How long should you feel for a pulse before starting CPR on a child?

When assessing a pulse in a child before starting CPR, it's essential to strike a balance between ensuring that you correctly identify the presence or absence of a pulse and not delaying necessary lifesaving actions. Feeling for a pulse for at least 5 seconds but no more than 10 seconds allows for a quick yet careful assessment.

During this short assessment window, if you feel the pulse, you can determine if immediate CPR is necessary. However, if you do not find a pulse within that timeframe, you should then initiate CPR without further delay. A longer duration, such as waiting for 10 seconds beyond this recommendation, could lead to a delay in starting CPR when it is critically needed, especially since children can deteriorate rapidly in emergencies.

Using this guideline helps ensure that responders act promptly in a life-threatening situation without taking unnecessary time to confirm a pulse, which is especially crucial in the context of providing effective care to a child in distress.