You don't need to be a nurse. You just need to know what to do in the first five minutes.
Kids fall. They burn a finger on the oven rack, get a bloody nose at recess, swallow something they shouldn't. Most of it isn't serious, but knowing what to do keeps you calm, and your calm keeps them calm.
Cuts and scrapes
Wash your hands, rinse the wound with clean running water, and press with a clean cloth until the bleeding stops. Then a thin layer of antibiotic ointment and a bandage. Call your doctor if the wound is deep, gaping, from a dirty or rusty object, or if it's still bleeding after ten minutes of steady pressure.
Burns
Cool running water for about ten to twenty minutes. Not ice, not butter, not toothpaste. Cover loosely with a clean, non-stick dressing. Get medical care for anything larger than the child's palm, or for any burn on the face, hands, feet, or over a joint, and for burns that blister badly.
Nosebleeds
Sit the child up and lean them slightly forward so blood doesn't run down the throat. Pinch the soft part of the nose for ten minutes without peeking. Tipping the head back is the old advice and it's the wrong one.
Choking
If a child is coughing hard, let them cough — that's the best thing working. If they can't breathe, cough or make sound, that's the moment to act with back blows and abdominal thrusts, and to have someone call 911. This is the one skill truly worth taking a hands-on class for, because the technique differs for infants and older children.
Head bumps
Most are fine. Watch for repeated vomiting, confusion, unusual sleepiness, a headache that keeps getting worse, unequal pupils, or a seizure — any of those means emergency care right away.
Allergic reactions
Hives and itching may respond to an antihistamine, but swelling of the lips or tongue, trouble breathing, or sudden vomiting with a rash is anaphylaxis. Use the epinephrine auto-injector if you have one and call 911, even if the child seems better afterward.
Call 911 immediately for
Trouble breathing, unconsciousness, a seizure that won't stop, bleeding you can't control, a suspected broken bone with a visible deformity, or a swallowed battery, magnet or medication.
Two things worth doing this month
Take a certified infant and child CPR and first aid class — the Red Cross and the American Heart Association both offer short ones. And save Poison Control in your phone: 1-800-222-1222, free and staffed 24 hours a day.
This article is for general information and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. When in doubt about a child's injury, call your pediatrician or 911.
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