When you’re a parent one of the scariest roles you have to fill is that of a ‘First Aider’, especially dealing with injuries. You know how it goes – you turn your back for just a few seconds and your kid is reaching for your hot cup of tea. Here’s some very quick basic tips on how to deal with some of the very common injuries I’ve seen in my time in A&E that tend to happen to young children.
Red flags and signs of injury are severe headache, a change in behaviour, vomiting, confusion or difficulty walking. Hold a cold compress wrapped in a thin layer (frozen peas are great) against the bump. Manage the pain with paracetamol. Rest is normal after a shock so let them sleep but if your child becomes difficult to rouse or has new symptoms then seek further help.
If your child plays any contact sport where collision is likely it is really important that they are medically assessed as concussion can affect their academic performance and behaviour as well as putting them at risk of a more serious injury.
Concussion signs and symptoms include being unconscious for a short period, memory loss (of the accident), vomiting, pale, clammy skin, a mild headache and nausea, feeling dazed or stunned and dizziness.
Scrape sideways with something hard to remove the sting, like a bankcard. Don’t use tweezers! If injury symptoms are mild, use an icepack, take painkillers and use a spray or cream containing local anaesthetic, antihistamine or mild hydrocortisone. An antihistamine tablet can reduce swelling. But call 999 if your child has difficulty breathing, wheezing, becomes lethargic or any swelling to the face, throat or mouth. State ‘anaphylaxis’. They emergency services will talk you through what to do and how to use an Auto-Injector if one is available.
Clean minor wound injuries with tap water or wound wipes and apply a dressing appropriate to the size of wound. Bandages with a wound pad are the best to use. Larger bleeds require direct pressure for at least 10 minutes, but if still bleeding, there’s an embedded object, wound is large and gaping, or the wound is on the face, get medical help. It’s ok to put another dressing on top of the first if the wound is still bleeding.
Observe for burns or blisters in the mouth, difficulty breathing, sleepiness and vomiting. Identify the cause so that emergency services can advise best treatment. If your child’s lips or airway are burned by corrosive substances, frequent sips of cold water or milk may be given. If your child has difficulty in breathing or becomes unconscious call 999. You may need to start CPR.
Most commonly this is a scald or burn from a hot drink. Cool the burn with cold water for at least 20 minutes to prevent pain/scarring. If you don’t do this, your child’s skin can continue to burn long after. You have up to 3 hours afterwards to cool the burn to have an impact on how it heals. Then cover with clingfilm – it’s quick, sterile and doesn’t stick.
