When accidents and emergencies happen, the last thing any parent would want to do is to panic or be helpless, especially if it involves their loved ones. You’d want to deal with such situations calmly armed with the proper first aid skills. If there is an opportunity to attend first aid training, specifically for emergencies involving children, grab it–you just might be able to save your child’s life.
Proper Assessment of Situations
Sometimes well-meaning people rush to the rescue of people involved in accidents. While that is commendable, untrained individuals sometimes make errors that exacerbate the situation. Children in particular require a different kind of handling for various types of emergency situations. We believe that all parents should know the difference between handling emergencies and injuries for children and for adults.
For example, a slip and fall can lead to broken limbs. When the accident involves children, more specifically, the danger is that they are also in very high risk of acquiring head injuries.
It is not possible to know whether a head injury is minor or severe by looking it and symptoms can emerge immediately or progressively. Parents should seek medical advice and look out for these signs
- Loss of consciousness for a few seconds to a few minutes.
- No loss of consciousness, but a state of being dazed, confused or disoriented.
- Headache.
- Seizure
- Nausea or vomiting.
- Fatigue or drowsiness.
- Difficulty sleeping.
- Sleeping more than usual.
- Dizziness or loss of balance.
Apply the Proper Remedies
Most people mistakenly think that there is just one way to tend to an injury, without factoring in its severity. For example, the way you treat a superficial burn is different from how you handle a full thickness burn.
A superficial burn will have to be immediately cooled down for at least 10 minutes with preferably cool running water and then covered with cling film. Ointments, butter, lotions or potions should definitely not be applied but appropriate over-the-counter medication, painkillers could be used to help with the pain. Depending the location and size of the burn will depend on whether medical assistance is required.
A full thickness burn, meanwhile, will also need those two steps, but this time you would need to consider shock prevention The victim should be taken immediately to a medical professional to have a clearer diagnosis of the severity of the burn, and for treatment to be started.
Our classes will show you exactly how to manage every type of burn and when to go to the hospital.
Improve Confidence
Knowing crucial first aid methods can do wonders for your confidence. Especially if you usually are in charge of children, it can be pretty scary being responsible for their safety. While prevention is always going to be better than cure, it’s good to know exactly what to do when preventive measures fail. Agencies like Daisy First Aid can help arm parents, childminders, nurseries, families or individuals with the proper first aid application skills.
Sources:
First Aid Training. GirGuiding.org.uk.
First Aid. Parenting.com.