First Aid

Here are some tips on how you should handle some common problems: Head injuries: Do not move a child who may have a serious head, neck, or back injury – call 911 if your child has a serious head injury with any of the following: Loss of consciousness or drowning Persistent headache or vomiting Inability to move any body part Oozing of blood or watery fluid from the ears or nose Seizures Abnormal speech or behavior   Seizures: Protect the child from injury. Do not put anything in the child’s mouth. Perform CPR if the child is blue or not breathing. If breathing, lay the child on his/her side to prevent choking and call 911.   Poisons: If the child has been exposed to or ingested a poison, call the Poison Control Center at 1-800-222-1222! Swallowed poisons: Do NOT induce vomiting, except on professional advice. Call the Poison Control Center at once Fumes, gases, or smoke: call 911 or the Fire Department and get the child into fresh air. If the child is not breathing, initiate CPR Skin exposure: Acids, lye, pesticides, chemicals or any potentially poisonous substance, wash skin with plentiful amounts of water or mild soap and water For any severely ill or injured child, call 911! Nosebleeds: Keep the child in the sitting position with head tilted slightly forward. Apply steady, firm pressure to both nostrils by squeezing them between your thumb and index finger for at least 10 minutes. If bleeding continues or is very heavy, call your physician or seek emergency help.   Eye injuries: If any substance is splashed in the eye, flush gently with water for 15 minutes. Any injured or painful eye should be seen by your doctor. Do not apply any medication or attempt to remove foreign bodies from the eye.    Fractures and Sprains: If an injured area is painful, swollen, deformed, or motion causes pain, immobilize it as best you can (ie. with a towel), apply ice, call your doctor or seek emergency care. If you can see a break in the skin near a fracture, or if you can see bone, cover the area with a clean dressing, immobilize with a splint and seek emergency care at once.   Teeth: If a baby tooth is knocked out or broken, apply clean gauze to control bleeding and call your dentist. If a permanent tooth is knocked out, find it and rinse gently without touching the root. Place the tooth into cool water or milk, and transport the tooth with the child when seeking emergency care from the dentist or ER. You can find additional resource information on First Aid and Child Safety on The American Academy of Pediatrics website Pediatric Medical Associates of Abington 1077 Rydal Road Suite 300 Rydal PA 19046 Phone 215-572-0425 Fax 215-572-5929 Pediatric Medical Associates of Norristown 160 West Germantown Pike Suite D2 East Norriton, PA 19401 Phone 610-277-6400 Fax 610-275-8861 For after hours help, call 610-992-4916