Knowledge
Fast First Aid Tips for 7 Common Accidents
A health emergency or an accident can happen to a child, a teacher or anyone in school at any point in time. Therefore, it is imperative to have a good first aid set up and a functional infirmary in every school.
A health emergency or an accident can happen to a child, a teacher or anyone in school at any point in time. Therefore, it is imperative to have a good first aid set up and a functional infirmary in every school. There should also be relevant staff trained for the purpose. Every school must have a first aid officer who can assist in case of an emergency. Sometimes, we tend to neglect the importance of first aid by merely assigning the duty to a box full of medicines. However, administering the right first aid at the right time can even save a life. Some of these techniques also need to be taught to students so that they can take control of a situation, even in the absence of an adult.
Discussed below are some of the common accidents/ illnesses and the first-aid techniques to tackle them. These are techniques that every person should mandatorily know. Schools should take the initiative to spread first aid awareness among their staff and students by conducting regular workshops and drills.
1. Choking in infants and the Heimlich Manoeuvre:
Choking is one of the most common causes of deaths in infants. Be it at play school or at home, infants tend to explore and put into their mouths whatever they come across, be it food, toys, erasers etc. This poses a very dangerous situation, considering what is being swallowed. Secondly, if it gets stuck in the throat, it hampers breathing and obstructs oxygen flow. Children can even choke on food while having a meal. So it is imperative to know how to perform the Heimlich Manoeuvre.
Here’s what to do when a child is choking on an object and can't breathe (or can only make infrequent high-pitched gasps).
First aid for choking for infants under the age of 1:
Place her face down on your forearm, supporting her neck and chin with your fingers. Tilt your hand so her head is lower than her chest.
Give five quick blows to her back between her shoulder blades, using the heel of your free hand.
If no object pops out, turn your baby over and place her face up on a table or the floor.
Place two fingers in the middle of her breastbone just below nipple level and give five quick thrusts.
Repeat the cycle of five back blows and five chest thrusts until the object is dislodged or she begins breathing.
If your baby becomes unconscious, begin CPR (explained next) immediately. Each time you go to deliver rescue breaths, look for an object in her mouth. If you see something, take it out. But never put your fingers into her throat to feel for an object; you could lodge it more firmly.
Heimlich Manoeuvre for children older than 1 year:
Stand or kneel behind your kid, wrapping your arms around him.
Make a fist and place it just above his belly button.
Grasp your fist with your other hand and give quick upward thrusts.
Deliver thrusts until the object is dislodged or he begins breathing.
If your child passes out, begin CPR immediately. Each time you go to deliver rescue breaths, look for an object in his mouth. If you see something, take it out. But never attempt to put your fingers into your child's throat to feel for the object; doing so could lodge the item more firmly in his airway.
2. Gasping respiration and Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR)
If you are alone with a child who is unresponsive and not breathing (only gasping), you need to call for emergency help after performing 2 minutes of CPR.
1. First check to see if the child is conscious by tapping him gently and asking if he is okay. Check to see if the child has any injuries, bleeding or medical problems.
2. Check breathing by placing your ear near the child’s mouth and nose. Check if the child’s chest is moving.
3. Begin chest compressions if the child doesn’t respond and isn’t breathing
Carefully place the child on his/her back. For a baby, be careful not to tilt the head back too far. If you suspect a neck or head injury, roll the baby over, moving his/ her entire body at once.
For a baby, place two fingers on breastbone. For a child, place heel of one hand on centre of chest at nipple line. You also can push with one hand on top of the other.
For a child, press down about 2 inches. Make sure not to press on ribs, as they are fragile and prone to fracture.
For a baby, press down about 1 1/2 inches, about 1/3 to 1/2 the depth of chest. Make sure not to press on the end of the breastbone.
Do 30 chest compressions, at the rate of 100 per minute. Let the chest rise completely between pushes.
Check to see if the child has started breathing.
Continue CPR until emergency help arrives.
4. Do rescue breathing
To open the airway, lift the child’s chin up with one hand. At the same time, tilt the head back by pushing down on the forehead with the other hand. Do not tilt the head back if the child is suspected of having a neck or head injury.
For a child, cover his mouth tightly with yours. Pinch the nose closed and give breaths.
For a baby, cover the mouth and nose with your mouth and give breaths.
Give the child two breaths, watching for the chest to rise each time. Each breath should take one second.
5. Repeat compressions and rescue breathing if the child is still not breathing
Two breaths can be given after every 30 chest compressions. If someone else is helping you, you should give 15 compressions, then 2 breaths.
Continue this cycle of 30 compressions and 2 breaths until the child starts breathing or emergency help arrives.
If you are alone with the child and have done 2 minutes of CPR (about 5 cycles of compressions and breathing), call for help immediately.
3. Burns and first aid for burns
Call a doctor immediately to treat a burn if the burned area is charred or white, if an electric shock or chemicals caused the burn, if the burn is on the face, hands, feet, genitals, or a joint or if the burn covers 10 per cent or more of the body.
Mild first-degree burns, those that look like sunburns can be treated at home/school. Second- or third-degree burns need immediate medical attention. Call a doctor if the burn is oozing or seems infected (red, swollen, tender).
To deal with a mild burn,
1. Soak the Burn
Immediately put the burned area in cool (not cold) water or under a faucet.
Keep the injury in water for at least five to 15 minutes.
Do not use ice.
2. Remove Burned Clothing
If the clothing is stuck to the skin, do not peel it away. Leave it in place and cut away the clothing around it.
3. Cover the Burn
Use non-stick gauze or a clean cloth.
If the burn is mild, you may put on antibiotic ointment.
Don't put butter, grease, or anything else on the burn, and do not pop any blisters.
4. Reduce Pain
Use an infant or child-strength over-the-counter pain reliever such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen for children ages 6 months and older.
Follow the dosing instructions on the bottle.
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4. Deep cuts and treating them
Cuts and scrapes are common in classrooms and playgrounds and can be dealt with if you have access to the right first aid tools. However, take the child to an emergency unit if he is bleeding heavily, if the wound is deep, if the edges of the wound are gaping, the wound is spurting blood, if you can't stop the bleeding after 10 minutes of direct pressure, if an object has punctured the skin and is still in the body, if the cut involves the eye or the cartilage of the nose or ear.
1. Clean the Wound
Wash your hands.
Clean the wound with lots of cool water. Make sure all dirt and debris are removed.
Clean the area around the wound with mild soap and water.
2. Stop the Bleeding
Cover the wound with gauze or a clean towel and press down with your palm.
If the gauze soaks through, don't remove it. Put another layer of gauze on top.
Keep up the pressure for a few minutes after the bleeding stops.
Try to elevate the area where the wound is, such as the leg or arm.
3. Treat the Wound
Apply an antibacterial ointment to the area.
If the wound is minor and unlikely to get dirty, let it heal in the open air.
If the wound is likely to get dirty because it is on the hands or feet, put on a bandage. Monitor for signs of infection such as redness or drainage.
5. Seizures and what you need to do
Although seizures can be frightening, many last only a few minutes, stop on their own, and are almost never life threatening. Seizures can take many forms, from staring spells to involuntary movements of the arms and legs. Take the child to an emergency unit immediately if the child has a seizure lasting more than 5 minutes or is having repeated seizures, has trouble breathing, has a bluish colour on the lips, tongue, or face, remains unconscious for more than a few minutes after a seizure, falls or hits his or her head before or during a seizure, seems to be ill or has a seizure while in water
Signs and Symptoms of a seizure include
unusual sensations or twitching
uncontrollable muscle spasms
loss of consciousness
uncontrolled urination or bowel movement
If a child has a seizure:
1. Gently place the child on the floor or ground, and remove any nearby objects.
2. Lay the child on his/her side to prevent choking on saliva.
3. Loosen any clothing around the head or neck.
4. Make sure the child is breathing okay.
5. Don’t try to prevent the child from shaking — this will not stop the seizure and it may make the child more uncomfortable.
6. Don’t put anything in the child’s mouth. Forcing teeth apart could cause injuries or block the airway.
7. Roll the child onto his/her side. If he/she vomits, keep him or her on the side and clear out the mouth with your finger.
8. Don’t give your child anything to eat or drink, and don’t give any medicine pills or liquid by mouth until the child is completely awake and alert.
9. Try to keep track of how long the seizure lasts.
10. Call the doctor.
11. The child may be sleepy or may take a while to get back to normal after the seizure. Stay with the child until he/ she is awake and aware, and allow the child to rest after the seizure.
6. Foreign object lodged in nose or ear and what to do
If a foreign object gets lodged in the nose:
Don't probe at the object with a cotton swab or any other tool.
Don't try to inhale the object by forcefully breathing in. Instead, ask the child to breathe through the mouth until the object is removed.
Ask him to blow out the nose gently to try to free the object, but don't blow hard or repeatedly. If only one nostril is affected, close the opposite nostril by applying gentle pressure and then blow out gently through the affected nostril.
Gently remove the object if it's visible and if you can easily grasp it with tweezers. Don't try to remove an object that isn't visible or easily grasped.
Call for emergency medical assistance if these methods fail.
A foreign object in the ear can cause pain, infection and even hearing loss.
If a foreign object gets lodged in the ear:
Don't probe the ear with a tool such as a cotton swab or matchstick. You risk pushing the object farther in and damaging the ear.
Remove the object if possible. If the object is clearly visible, pliable and can be grasped easily with tweezers, gently remove it.
Try using gravity. Tilt the head to the affected side to try to dislodge the object.
Try using oil for an insect. If the foreign object is an insect, tilt the child’s head so that the ear with the insect is upward. Try to float the insect out by pouring a few drops of mineral oil, olive oil or baby oil into the ear. The oil should be warm, but not hot. Don't use oil to remove an object other than an insect. Don't use this method for a child if ear tubes are in place or if you think the eardrum may be perforated. Signs and symptoms of a perforated eardrum are pain, bleeding or discharge from the ear.
Try washing the object out. Use a rubber-bulb ear syringe and warm water to irrigate the object out of the canal, again provided no ear tubes are in place and you don't suspect the eardrum is perforated.
If these methods fail and the child continues to experience pain, discharge from the ear canal, reduced hearing or a sensation of something lodged in the ear, seek medical assistance.
7. Bone fractures and their first aid
Broken bones (or fractures) are a common injury in kids, especially after a fall. No matter what part might be broken or how big or small the injury may seem, all broken bones need medical care.
A child may have a broken bone if:
you heard a “snap” or a grinding noise during an injury
there’s swelling, bruising, or tenderness
the injured part is difficult to move or hurts when moving, being touched, or bearing weight.
Do not move the child if you suspect a serious injury to the head, neck, or back or a broken bone comes through the skin. Call for a doctor immediately and while waiting for help, keep the child lying down. Do not wash the wound or push in any part that's sticking out.
In case of a fracture, follow the steps below:
Remove clothing from the injured area.
Apply an ice pack wrapped in cloth.
Keep the injured limb in the position you find it.
Place a simple splint, if you have one, on the broken area. A splint holds the bone still and protects it until the child is seen by the doctor. To make a temporary splint, you can use a small board, cardboard, or folded up newspapers and wrap it with an elastic bandage or tape.
Get medical care and don't allow your child to eat or drink in case surgery is required.