Tag: first-aid

Why All Parents Should Learn Pediatric First Aid

Whether you’re a parent or carer, one of the most important skills you can have is paediatric first aid – the ability to provide immediate care if your child is injured or becomes suddenly ill. Learning paediatric first aid gives you the knowledge and confidence to act quickly and appropriately in an emergency until professional help arrives. Keep reading this article to find out why all parents and foster carers should take the time to learn these potentially life-saving skills.

Recognising Childhood Emergencies

The first step in providing first aid is recognising when a child requires urgent medical attention. Paediatric first aid courses teach you how to identify life-threatening conditions in children, including breathing difficulties, seizures, head injuries, severe bleeding, choking, poisoning, burns, and more. You learn how to assess a child’s condition by checking their airway, breathing, circulation, and level of response. This information allows you to determine if an illness or injury is an emergency and requires immediate action.

Administering CPR and First Aid

A key component of paediatric first aid training is learning CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) and other first aid techniques tailored to children. Courses cover CPR methods for infants and children, including using chest compressions and rescue breaths. You practice these skills using CPR mannequins so you feel confident performing them in real situations. Beyond CPR, you gain first-aid knowledge on controlling bleeding, treating burns and wounds, managing head and spinal injuries, and more. These skills empower you to provide immediate care to stabilise your child until emergency services arrive.

Choking Prevention and Response

Choking is a leading cause of death and injury for young children. Paediatric first aid teaches you how to prevent choking hazards. You also learn how to identify the signs of choking and respond appropriately based on a child’s age. For infants under one year, you are trained on back blows and chest thrusts to clear airway obstructions. For older children, you learn abdominal thrusts and CPR modifications for choking victims. Having this knowledge instils confidence to act quickly when seconds matter most.

Staying Calm Under Pressure

Emergencies involving children are highly stressful for parents. Paediatric first aid training helps you manage panic and focus on the steps needed to help your child. Through roleplaying real-life scenarios, you learn how to control your nerves and provide care in the moment. You gain confidence in your skills and ability to handle whatever situation arises. Staying calm allows you to reassure your child and effectively manage the emergency until medical treatment is available. This calmness under pressure can greatly improve outcomes.

Confidence to Care for Children

Ultimately, paediatric first aid gives all parents and carers greater confidence in their ability to care for children. You gain peace of mind knowing you can recognise childhood emergencies, remain calm under pressure, and deliver appropriate treatment. These skills allow you to provide the best possible care until medical treatment is available. Paediatric first aid training equips parents and foster carers like those fostering in Durham with the key skills to protect and save young lives.

Learning paediatric first aid is one of the most valuable investments parents and foster carers can make. The ability to act quickly and appropriately in childhood emergencies can have profound impacts on outcomes.

Summertime First Aid: 5 Things You Need To Know

Summertime comes with sunshine, ice cream, short dresses, and getaways. You could do many amazing things for fun and relaxation during the blissful days of summer. But, whether you’re raring to sit by the poolside lazily, take a walk on the beach, or go out hiking, summer fun can quickly turn tragic if you’re unprepared. 

First aid can quickly treat common summertime injuries, including sports wounds, heat-related illnesses, bicycle injuries, playground injuries, and the like. However, the secret is to have some knowledge of first aid.

To help you with this, here are some things you need to know about summertime first aid:

 

1. Have A First Aid Kit Handy 

A first aid kit is essential for the first response to any unexpected situation or injury. You, therefore, have to ensure that you always have one in case of an emergency. Having multiple kits could help ensure that there’s always one handy when needed. Ideally, you should have one first aid kit at home and another in your car. If you’re going outdoors for activities like hiking or cycling, be sure to go out with a portable first aid kit.

Having a first aid kit is one thing, but having the right one is another. Ready-made first aid kits are typically available in drugstores and supermarkets. Otherwise, you could make your own kit at home if you like.

First aid kits typically contain:

  • painkillers 
  • antiseptic wipes
  • antibiotics
  • antihistamines
  • band-aids
  • adhesive tape
  • eye solution
  • gloves
  • gauze
  • thermometer
  • scissors

Always ensure that your first aid kit contains everything your family might need. For example, if you have a family member who suffers from allergies or particular medical conditions, your first aid kit must contain their medication. If your group will be out hiking or, basically, any activity, it’d be wise to have some sugar tong splints in your first aid kit, which can be especially helpful if someone injures their forearm or wrist. For the uninitiated, sugar tong splints can be single or double.

 

2. First Aid For Heat Injuries

Because summertime can expose you to some extreme heat, you and your loved ones are prone to some heat-related injuries. Exposure to too much sun may lead to emergencies, such as heat exhaustion, dehydration, heatstroke, and heat cramps. Some common symptoms of these conditions include fainting, dizziness, muscle cramps and tightening, nausea, headaches, and fatigue. If these symptoms aren’t quickly treated, they could quickly escalate into more severe conditions.

If you suspect your loved one is experiencing some heat injuries, get them to a cool place as quickly as possible and find ways to cool their body. You could use some water spray or place a wet cloth over their body to help reduce their body temperature. Next, you could try to rehydrate them by getting them to take electrolytes-replenishing beverages.

If you feel that the symptoms are persisting, then it’s time to call 911. Otherwise, they say prevention is better than cure. So, whenever you’re outside in the summer heat, try to protect yourself from too much exposure to heat. You can do so by taking plenty of water, applying sunscreen, and wearing protective gear, such as hats and sunglasses. If possible, they say you should try and avoid doing some outdoor activities during heat peak hours.

 

3. First Aid For Snake And Insect Bites 

In some areas, summer often brings out poisonous creatures, such as snakes, spiders, and insects. If you’re not familiar with these, it’s advised to consider all of them poisonous. If you or a loved one was bitten, look out for the following symptoms and safety tips:

  • Insect bites – If the bite comes with severe pain, muscle cramps, fever, and headache, vomiting, and breathing problems, then you need to call 911. While you wait for emergency services to arrive, clean the bite area with soap and water, and apply a cold compress on it. 
  • Snake bites – First, you should secure the area and ensure that the snake will not strike again. If you can, back away slowly and avoid going near it. Keep calm and, if possible, clean the bite area with some running water and soap. If the bite leads to pain, swelling, sweating, nausea, vomiting, and confusion, quickly call 911.

 

4. Performing Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR)

It’s possible that during some summer activities, someone could experience cardiac arrest. This is when the heart immediately stops pumping blood. When the heart stops pumping, the lungs are said to stop supplying oxygen to your body. Consequently, the brain is believed to be starved of oxygen, which causes one to stop breathing and fall unconscious. 

When someone falls into cardiac arrest, immediate help could spell the difference between life and death. One of the proven ways to quickly help someone who’s suffering from cardiac arrest is through CPR. 

When administering CPR, it’s advised that the first thing to do is to stay calm and assess the situation. You have to be sure that the patient needs it before you begin. When someone needs CPR, they typically face difficulty breathing and are usually unresponsive.

The steps to performing CPR are as follows:

  • Call 911 or ask someone else to do it.
  • Lay the person on their back. 
  • Open their airways.
  • Check if they’re breathing.
  • If not, put the heel of your hand on their chest and your other hand on top of it. 
  • Perform about 30 chest compressions.
  • Do two rescue breaths. 
  • Repeat the cycle until professional help arrives.

 

5. First Aid For Drowning

Summer temperatures are often perfect for a dip in the swimming pool. But unfortunately, this comes at a high risk of drowning for both children and adults. Drowning could quickly turn tragic with poor safety precautions and a lack of first aid response. 

Apart from taking preventive measures, such as safety-proofing your swimming pool, you must be prepared for drowning incidents. If one of your loved ones accidentally drowned, here are the first aid steps to follow:

  • Call 911 and ask for help. 
  • If the person is conscious, roll them to ensure that they don’t choke when water regurgitates. 

If the victim is unconscious:

  • Call for an ambulance. 
  • Perform CPR compressions. 
  • Tilt their head back.
  • Lift their chin.
  • Open their mouth.
  • Pinch their nose. 
  • Administer two resuscitation breaths.
  • Wait for their chest to rise and fall.
  • Repeat the procedure until medical help arrives or until they’ve regained consciousness.

 

Conclusion

Summertime accidents are quite uncommon, but what can spell the difference between serious and minor injuries is preparation. Anyone can be a victim of an accident that requires first aid, so stay prepared to help. The results of your first aid efforts may not always be in your control, but giving someone a fighting chance is worth the effort.

 

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