Facing an emergency
Emergency situations can generate a great deal of stress and no one can predict how someone will react. There are no good or bad reactions... as long as you react!
Important steps to follow in case of an emergency
- Stay calm; your child will seek comfort in your reaction. If you panic, your little will do the same and the situation will worsen.
- Wash your hands before dealing with an injury to reduce the risk of infections.
- When you must come into contact with blood, wear sterilized latex gloves to avoid the risk of transmitting infectious diseases.
Before intervening in any emergency or accident, always assess the situation. This way, you will quickly get an idea of the severity of the circumstances and evaluate the measures that need to be taken.
Here is what you need to check
- Look inside your child’s mouth to check if something is blocking his breathing passages. If it is the case, very delicately remove the object. Remember not to make any abrupt movement, for this may only make the object slide deeper into the airway. If you suspect that your little one’s airway is obstructed, see the section on suffocating.
- Verify if your child is breathing by observing if his chest is rising and falling. If your child is not breathing, but if you do feel a pulse, start artificial respiration. Since 2006, it is no longer recommended to take the pulse before initiating reanimation. If your child is not breathing, give two full breaths of air and begin the cardiac massage.
- Once these verifications have been made, try taking control of the bleeding, the trauma or fractures. Take the necessary measures until the medical staff arrives.
- Remember to check if your child has injured his head, neck or back. Take a look at your environment and to see if a fallen chair, a ladder or maybe a stairway could have contributed to the injury.
- NEVER MOVE a child that might have an injury to his back or neck for this may only worsen the injury.
- When a child is severely injured, has stopped breathing or does not have a pulse, you have to check for any other sign of trauma. If this is the case, make sure you care for the other injuries.
- Call 911 in any case of emergency.
When should you call 911?
You might sometimes hesitate to call the emergency service. Is the situation really that critical? Am I exaggerating? Am I being hysterical? Trust yourself and most importantly, trust your instinct. In an emergency situation, it is always better to call and be reassured than holding back and having to deal with a more severe problem. If you are asking yourself if this is an emergency, chances are it is one.
Here are some situations requiring you to immediately call the emergency service:
- Unconsciousness or alteration in state of consciousness
- Respiratory difficulties (trouble breathing or absence of breathing)
- Absent pulse
- Severe bleeding
- Vomiting or ruining blood
- Poisoning
- Convulsions, severe headaches or trouble speaking
- Head, neck or back injuries
- Possibility of a fracture
