Summer first aid tips for parents
Meaghan O’Keeffe, RN, BSN, is a mother, writer and nurse. She worked at Boston Children’s Hospital for nearly a decade, in both the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit and the Pre-op Clinic. She is a regular contributor to Thriving.
Summer provides ample opportunity for enjoying nature, playing outside and gazing at skies full of stars. But some of the side effects of all that outside time—scrapes, stings and other minor injuries—can take some of the fun out of summer. Here’s a quick refresher on some basic first aid every parent should know this time of year.
Insect stings and bites
When it comes to insects, staying vigilant and familiarizing yourself with a few preventative and comfort measures will help in the event of a sting or bite.
Mosquitoes and ticks
Use insect repellent and protective clothing.
Perform regular skin checks to look for any ticks or unusual bites.
If you do come across a tick on your child’s skin, follow the Center for Disease Control’s guidelines for removal.
Avoid scratching and picking.
Review signs and symptoms of mosquito-borne illnesses, such as West Nile Virus and Chikungunya, which has recently been reported in the United States.
Bee stings
Keep the area clean.
Apply cold compresses to help reduce swelling.
Apply wet baking soda or calamine lotion to the skin to alleviate discomfort.
If the stinger is still in the skin, gently brush the stinger and venom sac from the skin.
Keep in mind that 2 million people in the United States ...
Source: Thrive, Children's Hospital Boston - Category: Pediatrics Authors: Guest Blogger Tags: All posts child safety Meaghan O'Keefe Parenting summer safety Source Type: news
More News: Acetaminophen | Allergy & Immunology | Anaphylactic Shock | Bleeding | Blogging | Burns | Chikungunya | Children | Emergency Medicine | Head Injury | Headache | Health | Health Management | Hives | Hospitals | Ibuprofen | Insect Bites & Stings | Intensive Care | Lortab | Migraine | Nurses | Nursing | Parenting | Pediatrics | Skin | West Nile Virus