by Dr. Vinson Diep and Stephanie Lopes
Keeping keiki safe is a parent’s top priority. But, as children learn and explore, accidents are prone to happen. What do you do when a child gets a scrape from a fall or a sting from a jellyfish? A caregiver often immediately administers first aid, which is medical assistance given to help treat minor injuries or to assist with symptoms until more medical help is available.
How first aid is administered often differs according to what those caregivers have learned – whether through research, word-of-mouth or their own parents. However, what would a medical professional recommend?
Trusted pediatrician, Dr. Vinson Diep, who has an office at Kapiolani Medical Center for Women & Children, shares his expert advice for helping during common medical emergencies.
Call 911 for an unsafe scene, compromised “ABCs” and other critical emergencies.
“(You) always want to check to make sure the scene is safe to do first aid,” explains Diep. “This means that you’re not trying to administer first aid in the middle of busy traffic or in a similar situation where all people involved may be hurt. If there is any concern about the scene not being safe, (it’s) best to just immediately dial 911 and await paramedic instructions.”
“You always want to check the ABC’s, which is airway, breathing and circulation,” continues Diep. “If any of these are compromised, then you should also just dial 911 and wait for EMS to arrive or go to the emergency room (ER) immediately.”
“If anything is suspected to be broken, bleeding that doesn’t stop or significant pain, then seek ER evaluation,” adds Diep, mentioning an immediate ER visit is also appropriate for heat cramps, heat exhaustion, stroke, chemical burns, corneal (eye) abrasions, foreign objects in ears or skin, anaphylactic reactions (severe allergies) – and any occasion where a caregiver might feel a visit to an ER, urgent care clinic or trusted doctor is appropriate.
For poisoning, Diep says to immediately call poison control at 1-800-222-1222.
Prepare a first aid kit for home, the car and on-the-go.
Every home and car should have first aid supplies stocked. If an emergency happens, care might need to be administered immediately with little time to drive to the local drugstore to purchase first aid supplies. Also, diaper bags or purses can contain mini first aid kits to help with minor emergencies on-the-go. Of course, if your family is hiking, swimming or doing any other fun, outdoor activity, ensure first aid supplies are readily available, too.
“A standard first aid kit is good to have and usually contains similar items,” Diep expands. “Some of these items may include bandages, alcohol wipes/pads, gauze, gloves, scissors and maybe an antibiotic ointment.”
Know how to effectively respond to common injuries.
Cuts and scrapes, including blisters and wounds:
Active children – and adults – often experience abrasions to the skin that are usually accompanied with bleeding. “In general, for cuts and scrapes, try to put pressure to stop the bleeding followed by cleaning and dressing the wound,” summarizes Diep. “Small and minor cuts don’t often need stitches, whereas larger cuts may need stitches in the ER, which help the wound heal better and minimize scarring.”
“(To clean a small and minor cut,) I don’t recommend using hydrogen peroxide as that can actually burn and damage healthy skin. One of the myths is that hydrogen peroxide is helpful, but most doctors don’t actually use hydrogen peroxide to clean. Soap and water or another cleaner, such as alcohol or hibiclens (antibiotic wash), is actually better than hydrogen peroxide.”
“After washing and cleaning, if it’s a small superficial cut where there wasn’t too much bleeding, just Vaseline/petroleum jelly is enough, and then covering the wound,” continues Diep. “If it’s a deeper cut where there is more of a break in the skin, I would use bacitracin ointment instead of Neosporin. Some people have bad reactions to neomycin (which is one of the main components in Neosporin), so I like bacitracin better.”
Nosebleeds:
Nosebleeds happen when the tender blood vessels in the nose break – commonly caused by changes of season (or vog in Hawaii), dryness, scratching, some medicines and injuries.
“(For a nosebleed,) tilt (the) head down and pinch the bridge of the nose to help stop the bleeding,” describes Diep. “Don’t tilt your head back, as the blood just goes right back down your throat.”
Foreign objects in eyes, ears, throat or skin:
Children try to figure out how the world around them works. What will happen if I stick this pen cap in my ear? Uh oh, I put a small rock in my eye. The lead from this pencil might go into my skin. Or even taking a big bite without chewing – leading to choking. First aid can be administered for foreign object in the body, but an ER visit might also be appropriate at times.
Expands Diep, “Do the Heimlich maneuver for choking. Try to flush the eye with water, if object is in eye. Go to the ER for an evaluation for foreign objects in ears and skin.”
Bruises and sprains:
For bruises, Diep recommends to mainly ice. An ice pack can be applied to the area where the under-the-skin blood vessels broke, and then leave the ice in place for 20 minutes. (Use a thin towel if the ice is too cold.) Repeating icing several times after the injury helps to reduce the swelling and pain.
For sprains, which is an injury to a ligament caused by stretching the ligament too far or tearing it, Diep recommends following the acronym RICE: rest, ice, compression, elevation. “Try to not bear too much weight on it,” he advises.
If the bruise or sprain doesn’t get better, for severe pain or for suspicion of infection, see a healthcare professional.
Burns and sunburns:
Heat, chemicals and the sun can cause tissue damage in the skin. Major burns need emergency medical help, but minor burns can often be treated with first aid.
Immediate action for a minor burn includes holding the area under cool (not cold) running water for about 10 minutes. Then, the advice for cuts and scrapes with cleaning the area with water and applying a loose bandage can be followed. Aloe and other topical burn creams can also be applied to help prevent drying and to provide relief to the area.
“If it’s a chemical burn, try to wash off the chemical as best as you can, then go to the ER,” advises Diep.
Centipede and jellyfish stings:
For bug bites and stings from jellyfish, like the local blue-tinted Portuguese man o’ war, Diep says, “Wash and submerge the area in warm water. For jellyfish stings, diluted vinegar may work too, but usually I don’t recommend urinating on the sting (like some locals advise).”
Fainting and motion sickness:
If the sight of seeing blood is too much, someone might faint. “If fainting is due to dehydration or something like seeing blood, then just rest, and – as long as they look okay – does not necessarily need ER evaluation,” Diep explains. “If fainting is due to heat exhaustion, then go to the ER.”
For feelings of uneasiness and queasiness from rides in the car, boat or on the amusement park rides, Diep says, “Some over-the-counter motion sickness medicines may work.”
Receive formal first aid training.
To learn more on first aid, the American Red Cross offers both online and in person classes for adult, child and baby first aid, CPR and AED.
Dr. Diep can be reached at 808-945-9955 or pediatrics@doctordiep.com.
