as if trying to lift the person up.

STEP 4: Perform between six and 10 abdominal thrusts until the blockage is dislodged.

If you're the only rescuer, perform abdominal thrusts before calling 911 or your local emergency number for help. If another person is available, have that person call for help while you perform first aid.

If the person becomes unconscious, perform standard cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) with chest compression and rescue breaths.

QUESTION 2:

Can these types of accident (based on the article) be prevented? Discuss with your group why it can/cannot be prevented. Explain the answers in details.

In our opinion, this type of accident can be prevented if the mother learn a bit or two on what type of food to give to their child on a certain age. In this case, the child identified as Lim Wei Kiat is a four year old boy. the body of a child is not the same as an adult. In this case their throat is smaller so this means that it is totally hard for child on this age to swallow food. The mother should give smaller type of food which is easy to swallow.

This child also was rushed to Sultan Abdul Halim Hospital for emergency treatment where he died Three hours later from Oxygen deprivation. The death of this child could be prevented if any of the family know how to make a first aid on a choking child. First aid knowledge is a must for everyone. It is a general knowledge. We never know when accident may happen and we must know how to prevent it. Parents should always monitor their children often because children cannot take care of their selves. This case is classified as sudden death and it is such a shame that no one could handle the situation especially the mother because parents are given their responsibility towards their own children.