Emergency in Case of a child
Posted on August 20, 2008
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You should call an ambulance or take your child to the nearest emergency room by car should any of the following potentially life-threatening situations happen:
• A bone fracture or suspected fracture.
• A severe reaction (such as red blotchy skin or wheezing) to a sting or bite from an insect or animal.
• Pale blue or gray skin around the lips and under the fingernails.
• A burn or scald (from a wet or dry source) that is larger than the area of your child’s hand.
• Poisoning or suspected poisoning.
• Unconsciousness.
• Severe bleeding from a wound.
• Contact with a corrosive chemical (such as bleach or weed killer), especially involving the eyes.
• Labored breathing or choking.
• Any injuries to the ears or eyes.
• An electric shock.
• Inhalation of toxic fumes such as smoke or gas.
TAKING YOUR CHILD’S PULSE
The average pulse rate for a one-year-old child is 100-120 beats per minute. This slows to 80-90 for a seven-year-old child.
In a child over one year, it should be relatively easy to find the pulse on his wrist. Use your middle and index fingers, not your thumb, since it contains a pulse of its own. Place your two fingers on the spot on your child’s wrist immediately below his thumb. Count the number of beats over a 15-second period and then multiply this figure by four to get the pulse rate per minute.
THERMOMETERS
Mercury thermometers, in which a narrow column of mercury expands in response to heat and moves up to a point on a calibrated scale, are the most accurate.
Take the reading under the armpit. Place the thermometer bulb in your child’s armpit and fold his arm over his chest; hold in place for about three minutes. Bear in mind that the temperature reading in the armpit is 1o F (0. 6°C) below actual body temperature.
Other types of thermometers include liquid crystal (strip) and digital thermometers.
Strip thermometers are less accurate than others, but simple to use. You just hold the thermometer against your child’s forehead for a minute or so; a glowing panel indicates the temperature reading.
Digital thermometers show the temperature reading in a window. They’re accurate and unbreakable, but more expensive than other kinds.
Don’t put a mercury thermometer in your child’s mouth until he’s at least seven.
Tags:average pulse rate, bone fracture, corrosive chemical, electric shock, mercury thermometers, red blotchy skin, second period, toxic fumes, two fingers weed killer
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