What should be the first action if a child is in cardiac arrest?

In a situation where a child is in cardiac arrest, the first and most critical action is to call for help and activate emergency medical services (EMS). This step ensures that professional assistance is on the way while you take further actions to help the child. In cases of cardiac arrest, every second counts, and early activation of EMS can be pivotal in improving the child's chances of survival.

While starting CPR is an essential step, it is most effective when initiated after the emergency response team has been activated. This means that by calling for help first, the rescuer allows for dual efforts: providing immediate care through CPR while ensuring that advanced medical help will arrive promptly. It is also important to consider that if you are alone, you should perform CPR for about 2 minutes before calling for help if there is no one around to assist.

Checking the child's breathing is important but should not delay the activation of EMS. If you determine that the child is unresponsive and not breathing or only gasping, CPR should be started as soon as possible after ensuring EMS has been called. Administering ventilations every 3 to 5 seconds is a part of CPR but also follows the initial activation of emergency services. Thus, the focus should be on calling for help first