Prevention and first aid of accidental injuries in children in spring
Spring is a good time for children to get close to nature. Outdoor activities have many benefits for children’s physical health and mental development, such as enhancing immunity, exercising, promoting social interaction and teamwork skills, etc. However, it comes with unexpected risks. It cannot be ignored either. According to research and investigation, accidental injuries are one of the main causes of injury, disability, and death in children. Deaths caused by accidental injuries account for about 20% of the total child mortality in my country.
So how should we prevent accidental injuries and reduce the consequences of accidental injuries? The following will share with parents the prevention and first aid measures for common accidental injuries.
drowning
When the temperature rises in spring, the ice on rivers and lakes melts. Playing on the ice at this time can easily lead to drowning.
[Common drowning places]Rivers, lakes, bathtubs, swimming pools, ponds, and buckets.
【Precaution】
1. Educate children to fully understand the dangers of drowning.
2. Do not take children to play in rivers, lakes, reservoirs and other places.
3. Do not swim in non-swimming areas.
4. Do not leave infants and young children alone in bathtubs, buckets, etc.
[First Aid Measures for Drowning]Clear the airway: Remove foreign matter from the respiratory tract and turn the child’s head to one side to prevent secondary choking. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation: Perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation immediately if apnea occurs.
Airway foreign bodies and asphyxia
The trachea of children under 3 years old is very thin and they are an age group with a high risk of suffocation caused by foreign body obstruction. Parents should pay more attention to this.
【prevention】
1. Keep quiet when your child is eating. Do not give jelly, peanuts, nuts and other small granular foods to young children.
2. Avoid wearing clothes with small decorations and long belts.
3. When playing outside, avoid children playing in confined spaces such as cardboard boxes and wooden boxes.
4. Plastic bags and leather bags should be kept away to avoid suffocation caused by children wearing headgear.
[First aid measures]Heimlich maneuver
1. Children over 1 year old
Stone: Make a fist with your left hand and press it against your upper abdomen
Scissors: two fingers above the navel
Cloth: right hand holding left hand
Quickly thrust backward and upward until the foreign object is coughed out.
2. Children under 1 year old
(1) Determine whether the child can cry or cough
(2) Pat the child’s back 5 times
(3) Tap the child’s chest 5 times
(4) Repeat steps two and three. If the child loses consciousness, perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation immediately.
Poisoned
During outdoor activities, children may accidentally eat poisonous plants or other substances and cause poisoning due to their strong curiosity and poor ability to identify dangerous things.
【prevention】
1. Educate children about the dangers of poisoning, not to pick plants and wild fruits at will, and to avoid eating poisonous plants.
2. During outdoor activities, strengthen care for children and create a safe environment for them.
【treat】
1. If the poisoning time is short and the person is conscious, vomiting can be induced, or a large amount of warm water or milk can be taken to reduce the absorption of toxic substances.
2. If the situation is serious, call 120 immediately or go directly to the hospital to keep the toxic substances that the child accidentally swallowed. If you are not sure of the specific situation, you can bring the child’s vomitus and excrement to the hospital for laboratory examination.
respiratory infectious diseases
Spring is a period of high incidence of respiratory diseases and infectious diseases, and the temperature changes greatly. Measles, mumps, chickenpox and other diseases tend to be prevalent in spring. Children become more active in spring and have more opportunities to come into contact with peers. Children with weak resistance will increase the risk of respiratory diseases.
【Respiratory disease prevention】
1. Add or remove clothing in time according to weather changes.
2. Avoid taking children to densely populated and unventilated public places.
3. Eat a reasonable diet and exercise more to improve children’s resistance.
[Treatment of respiratory diseases]
If a child develops symptoms such as persistent high fever, difficulty breathing, and listlessness, it is recommended to seek medical treatment in a timely manner.
digestive tract diseases
Bacteria and viruses multiply faster in spring, and children’s gastrointestinal tracts are delicate and more susceptible to pathogens. Improper eating may cause gastrointestinal symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain.
【prevention】
1. Do not take your children to eat food that is not hygienic.
2. Do not eat contaminated food.
3. Strictly disinfect tableware when dining out, and keep separate tableware for raw and cooked food.
【treat】
When children develop abdominal pain, diarrhea and other symptoms, electrolytes should be replenished in time to avoid dehydration and seek medical attention promptly.
accidental bite
Children are more likely to be close to nature and animals in spring, which also increases the risk of accidental bites.
【Precaution】
1. Do not touch small animals at will.
2. During outdoor activities, wear long clothes and long pants to minimize exposure of skin and reduce the possibility of insect bites.
3. Use insect repellent to avoid insect bites.
【treat】
1. After being bitten by an animal such as a dog or cat, if the wound is shallow, the dirty blood should be squeezed out, the wound should be washed with running water, seek medical attention promptly, and be vaccinated against rabies; if the wound is deep, the wound should be sutured immediately after washing. Get rabies and tetanus shots within 24 hours.
2. For insect bites, if the allergic reaction is not obvious, you can use ice compresses and topical anti-itching ointments to reduce pain and swelling; if wheals or severe allergic reactions occur, you should seek medical treatment in time and follow the doctor’s instructions for oral anti-allergic medication.
3. After being bitten by a venomous snake, you should preserve the specimen or take photos to prevent the spread of snake venom. Use a rope or shoelace to tie the wound proximal to the heart and loosen it every 30 minutes. At the same time, contact the hospital promptly and inject anti-venom.
