Lifesaving in the lobby
Madison Casley and Titus Kosgei, DNP, were in the right place at the right time to rescue a child from choking.
At first, the child’s crying in the lobby didn’t cause much concern.
But when the screaming continued longer than usual, caregivers at PeaceHealth’s Santa Clara clinic in Eugene, Oregon, went to offer help.
That’s when Madison Casley, a patient access representative, noticed something urgent that others hadn’t realized: The little one was choking.
Madison rushed to get family medicine provider Titus Kosgei, DNP, who had also heard the wails.
“At first I assumed the child was just upset,” he said. “But after about a minute of crying, the first thought that came to my mind was that we have to do something.”
Titus swiftly picked up the 2-year-old and positioned the child’s body so the head was down and facing the floor. (This is part of the choking rescue procedure for small children.)
After Titus gave a few firm thrusts to the little one’s back, a piece of hard candy came out of the child’s mouth.
A few minutes later, the tears dried. A sense of calm returned. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
A sobering effect
The immediate danger had passed. But the situation had a sobering effect on the staff. “Madison’s and Titus’s quick action literally saved a life,” said Stephanie Parrott, the manager of the clinic.
Knowing the signs of choking — and what to do for someone in distress — was more critical than ever that day.
Stephanie’s team wanted to be sure the entire clinic could practice what to do in situations like this, so she told PeaceHealth’s clinical educators what happened.
Ongoing training in basic lifesaving skills is required of all medical professionals. And while Titus had never before had to use the procedure, it was his years of clinical education that kicked in.
Always be ready
“We always try to stay up to par on our training because we never know when it might be needed — at the clinic, along the side of the road or in a restaurant. We need to be prepared at all times,” he said.
Often, people who are choking cannot speak or make sounds, said clinical educator Mike Foote. In this instance, that clearly wasn’t the case.
The candy stuck in the child’s throat had a small hole that allowed a tiny amount of air into the lungs — just enough for the little one to be able to cry for help. The fact that Madison spotted this made a significant difference.
Of all the lessons learned in the clinic that day, Titus said trusting his instincts was an important one: “Don’t assume that something is OK. If you're in a situation where you sense that something is amiss, just jump into action. Let your training take over,” he said. “You could save someone's life.”
