First aid in children: guide to action in an emergency
How to deal with falls, blows, burns, bites, electrocution, introduction of objects into the nose, ears and eyes, and intoxication.
Children are more prone to accidents than adults because when we are young we have less notion of danger. Here we leave you with a few tips that can get you out of trouble.
Index
WHAT SHOULD WE NOT FORGET WHEN WE APPLY FIRST AID?
The rule of thumb is that no matter how good our care, the inexperienced can do more harm than fix on the victim. Therefore, we should not try to cure the child, but rather to prevent the problem from getting worse while a specialist comes to see him . The best advice is to write down and keep a list with all the emergency numbers. If something happens, the first thing to do is call and ask for advice on what to do while help comes.
The second most important rule is to stay calm . Screaming and getting hysterical we are not going to solve anything. Children need to feel safe, think that everything is going to be fine. We don’t want them to get scared and even more nervous.
FIRST AID IN CASE OF SUFFOCATION
-If you think the child has swallowed something, find out what it is and take it to the doctor. When in doubt, it is better to be cautious. Sometimes even a fish bone can be deadly. In these cases swallowing water, then bread and again water is usually enough, but if it does not come down, take it to the emergency room.
-In the case of an object stuck in the throat, place the child on your knees with his head hanging down and pat him on the back , but never try to remove the stuck object manually. You could put it further in.
-If you breathe with difficulty and the object does not come out, call the emergency room or go to the nearest health center.
FALLS AND BROKEN BONES
-First we have to look at how high the little one has fallen and how the fall has been. Then we check for breakage . A broken limb is easily seen by the bruise that produces the internal effusion and the deformity. If it is a ligament that has been torn it is more difficult to see it. To do this, gently move the member. If the child screams just by touching it, it is more serious.
– In order to reduce inflammation, put ice wrapped in a cloth. If there is suspicion of breakage, you will have to immobilize the limb before it moves too much. This will prevent the bone from tearing the internal tissue .
– In case of receiving a blow to the head , take him immediately to the doctor if he loses consciousness but has to be lying down and with his head slightly raised. If it doesn’t and it doesn’t seem serious, ice the bump and observe its behavior for the rest of the day. If he vomits, has a fever, or is half asleep, go to the emergency room.
HOW TO HEAL A WOUND
– If the child is injured, the first thing to do is stop the bleeding . If it is small, we will wash the wound with cold water. If the bleeding, on the other hand, is great, put the damaged limb up so that less blood circulates to the area, wet a sterile gauze with chlorhexidine or hydrogen peroxide and press until the bleeding stops.
– To disinfect it, it is best to wash it with soap and water.
– Go to the doctor in case it is a large cut and it is necessary to put stitches.
ELECTROCUTION
-In these cases, first aid is based on cutting off the electric current or moving it away from it but without touching it directly with bare hands .
– Are you unconscious? Lay him down with his head slightly raised. Loosen his clothes. If not breathing and you suspect cardiac arrest, practice mouth-to-mouth and artificial resuscitation.
– In any case, even if he has not lost consciousness, it is always advisable to take him to the doctor to monitor his evolution .
POISONING
– Toxic products have a label on the back where they say what to do in case of ingestion. You can also call the National Institute of Toxicology to be informed quickly (915620420) .
– If the child has eaten spoiled food or toxic food (such as some species of mushrooms), first aid is based on causing vomiting and taking him to the emergency room with a sample of the product he has eaten.
– If he has ingested a corrosive such as ammonia, bleach or detergent, you should never make him [quotei] If he ingests a corrosive product, he should not vomit it [/ quotei] because being corrosive it could burn his esophagus again when he exits. In the case of gasoline, it can even get into the lungs and make the problem worse.
– In the case of having ingested an acid (for example salfumán) it is good to know that it is neutralized with a base. Give him baking soda water or a glass of milk . If, on the other hand, he drinks a base such as bleach, give him an acid, water with lemon or vinegar for example.
INTRODUCTION OF OBJECTS INTO THE NOSE, EARS AND EYES
– If an object gets into his nose, ask him to force air out of the jammed hole while covering the other with his finger. if it doesn’t come out and you think you can grab it with tweezers forward. If you do not see yourself capable, better take him to the emergency room.
– If it is inserted into an ear and you see it with the naked eye, you can try to extract it with tweezers . Never try anything sharp other than the tweezers, you could perforate the eardrum.
– Finally, if something gets into the eye, wash it with plenty of warm water while you tell the child to move the eye from side to side. If it is something soft like a mosquito, lift the eyelid and with a clean handkerchief remove it. If you have something hard wedged in, just take it to the nearest eye doctor. Do not try to remove it yourself or put eye drops on it.
ANIMAL BITES
– First aid will depend on the animal and the age of the child . If we are talking about a very young child who is bitten by a spider or an insect, it would be convenient to take him to the emergency room.
– If the child is older, a bite is not serious. Not even that of a wasp or bee, unless you’re allergic. Remove the stinger if possible with tweezers and give it an anti-sting ointment. If you don’t have, add some ammonia.
– If it is a snake bite, take it to the emergency room because it will need the corresponding antidote (if you know what type of snake it was, it is much better).
– When it is a wild animal that has bitten you (dogs, mice, cats …) wash the wound with soap and plenty of water. Then take him to the ER for the rabies shot.
BURNS
– If it is a superficial burn, cover the wound with a sterile and wet gauze to avoid infection. To relieve pain, use burn cream or vinegar instead.
– In the case of more serious burns, do not put ointment . Take the child to the emergency room with the burned part wrapped in a clean cloth that you will have previously soaked in fresh water and drained (contact with air causes a lot of pain in burns). If the doctor comes home, soak the area in warm water to relieve pain.
– Whenever blisters appear, you should not remove them . Wait for them to dry by themselves. Dry skin is the best protection for the new skin that will grow underneath.
Dr. Tabriella Perivolaris, Sara's mother and fan of fashion, beauty, motherhood, among others, about the female universe. Since 2018 she has been working as a copywriter, always bringing to her articles a little of her experience and experience as a mother and woman.