Hypopharynx Perforation During Infant's Resuscitation

Abstract

THE DOCUMENTED value of training lay persons in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) has prompted an effort by medical and paramedical professions to teach the public fundamental CPR skills.1,2The emphasis in the CPR training of lay persons is primarily directed toward the resuscitation of adults, typically of the victims of sudden death associated with myocardial ischemia, and does not deal adequately with resuscitation of infants. We recently treated a 2-month-old boy in whom acute respiratory distress and subcutaneous emphysema developed following mouth-to-mouth resuscitation administered by his father, a volunteer fireman trained in CPR. Report of a Case A 2-month-old boy was transferred to the Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh (CHP) because of respiratory distress and neck swelling. The infant was well until he suffered a choking episode after a feeding, regurgitated thick formula and mucus, and became cyanotic. The infant's father observed the episode and immediately cleared the child's oropharynx with