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First aid tips for outdoor incidents involving children

With lighter nights, warmer weather (hopefully!) summer just around the corner and holidays in sight, children will be spending a lot more time playing outdoors. It’s all fun and enjoyable but it’s worth knowing what to do in advance in case accidents or injuries occur. Jay Allen is Training Delivery Coordinator with St John Ambulance in the North East and answers some specific questions here about first aid for children in outdoor scenarios.

1) I think my child has been stung by a bee or wasp. What do I do?

• Comfort and reassure the child. If the sting is visible, brush or scrape it off sideways with the edge of a credit card or your fingernail.
• Apply a cold compress to minimise swelling and keep in place for 10 minutes
• If pain and swelling persist seek medical advice.
• Monitor vital signs and watch for signs of allergic reaction ie red blotchy skin eruptions, wheezing or difficulty in breathing and swelling of the tongue or throat. If this occurs seek immediate medical advice.

2) I heard of a boy a few years ago who died when he choked on chewing gum whilst running around a park. What can you do to help if a child was choking?

• Don’t put your fingers down their throat, you could push the obstruction further down t and make the situation worse.
• Encourage the child to cough but if this doesn’t clear the obstruction, support the person’s upper body with one hand and help them lean forward.
• Give up to five sharp back blows between the person’s shoulder blades with the heel of your hand and hopefully that will dislodge whatever’s causing the problem.
• If that doesn’t work, stand behind the child and put both your arms around the upper part of their abdomen.
• Clench your fist and place it between the navel and the bottom of the breastbone.
• Grasp your fist firmly with your other hand and pull sharply inwards and upwards up to five times.
• If this doesn’t clear the problem repeat the backslaps and abdominal thrusts up to three times. If it still hasn’t worked, call 999 and continue with the routine until help arrives.
• This advice only applies to anyone over the age of one – abdominal thrusts must never be used on an child under one.

3 Every summer we hear tragic cases of children and teenagers drowning after playing in rivers, lakes or the sea. What should we do if we see someone is getting into difficulties in the water – after bringing them out?

• If the child is unconscious, lift them clear of the water. Support their head and neck. Carry them with their head lower than their chest so they don’t inhale water and vomit doesn’t block their airway. Once in a safe place, check their airway and be prepared to perform CPR*
• If the child is conscious, help them from the water and place them in a sheltered place. Lay them down on a rug or coats with their head lower than their chest to allow water to drain out. Treat for hypothermia. Any casualty from a water incident must receive medical attention.

4 *How do I perform CPR on a child?

• For a baby aged up to one, the first thing to do is to open their airway – place one finger on their chin and put your other hand on the infant’s forehead. Gently tilt the head back while lifting the chin and check for no more than 10 seconds to check whether they’re breathing.
• Send someone to call 999 or shout for help but don’t leave the baby alone. Then give five initial breaths into their mouth and using two fingers only, perform chest compressions – pressing straight down about a third of the depth of their chest – then release the pressure but don’t remove your fingers. Do this 30 times (at the rate of 100-120 beats per minute) and then give two rescue breaths.
• Continue alternating 30 chest compressions and two rescue breaths until help arrives. If you’re alone and there is no-one else to call for help perform the sequence once before taking the child to the phone and calling 999.
• If you are performing CPR on a child aged from one to 11, you need to perform the same sequence but use the heel of one hand on the centre of the child’s chest, not two fingers.
• Using one arm only, press straight down a third of the depth of their chest, keeping your elbow straight. Release the pressure as you come up but don’t take your hand off the chest.
• This should be performed at the same rate of 30 compressions to two breaths until help arrives.

5 What about the hands only CPR that I heard about earlier this year?

• Encouraging untrained bystanders to carry out chest compressions is something St John Ambulance supports but we also encourage more people to acquire broader first aid knowledge including full CPR as described above, as this still gives casualties the best chance to live.

6 What do I do if a child is having an asthma attack?

An asthma attack can be triggered by an allergy, a cold, a certain drug or lots of running around and excitement. But some attacks may be caused by no trigger. Asthma sufferers will usually use a reliever inhaler during an attack to help them.

• Keep calm and reassure the child. Get them to take a puff of their reliever inhaler if they have it with them. Ask them to breathe slowly and deeply
• Sit them down in a comfortable position, but not lying down
• A mild attack should ease within a few minutes. If it doesn’t, ask the child to take another dose from their inhaler
• If the attack is severe call for emergency help
• Monitor their vital signs until help arrives. If the casualty’s condition gets worse and breathing doesn’t ease with the inhaler then call 999/112.

7 Children are often falling over and hurting themselves outside. What’s the best way to treat minor scrapes and cuts?

• First of all try to remember keep a supply of sticking plasters in your bag or pocket if you’re spending a day out with the kids.
• If possible, wash and dry your own hands, or use a wipe or handwash.
• Cover any cuts on your own hands.
• Clean the cut, if dirty, either under running water, or use a sterile wipe if one is to hand.
• Pat dry with clean lint-free material.
• Cover the cut completely with a sterile dressing or plaster.

The advice given here is no substitute for thorough knowledge of first aid. To book a training course go to www.sja.org.uk or contact 0844 324 5535

If you want to learn more about St John Ambulance and its work in Northumbria or to become a volunteer go to www.sja.org.uk/northumbria or contact Tel: 0191 273 7938

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Kate Slater .