The Basic First Aid Training That You Need To Know

Irrespective of whether you are a parent or not it is always best to know about “What, When, and How” to do things when it comes to First Aid. Some parents do approach healthcare centers and enroll in basic first aid training. If you have found one such an opportunity, I strongly recommend you, Do not miss it.

I hope you read the first part (i.e.) First Aid for Children here and found it to be informative. If you want, you can also take printouts of it to be used as the basic first-aid training document. If you do not have time and believe self-learning is best, then I am glad to say that you can consider the points discussed in part 1 and in this post.

Let us discuss some of the other scenarios as well now.

Next Set of Scenarios

6. Electric Shock in Kids

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Kids trying to insert a pen and pencils or anything similar inside the electric socket is not rare.

Common Reasons

Touching live wire or inserting an object into the electric socket, slipping into electrified water, etc.

What To-Do

• Think and use items (wood, plastic, rubber) through which current cannot pass easily. Use that item to move the kid away.
• Ensure you are 20 feet away from the kid experiencing high voltage shock.
• Turn off the mains.
• If the kid is unconscious after the incident give CPR (Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation) if you are trained.
• Educate them not to touch electrical appliances with wet hands or metal.
• Why not conduct The Basic First Aid Training for your school-going kids on one of the weekends?

What Not-To-Do

• Do not touch the kid unless you turn off the mains.
• Do not use portable water heaters when you have kids at home.
• Never ask smaller children to unplug your laptop cable, turn off electrical appliances, etc. as there is an age limit for everything. Your laziness can lead to unwanted chaos at home.

When To Rush To The Hospital + Call Doctor + Call Emergency Services (108 / 911)

• In the case of severe burns.
• If the kid is unable to see, speak, or hear, and complain numbness.
• When the shock is not minor, it is better to consult a doctor.

Tip: Always dummy-proof the electrical sockets.

7. Hot Water/Milk/Substance Spills & Fire Burns in Kids

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Prevention is better than cure. 2020 is no way different from the ’90s as doctors still witness cases of hot spills at the Hospitals.

Be it cooling the milk to feed the kid or boiling the water to drink, do not perform kitchen tasks when you are holding the kid. Certain things can wait. The kid might be crying but it is okay to let them stay on the cradle or bed until you are out of the kitchen and you are done cooling down the hot drink.

Be cautious and place those incandescent sticks or mosquito coils in the spots where kids cannot reach them. A Big No to Acids kept on the bathroom floor.

Common Reasons

A hot substance that is kept in a place that is easily accessible for kids.

What To-Do

• Try to identify the degree of burn and act accordingly.
• Degree 1 Burns: Painful, No blisters, skin turned to red color.
• Degree 2 Burns: Painful, Visible blisters, skin turned to red color and damaged.
• Degree 3 Burns: Charred skin portion.
• Run regular/cold water over the area for 5 minutes if degree 1.
• Cover the affected area with a clean cloth.

What Not-To-Do

• Never try to treat an open burn with water.
• Do not place ice cubes over the burn.
• Do not apply oil or ointment before you consult a doctor.
• Let the stuck clothing stay, do not peel it off.
• Never try to cool down hot substances by placing the pan or vessel on the floor or at a place that is easy for the kids to reach.

When To Rush To The Hospital + Call the Doctor

• If the degree of burn is 2 or 3.
• Blisters and burns that are not healed even after a week or two.
• Swelling and infection in the area.
• When the skin is charred, and damaged with clothing stuck over the portion.
• Call Emergency Services (108 / 911) in case of major accidents.

8. Fractures / Broken Bones

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Very common in kids in the years until 2000. The kids go to the ground to play cricket, climb trees, jump from the loft, and whatnot. Things have changed and so does the reasons behind broken bones incidents in kids. However, the occurrences of fractures in kids still exist in other forms of activities like Cycling, Skating, etc.

Broken Bones and Fractures are one scenario that makes buying or keeping a wooden scale/ruler at home still for use during need.

Common Reasons

Any severe fall.

What To-Do

• Leave the broken portion in its position as it is.
• Remove clothing covering the broken bone, If you think that would disturb the position, tear the clothing with scissors.
• Apply an ice pack. If you have a wooden scale or similar that can be used as a splint, place it over the broken bone and wrap it with a bandage gently to hold the bone until you meet the doctor.
• No waiting period in case of a fracture. Hence, pick up the kid, and go to the hospital. Trust me, the basic first aid training knowledge that you gained will reduce a lot of complications.
  Let the children lie down in case of broken back, legs, neck, etc.

What Not-To-Do

• Do not try to adjust the broken bone yourself.
• Never try to push the visible portion of the bone inside.
• Do not wash the wound.

When To Rush To The Hospital + Call the Doctor

• If you are sure that it is a broken bone and not a sprain then forget the term “Wait and See” thought from your mind.
• Call 108 / 911 if the fracture is expected to be on the head, neck, spine, and legs.

9. Ear Pain

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One of the scenarios that my kid and I experience every time we fly. You can see more details about the ear pain during flying and what you can do about it. But, that is not the only reason for ear pain in children.

Common Reasons

Water Splashed into the ears during swimming, Pressure changes, Blocked Eustachian tubes, infections in the ear, bugs in the ear, and tears caused by inserting things like swabs, pencils, and pens are some of the reasons.

What To-Do

• Breastfeed the kid or use a pacifier as the pain reduces due to the suckling movement. This is the reason why it is recommended to breastfeed smaller kids especially when they are airborne and when the airplane descends.
• Talk to the kid to understand about any recent incidents that happened at school. This will give us clarity on whether the ear pain is due to any tear induced by the kid himself or others accidentally.
• A warm compress over the ear.
• A few drops of warm olive oil in the ear will help. Do this only when no fluids are coming out of the kids’ ear and you don’t expect any major issues.
• Let the kid drink warm fluids. Eating candies will help to relieve the pain a bit due to the jaw movement.
• Place a pillow beneath the mattress to elevate the head posture of the kid. Remember to elevate the mattress and do not ask the kid to lay his/her head on the pillow directly.
  

  What Not-To-Do

• Do not use antibiotics or any medicine unless you consult a doctor.
• Never use cotton ear swabs in front of smaller children at home.
• Do not use a cotton swab or anything on the kids’ ears.

When To Rush To The Hospital + Call the Doctor

• If the ear pain does not go away in 24 to 48 hours after trying simple first aid at home.
• If you suspect the pain to be due to any tear or damage to the eardrum.
• When there is fluid dripping out of the ear.

10. Head Injury

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None of us can say that we never had fallen, isn’t it? Sometimes we hurt our heads and sometimes other parts of our body.

Common Reasons

Sports injury and Child abuse are more common.

What To-Do

• Monitor the kid for 24 hours minimum for any signs like vomiting, bleeding in-ear, etc.
• If it is just swelling, give the kid an ice cube pack massage over the swelling by covering the ice either in a cloth or anything similar.
• When bleeding, hold a clean cloth over the injury to avoid blood loss and rush to the hospital as The Basic First Aid Training you learned may not be enough unless you are a doctor.
• If you see any kid being abused, call the authorities for help.
• Educate the kid to wear Helmets meant for each sport be it riding bicycles or skating.

What Not-To-Do

• Do not delay when the injury seems to be major and bleeding.
• When you suspect next or spine injury, Do not move the child.

When To Rush To The Hospital + Call the Doctor

• Call Emergency Services (108 / 911) in case of head injury due to major accidents.
• If the kid is unconscious.
• If the kid is vomiting after the head injury.
• When there are signs of bleeding from the ear.
• If the kid is experiencing Seizures and Concussions.
• If the kid looks drowsy.

In parts 1 and 2 of these blog posts, I discussed 10 scenarios but as you know they are not all.

Let me know your comments if you think there is something that I need to cover in the content so that it will help someone out there. As I mentioned earlier, do not hesitate to sign up for The Basic First Aid Training if you come across any such programs. If you are new to parenthood and if do not have an elderly person who can guide you, please consider reading about The Basic First Aid Training so that you are doing the correct thing at the time of need.

Irrespective of whether you have attended and learned The Basic First Aid Training, trust your gut feeling. Do what your mind says especially when you need to decide on whether to call your doctor or not. In all the cases, it is good to connect with Doctors to get an opinion even after giving the required first aid.

Emergency Numbers That You Should Call:

108 – India (22 states)
100 – India, Greece, and Israel
000 – Australia
106 – Australia for textphone/TTY
110 – China, Japan, Taiwan
111 – New Zealand
112 – Across the European Union
119 – Jamaica and parts of Asia
911 – North America and the Philippines
999 – many countries

Help Others By Sharing

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Help Others too by sharing these posts. We don’t know the parts 1 and 2 about the first aid may save and help someone in need.

References:

httpss://kidshealth.org/#catemergencies

httpss://www.uofmhealth.org/health-library/eari3

httpss://www.lifespan.org/lifespan-living/ear-pain-children-what-you-should-know