11 Proper First Aid Skills For Any Emergency Every Parent Must Know (Part 2)

Children have the natural instinct to explore everything and anything. As a result, many accidents and deaths occur in the home. The good news is that they are actually avoidable, and it's possible to keep your children safe. By identifying and understanding the potential risks, taking some basic safety measures, and having the necessary knowledge to be prepared in any case.

In the last blog article, we discussed three of the most serious accidents that may happen to children, as well as the precautions that must be taken in each case. 

So let's pick up where we left off in our previous post and finish our list!

4- Nosebleeds:

Nosebleeds can be messy and frightening, but they are usually not a serious problem. Most nosebleeds will go away on their own and may be handled at home with these simple steps:

1- Ask the child to sit upright in a chair or on the caregivers’ lap. Tilt the child’s head slightly forward.

2- Try to calm and reassure your child, because crying will make the bleeding worse

3- Squeeze the lower, soft part of the nose, pressing the nostrils together with your fingers (your child can do this if they are older). Keep squeezing for 10 minutes.

4- After 10 minutes, release the nose and check if the bleeding has stopped. If the nosebleed continues, squeeze the nostrils for another 10 minutes

5- Encourage your child to spit out any blood that has dripped from their nose into their mouth. Swallowing blood may make your child vomit, which can cause the nosebleed to continue or worsen.

There are a few common reasons behind a child’s bloody nose.

+ Dry air

+ Scratching or picking

+ Trauma.

+ Cold, allergies, or sinus infection

+ Bacterial infection

*In rare cases, frequent nosebleeds are caused by problems relating to blood clotting or abnormal blood vessels. If your child is experiencing nosebleeds that aren’t related to the causes listed above, raise your concerns with your doctor.

5- Deep Cuts:

First define the cut if any of the following are happening call the emergency immediately:

1- Your child is bleeding heavily.

2- The wound is deep.

3- The edges of the wound are gaping.

4- The wound is spurting blood.

5- You can't stop the bleeding after 10 minutes of direct pressure.

6- An object has punctured the skin and is still in the body.

7- The cut involves the eye or the cartilage of the nose or ear.

WHAT TO DO:

* Almost all active bleeding may be stopped by applying direct pressure to the wound with clean tissue or cloth for five to ten minutes. The most common error is to stop the pressure too soon in order to inspect the wound.

* After the bleeding has stopped, gently cleanse the wound for five minutes with soap and water. Cleaning the wound reduces the risk of infection and helps to avoid dark stains formed by debris trapped in the skin.

* After cleaning, apply a small quantity of antibacterial ointment to the wound to keep it moist and cover it with dry gauze or a bandage until it heals.

Key points to remember on all cases:

1- Stop the bleeding by applying pressure.

2- Clean the wound.

3- Cover the wound with a dressing or bandage.

4- Seek urgent medical attention if you can’t stop any bleeding, if something is sticking out of the wound, if blood is spurting, or is from a human or animal bite.

5- Watch for signs of infection.

6- Burns:

Burns can be of varying severity, and while minor domestic burns may appear insignificant, it is always better to seek medical assistance after performing first aid. The most important thing to do is to keep the burned area submerged in cold, flowing water that is not too strong for at least 15 minutes. After the burn has subsided, carefully dry the affected area and apply a burn ointment such as Burnol. Leave any clothes that have become adhered to the skin alone, and if the burn is on a sensitive location, such as the face, or is the result of an electric shock, take the kid to the hospital right away.

7- Sun Stroke:

If someone has heat exhaustion, follow these 4 steps:

1- Move them to a cool place.

2- Get them to lie down and raise their feet slightly.

3- Get them a drink – preferably one with electrolytes. like coconut water, watermelon juice, smoothies, cow milk…

4- Cool their skin – spray or sponge them with cool water and fan them. Cold packs around the armpits or neck are good, too.

6- Stay with them until they're better.

They should start to cool down and feel better within 30 minutes

8- Bites and stings:

Insect stings and bites in young children may be painful, frightening, or irritating, but they're rarely a cause for concern unless your child has an allergic reaction.

1- Remove any tight jewelry from the area of the bite or sting. It could be hard to get off once the area swells.

2- Ice the area for 10 minutes and then remove the ice for 10 minutes. Then repeat.

3- If the sting was on an arm or leg, elevate the area.

4- Pain relievers that are formulated for babies or children

9- Sprains:

The most difficult aspect of treating a sprain is recognizing whether it is a sprain or something more serious, such as a fracture. A fracture generally results in intense pain in the injured location, and the youngster is unable to move the part at all. A sprain generally causes discomfort or some swelling, as well as some difficulty moving.

Try relaxing for a bit, and if the pain persists, apply a cold compress to the concerned region for 15-20 minutes.

 Keep the area lifted for a time, and if the discomfort doesn't go away, it's best to see a doctor.

10- Poisoning:

Many scenarios may happen: 

1- In the case of an inhaled poison, go to fresh air as soon as possible and call the poison control hotline.

2- If the child has poison on his or her skin, remove any clothes that have come into contact with the poison. After properly rinsing the child's skin with running water for 15 to 20 minutes, call the poison control center. Do not apply ointments, butter, or grease to the affected region.

3- If the child has poison in his or her eyes, rinse them with running water for 15 to 20 minutes. After that, contact the poison control number.Do not use an eyecup, eye drops, or ointment unless the poison center tells you to do so.

4- If your child has stopped breathing, start CPR. Do not stop until your child breathes on his or her own or someone else can take over. If you can, have someone call the emergency right away. If you are alone, do CPR for 2 minutes and then call the emergency.

11- Treating Shock:

If a person witnesses something terrible or has a serious injury, they may experience shock. Unfortunately, even after their illness has been treated, a person might still die from shock. As a result, knowing the warning indications is critical. Keep the individual quiet, elevate their feet, and keep them warm so their blood pressure remains stable.

The fact of life is that none of us know when a tragedy may strike, and understanding first aid procedures is useful not just for your family but also for others.

If you're still unsure about your ability to help your baby in an emergency, try participating in an infant first aid class, which covers most children's accidents and how to intervene.

Otherwise, try to keep choking risks out of your baby's play areas and keep a close eye on anything you notice in your baby's mouth that shouldn't be there.

I hope you enjoyed this informative blog post; I am happy to share it with you, and I hope it will help a lot of parents out there. If you liked it, please share it on your preferred social media platform; it would mean the world to me.

Till next time, stay safe and happy, ZAKIA.xoxo