Last First Aid Friday Post of the year!

Sometimes, the solutions to “typical” first-aid moments catch me off guard. For years, the first thing that I did when I got a bloody nose was to tilt my head back and pinch my nose.  I’m pretty sure that was my immediate choice of response in order to avoid getting any unnecessary blood dripping on my jeans or on the friend sitting next to me—that would have been so embarrassing! But what the proper response would have been in those moments would be to tilt my head forward in order to avoid any blood going down my throat; and by so doing, avoiding further damage.  Often times, like my bloody nose incidents,I find that even the most basic “I know how to handle this” procedures can use some updating. Today we are just going to rewind back to the basics to give a few short tutorials of the most common first-aid procedures that help in aiding infants, children, and yourself!

Ready, set, let’s BEGIN!!

Minor Wound Care

What to do:

 • CHECK the scene to make sure it is safe.

 • CHECK the child or infant.

 • Reassure the child or infant that you are going to help.

 • Apply direct pressure to control bleeding.

  •  Avoid touching blood or body fl uids by wearing disposable gloves.

 •  Wash the wound with soap and water. If possible, rinse for about 5 minutes with clean, running tap water.

 •  Apply a triple antibiotic ointment or cream if the child or infant is not allergic or sensitive to the medication.

 • Cover the wound with a sterile dressing and bandage.

Nosebleed

What to do:

 • CHECK the scene to make sure it is safe.

 • CHECK the child or infant.

 • Reassure the child or infant that you are going to help.

 • Have the child or infant sit leaning slightly forward.

 • Pinch the nose shut for about 10 minutes.

 •  Apply ice or a cold pack that has been wrapped in a cloth or towel to the bridge of the nose.

If the bleeding does not stop—

 • Apply pressure on the upper lip just beneath the nose.

• Call or have someone else call 9-1-1 or the local emergency number.

Blisters

What to do:

• If a blister is broken—

  • Wash the skin with soap and water.

  • Wipe the area with antiseptic wipe.

  •  Apply a triple antibiotic ointment or cream, if the child or infant is not allergic or sensitive to the medication, cover with thin gauze, and then apply a bandage.

Heat (Thermal) Burns

What to do:

 • CHECK the scene to make sure it is safe.

 • CHECK the child or infant.

 • Reassure the child or infant that you are going to help.

 •  Stop the burning. Remove the child or infant from the source of the burn. Put out fl ames or remove from source.

 •  Cool the burn. Use large amounts of cold running water until pain is relieved. Do not use ice to cool the burn.

 •  Cover the burn loosely with a sterile dressing and care for shock. (Go to SHOCK, page 43.)

 •  For a serious burn, call or have someone else CALL 9-1-1 or the local emergency number.

• Call the parents and tell them what happened.

* Note: all of the above procedures are provided by the Emergency Reference Guide: American Red Cross. If you wish to learn more, feel free to visit their website:http://www.redcross.org/imagesMEDIA_CustomProductCatalogm4440138_Babysitting_Emergency_Reference_Guide.pdf