In a case of a 2-year-old girl who fell from a height and is unresponsive, what should be your initial action?

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In the context of a pediatric patient who is unresponsive after falling from a height, prioritizing the airway is crucial. The jaw-thrust maneuver is specifically designed to open the airway while minimizing potential movement of the cervical spine, which is particularly important in trauma cases to avoid exacerbating possible spinal injuries.

When a child is unresponsive, ensuring that the airway is clear of any obstructions is the first step to enable effective ventilation and prevent hypoxia. The jaw-thrust maneuver is particularly effective in such situations because it does not require tilting the head back, which can compromise spinal alignment in the case of a possible injury.

In this scenario, maintaining the airway takes precedence over suctioning, manual stabilization, or inserting an oral airway, as these actions all depend on first ensuring that the airway is open. Each of those steps can follow once the immediate concern of airway patency is addressed. Thus, utilizing the jaw-thrust maneuver is the most appropriate initial action in this emergency scenario for a young child who is unresponsive due to trauma.

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