Free shipping on orders over $100 (Australia wide). Afterpay Available.
Free shipping on orders over $100 (Australia wide). Afterpay Available.
December 16, 2021 5 min read
Summer in Australia is a great time for kids to explore, try new things and be adventurous! However, whether you are at home or going away for the holidays, it is important to keep these basic First Aid tips in mind for your family, because kids will be kids and there are likely to be some tears along the way!
The first aid management for all burns, is to run the burn under cool running water for 20 minutes. The water doesn’t need to be freezing cold, just cool. Complete the cooling as soon as possible. The sooner the better but the cooling can be done up to 3 hours after the injury. The cooling stops the skin from continuing to burn. Don’t put ice, burn creams, toothpaste, egg whites or anything else on a burn. Only cool running water. Apply a non-stick dressing (or glad wrap) over the burn after the 20 minutes of cooling is complete.
Follow DRSABCD. Lay the casualty down, provide comfort and reassurance. Encourage them to STAY STILL. Staying still is vital as the venom spreads through the lymphatic fluid when the person moves. Call an ambulance (000).
Apply a pressure immobilisation bandage using the following technique: Apply a firm heavy elasticised roller bandage just above the fingers or toes and work your way upwards on the limb. Wrap the bandage past the snakebite and as far up the limb as possible. Ensure the bandage is applied firmly but not so tight that it hinders blood circulation. Lastly, splint the bandaged limb.
If a child has an ineffective cough or has stopped breathing, call an ambulance (000) and immediately start choking first aid.
Position the child over your lap facing down or lean the child forward.
If at any time the child becomes unconscious, ensure an ambulance has been called and start CPR immediately.
Do not use tweezers to remove the sting; bees leave behind a sac of venom, and if you try to use tweezers you will release more venom from the sac
If the stinger is still in the skin, gently try to remove it by scraping it carefully from the side with the edge of a firm object, such as a finger nail or credit card – flicking the sting out as soon as possible to reduce the amount of venom injected.
When you have removed the sting, wash the affected area with soap and water and dry the area gently.
Apply an ice pack and monitor for signs of allergy or anaphylaxis
Always supervise children around water.
It only takes a few seconds for a child to drown in a few centimeters of water.
There are a number of drowning hazards in addition to pools, oceans, lakes and rivers. These include; the bath, buckets in backyards, eskys, rivers, lakes, dams, troughs, dog bowls, fish ponds etc.
Remember follow DRSABCD for water incidents.
Follow DRSABCD
If a person is unconscious and not breathing normally, they need CPR. Ensure the person is ona firm flat surface.
Push down 1/3 of the chest wall at a rate of 100-120 compressions per minute. Ensure the chest is rising all the wayup in between each compression.
Deliver 2 breaths by occluding the nostrils and providing two breaths into the casualty’s
mouth.
Delivering 2 breaths: 30 compressions.
If unwilling or unable to deliver breaths, provide compression only CPR.
Every time. No exceptions.
Wearing a correctly fitted helmet can reduce the child’s risk of sustaining a serious head injury by 90%. Ensure the child has a helmet that meets the Australian Standards (look for a sticker stating it meets the Australia Standard -AS/NZS 2063).
If you suspect a child has swallowed a button battery, call an ambulance (000) or go to your nearest hospital emergency department immediately.
Be mindful of button batteries in new toys this Christmas. Button batteries can also be found in keys, remote controls, calculators, musical greeting cards, watches and kitchen scales.
Button battery injuries can be catastrophic if not treated immediately. If you think a button battery has been swallowed, do not wait for symptoms to appear before calling an ambulance.
Driveways are dangerous places for children. Sadly multiple children are killed and even more seriously injured in driveway accidents every year in Australia.
In 85% of cases, the driver does not know that a child is close to the vehicle; they think they are being looked after elsewhere.
All cars have a blind spot – some up to more than 15 meters behind the vehicle – which can make it difficult to see a child. This means that any car can be involved in a driveway run over, not just larger vehicles such as four wheel drives, vans and trucks.
Follow DRSABCD.
To assist in making your driveway safer, ensure you supervise, separate and see.
Remember, if a baby under 3 months of age has a fever (body temperature over 38 degrees Celsius), they need to be seen urgently by a doctor. I recommend heading to the nearest Emergency Department. The gold standard for measuring a baby’s temperature is using a digital thermometer under their arm (axilla).
Call the Hotline – 13 11 26 24/7 for advice.
If a person has had a poison ingested, injected, splashed, inhaled phone the poisons hotline for advice. Don’t induce vomiting for poisons.
If they appear unwell call 000.
Ensure you have an up to date and adequately stocked first aid kit in your home, the car and on holidays. Parents were always asking us what to add into a first aid kit, so we used our medical knowledge to create the perfect kit. To learn more- www.rhythmfirstaid.com.au
This information does not substitute formal First Aid Training.
Information in this article is for educational purposes only.
Rhythm First Aid accepts no liability for any loss or damages suffered by any person as a result of any information or advice.
Comments will be approved before showing up.
June 04, 2022 3 min read
May 24, 2022 4 min read
This blog post is to help create a practical first aid kit for your kids that addresses 5 common injuries and illnesses. We’ll give you a checklist of what to pack as well as some general first aid tips. You know your kids best, so adapt our suggestions to your own personal situation.
April 27, 2022 3 min read