Children Health Emergencies

Accident

ER

Yes? No?

What to Do?

What Can You Do at Home?

Chipped tooth

(Due to a fall)

In most cases, NO

Bring him to the dentist instead

If the tooth is chipped, then the dentist will smooth out the edges.

If the tooth is shoved into the gum from a very hard fall, the dentist will extract the tooth so it won’t damage the developing adult tooth.

If your child is bigger and has knocked off his permanent tooth, put the tooth in cold milk to take it along with you as you bring your child to see the dentist. In this case, your child needs to see the dentist as soon as possible. There is little chance your dentist will re-implant it but he still needs to see the tooth to make sure it’s whole.

But if you notice that your child is still in pain even after a few days or that the gum is swollen or (a sign of an infection), the fracture could’ve hit into the nerve. Bring him to the dentist again for further assessment.

ER Situation

Unless you can’t find the tooth and your child appears to be wheezing, coughing or having difficulty to breathe, bring him to the ER right away. The tooth could be lodged in his lung so it needs medical attention in order to have it removed.

Carefully clean out all dirt and debris from your child’s mouth with warm water and gauze or a clean cloth.

Check to ensure there are no bits of chipped tooth in his mouth. Get him to gargle to ensure all dirt is removed from his mouth.

Apply *cold compress on the area of the injury to reduce and minimize swelling.

*See below for how to prepare cold compress

Burn / Scalding

In most cases, YES

The first thing to do is remove the source of heat from your child’s body. Either place your child under cold shower, in a *cold soak or running cold water on the affected area if the injury is an extremity (arm, hand, finger, leg and/or foot)

If child’s clothing is on fire, use a damp blanket, rug or bed sheet to smother the flame.

While on the way to the ER, keep cool compress on affected area at all times. DO NOT apply any kind of ointments (oil, butter, ice etc) because this will only create a barrier that will trap the heat in.

ER Situation

Any burn, even minor one, on a child under one year old needs to be seen by a doctor right away.

*See below for how to prepare cold soaks

For minor burn or scalding,

Hold cold compress on the affected area until your child doesn’t seem to be in pain any more (usually about after half an hour).

Apply antibiotic ointment or cream after the cold compress and cover with nonstick bandage.

Broken bone

(Due to a fall)

YES

It can be quite difficult to tell if your child has broken a bone so it’s better to get him assessed by a medical examiner.

Indications of broken bone include:

• Snapping sound at the time of the injury
• Deformity
• Inability to move or bear weight
• Severe pain (persistent crying)
• Swelling
• Discoloration

To transport your child to the ER, ensure the injured are is immobilized:

• Use a ruler, thick magazine or book as splint, padding the item with a soft cloth to protect the area
• Secure the splint at the break, above and below it with bandages, neckties or scarves. Ensure that you don’t tie too tightly as to cut off the circulation

Drowning

(Submersion Injury)

YES

If child is unconscious, try to revive your child with CPR while someone else calls for an ambulance.

DO NOT STOP CPR until your child revives or until help arrives.

If you are able to revive your child before help arrives, you still need to bring him to the ER for medical assessment.

Electric Shock

YES

The first thing to do is break the contact with the electrical source by turning off the power. Use a dry, non-metallic object like a wooden broomstick, cushion, stool or even a book.

Perform CPR if your child is unconscious and get someone to call for an ambulance.