First aid

This information is designed as a guide only. It does not take the place of immediate emergency medical attention. If you have any doubts, call your doctor or 911 for emergency medical services right away.

First Aid Measures

Abdominal pain (severe)
If your child has abdominal pain associated with fever, pain or bloody stools or vomits, call your doctor immediately. For more severe symptoms call 911.

Abrasions (scrapes)
Wash abrasion with soap and water. Allow to dry.

Cover with a sterile nonstick bandage or dressing.

Asphyxiation (suffocation)
Call 911.

If the child is in a closed area filled with toxic fumes, move the child outside into the fresh air. Perform CPR if child is not breathing. If your child has a blunt neck injury or hanging injury, call 911 or your physician even if he seems well.

Asthma attack
Give prescribed medication, if any, as previously directed by physician.

If attack does not stop after the child is given the medication and the child is still having difficulty breathing, call your doctor or 911.

If you have no medication and the attack does not subside within a few minutes, take the child for medical care. If the child has difficulty breathing, call your doctor or 911.

Bites and stings

Animal
Wash the wound with soap and water and seek medical advice.

If bite is from a bat, fox, raccoon, skunk, unobservable cat or dog or any animal that may have rabies, call the health department, which will contact animal control to catch the animal and observe it for rabies. Do not try to capture the animal yourself. Make note of the description of the animal and any identifying characteristics (whether dog or cat had a collar, for example).

Human
Wash the wound with soap and water.

If bite causes bleeding or is on the hand or face, call your pediatrician for advice.

Insect
Do not pull out stinger as it may break off. Remove the stinger by scraping it out with a fingernail or credit card, then apply a cold cloth.

Call your doctor if hives, paleness, weakness, nausea or vomiting occur; Call 911 if difficult breathing or collapse occurs.

Snake
Most snakes in New England are non-poisonous. For advice, call the Connecticut Poison Control Center, (800) 343-2722.
Do not apply ice.
If the child has difficulty breathing, call 911.

Ticks
Remove tick with tweezers.

Water animals
For stingray or catfish stings, submerge affected area in warm water to deactivate the toxin. For other stings, such as from jellyfish, rinse with clean water.

Bleeding

External
For small wounds, apply direct pressure with a gauze pad for 10-15 minutes (use gloves). If bleeding continues or is serious, apply a large pressure dressing and call your doctor or 911 immediately.

Internal
If child has been injured and vomits a large amount of blood or passes blood through the rectum, call your doctor or 911.

Bruises
Apply cold compresses to fresh bruises for the first 15 to 30 minutes.

Burns and scalds

No blisters
Place burned extremity in cold water or cover burned area with cold, wet cloths until pain stops (at least 15 minutes).

With blisters
Same as for no blisters. Do not break blisters. Child will need to be seen by physician.

Deep, extensive burns:.
Call 911. Do not apply cold water.

Cover child with a clean sheet and then a blanket to keep the child warm.

Electrical
If possible, disconnect power by shutting off wall switch, throwing a breaker in the electrical box, or any other safe way. Do not directly touch child if power is still on. Use wood or thick dry cloth (that does not conduct electricity) to pull child from power source. Call 911. Start CPR if necessary.

Croup
Any child with breathing difficulty should be taken for medical care.

epiglottis
Similar to croup, but with high fever, severe sore throat, drooling, and difficulty breathing.

Transport child in upright position to medical care.
Call 911 immediately for ambulance to transport child suspected of having epiglottis.

Dental injuries

Braces (broken)
Remove appliance if it can be done easily.

If not, cover sharp or protruding portion with cotton balls, gauze or chewing gum.

If a wire is stuck in gums, cheek or tongue, DO NOT remove it. Call orthodontist immediately. If the appliance is not injuring the child, no immediate emergency attention is needed.

Cheek, lip, tongue (cut/bitten)
Apply ice to bruised areas.

If bleeding, apply firm but gentle pressure with a clean gauze or cloth.

If bleeding continues after 15 minutes, get medical care.

Jaw injury
Immobilize jaw by having child bite teeth together.

Wrap a towel around child's head under the chin.
Take child to the emergency department.

Tooth (broken)
Rinse dirt from the injured area with warm water.

Place cold compresses over the face in the area of the injury.

Locate and save any tooth fragments in milk.

Take the child and tooth fragments to the dentist or hospital emergency department IMMEDIATELY.

Tooth (knocked out)
Find the tooth.

Handle it by the smooth, white portion (crown), not by the root.

Rinse the tooth with water, but DO NOT clean it.

Place tooth in a cup of milk or water. Take the child and the tooth to the dentist or hospital emergency department IMMEDIATELY - time is critical.

Tooth (bleeding due to loss of baby tooth)
Fold and pack clean gauze or cloth over bleeding area.

Have child bite on gauze for 15 minutes. Repeat if necessary.

If bleeding persists, call the dentist.

Eye injuries
If a chemical is splashed in the eye, immediately flush eye with tepid water, with the eyelid held open. Then remove contact lens (if present) and rinse eye with tepid water for at least 15 minutes.

Do not press on injured eye. Gently bandage both eyes shut to reduce eye movement.

Take child to get medical care.

Fractures  (arm, leg, hand, foot, fingers, toes)
Do not move injured part if swollen, broken, or painful.

Splint in place with a board, rolled paper or other support.

Take child to get medical care, or call 911.

Neck or back injuries
Do not move child; keep child still. Call 911 for ambulance.

Frostbite/freezing
Warm arm, leg, hand, foot, fingers or toes by holding them in your armpit.

Warm ears and noses with a warm palm.

For deeper freezing, hold extremity in warm water (105°-110° F) for 20 minutes.

Protect involved area from further damage.

Apply sterile gauze and elevate injured area for 40 minutes.

Take child to get medical care. If child is lethargic, call 911.

Frozen to metal
Do not allow child to pull away from metal.

Blow hot breath onto the stuck area or pour warm (not hot) water onto the object to gently release child.

If bleeding occurs, such as on the tongue, grasp tongue with folded sterile gauze and apply direct pressure. Take child to get medical care.

Head injuries
Contact physician for advice.

Call 911 if the child is:

• complaining of severe or persistent headache
• less than one year old
• oozing blood or fluid from ears or nose
• twitching or convulsing
• unable to move any body part
• unconscious or drowsy
• vomiting more than once
• confused
• dizzy

Nosebleeds
Have child sit up and lean forward.

Loosen tight clothing around neck.

Pinch lower end of nose close to nostrils (not on bony part of nose) for 10–15 minutes. A cold, wet washcloth held over the nose with pressure may help. If bleeding persists, call your pediatrician.

Poisons

Immediately, BEFORE YOU DO ANYTHING, call the local poison control center, hospital emergency department or physician.

If child needs to go for a medical evaluation, bring samples of what was ingested. Bring with you all containers, labels, boxes and package inserts that came with the material the child ingested. Look carefully for extra containers around the immediate area where the incident occurred. Try to estimate the total amount of material the child might have taken in, and whether the material was swallowed, inhaled, injected or spilled in the eyes or on the skin. More on poison prevention and treatment.

Do not make a child vomit if:

• the child is unconscious or sleepy
• the child has swallowed a corrosive product (acid/drain cleaner/oven cleaner)
• the child has swallowed a petroleum product (furniture polish/kerosene/gasoline)

If instructed by the poison control center to use charcoal, administer 1/2 gram per pound of the child's weight. For a 30 lb. child, 15 grams of charcoal is appropriate.

If a chemical is spilled on someone, dilute it with water and remove any contaminated clothing, using gloves if possible. Place all contaminated clothing and other items in an airtight bag and label the bag. If the chemical has been splashed in the eye, flush immediately with tepid water and follow instructions listed above for "Eye injuries."

Some poisons have delayed effects, causing moderate or severe illness many hours or even some days after the child takes the poison. Ask whether the child will need to be observed afterward and for how long.

Seizures
Remain calm.

Protect child from injury.

Lie child on his or her side with the head lower than the hips, or on his or her stomach.

Loosen clothing.

Do not put anything in the child's mouth. Call 911.

Sores (cold/canker)
Child should be seen by a medical professional if sore persists for more than a week.

Directions to Children's Emergency

Request a free First Aid Chart

Learn more
• YNHH Health Library: Common Childhood Injuries and Poisonings

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Reviewed: M. Douglas Baker, MD, and Greg Germain, MD, December 1999
Last revised: Jan. 8, 2008 (dh)

Home page URL: http://www.ynhh.org

All information is intended for your general knowledge and is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment for specific medical conditions. You should seek prompt medical care for any specific health issues and consult your physician before starting a new fitness regimen.