Equipping our children for accidents

Wednesday, March 9, 2016 - 11:22

From the moment a child takes his/her first steps they are likely prone to have some minor accidents and tumbles.Cuts, scrapes, and bruises are among the most common injuries, and no family member is safe from minor accidents. While we can't always prevent our natural born dare-devils from getting hurt, there are plenty of things we can do to make them feel better.

At CityKidz we teach our children basic first aid techniques.

Minor scrapes and cuts are easily treated with basic wound-care or first-aid supplies. Because cuts can happen at any time, every school should have tweezers, gauze pads, bandages, and antibiotic ointment.If a friend has a cut help himself or herself get assistance from an adult. If there are no adults around stay calm and DO NOT touch the blood yourself unless you are wearing gloves. Here are some steps to follow in treating cuts at school:

  • Rinse a cut with cool water
  • Wash around the cut with soap; avoid getting soap into the wound
  • Remove dirt and debris from the wound with tweezers; clean the tweezers with rubbing alcohol before using them
  • Apply direct pressure with a clean gauze pad to a bleeding cut
  • Treat the cut with antibiotic ointment
  • Cover the cut with a bandage (deeper cuts may require a butterfly bandage)
  • Do not pick at a scab while a cut is healing

Treating Bruises
Although bruises can be painful, treatment is limited. The best care for bruises involves rest and ice. Ice stops blood flow to the injury site, thus limiting the size of the bruise. Rest allows the site to heal. Here are some guidelines for treating bruises at school:

  • Apply ice packs or cold compresses as soon as possible
  • Reapply ice packs every hour for 10-15 minutes during the first day, if needed
  • With bruised legs or feet, elevate the legs as much as possible during the first day
  • Take acetaminophen, if needed, for pain; do not take aspirin
  • With large bruises, limit activity during the first day
  • Use heat packs after 48 hours to promote healing