The big first aid guide

The most important facts about the topic:

We have put together some tips for emergency situations involving children.

What to do with ...

• Burns?
• Shortness of breath?
• Bite or cut wounds
• Fainting/unconsciousness
• Electric shock / nosebleed
• Foreign bodies and poisoning
• Alcohol or drug intoxication
• Dental accident
• Cardiac massage, artificial respiration and recovery position

One moment of carelessness and it can happen: Children can easily injure themselves while playing and running around at home or outside. In the vast majority of cases, the outcome is not serious and scratches or minor bruises heal quickly. Nevertheless, in many cases it is important to know how to administer first aid safely and effectively.

«Keep calm is the first rule, even if this is of course difficult when your own child has just had an accident,» says Georg Staubli, head physician of the interdisciplinary emergency ward at the University Children's Hospital Zurich. Comforting and reassuring the child can take some of the shock away. «Try to assess what exactly has happened and how you can help - or whether it is necessary to seek professional help,» says Staubli.

Burns

A cup of tea, the hob or a boisterous game around the campfire - children burn themselves quickly. Cool the affected area under lukewarm or cool water and give the child a painkiller. «This can be one that you have at home anyway, for example with the active ingredient paracetamol, or so-called NSAIDs,» says Staubli. The latter are available under the trade names Diclofenac, Algifor or Ibuprofen, for example.

Staubli strongly advises against putting the child under a cold shower, as is often done. «Then we have the additional problem of hypothermia in hospital, which has a negative effect on the healing of the burn.» The burnt area - and only this area! - must be brought below a body temperature of around 37 degrees Celsius. This can be achieved by holding the hand under lukewarm running water for five to ten minutes, for example. It is better not to use cold packs. «The cold causes the blood vessels to constrict, which has a detrimental effect on wound healing,» says Staubli.

Shortness of breath

You're joking and clowning around at dinner when suddenly a piece of food gets stuck in your throat. The panic is immediate, for child and parent alike. «The first rule in this case is to let them cough!» says Georg Staubli. «As long as a patient is coughing, I leave them alone and don't tamper with them.» If the coughing hasn't stopped after a minute, you should get help. Because getting into the car with the child or young person yourself can be dangerous, as the movement could cause the stuck body to slip.

If the child can no longer cough and breathe in and out, i.e. is in danger of suffocating, action must be taken.

If the child can no longer cough and breathe in and out and is in danger of suffocating, action must be taken. Babies can be slapped hard on the back while being placed on their stomach on the thigh or forearm. From the age of one year, the so-called Heimlich manoeuvre can also be used: You grasp the patient from behind with both arms and press your fists jerkily into the stomach area. The aim of the punch is to remove the foreign body - outwards. «Many people want to reach into their mouth to remove the foreign body,» says Staubli. «But this can be dangerous if you blindly try to catch it and it slips further back.» Only if the stuck object is clearly visible can you carefully try to get it out.

Bite or cut wounds

Bite wounds
It doesn't matter whether a cat, dog or little sister bites in a fit of rage: Bite wounds where the skin is not just bruised but damaged should be held under running water for around ten to fifteen minutes as quickly as possible. «This allows bacteria that have entered the wound as a result of the bite to be rinsed away,» says Staubli. You should then observe the bite site closely for one to two days. Is it reddening? Is the child in pain? A doctor should be consulted at the first sign of inflammation. «Wounds on the hands or head in particular should be examined by a doctor sooner rather than later if in doubt. In the event of inflammation, ugly scars are more likely to form here,» says the paediatric emergency physician.

Cuts
Small cuts normally close quickly on their own and without further action. If the wound is dirty, it is best to rinse it with clean tap water. As a general rule, wounds should not be touched so as not to introduce germs or dirt. Do not apply any ointments or powders; if necessary, cover with a wound dressing or plaster. «The larger the wound, the greater the risk of a wide scar or infection,» says Staubli. The principle of observation therefore also applies here. As soon as the wound becomes red or painful, a doctor should look at it.

Larger cuts and wounds to the face and hands should be shown to a doctor.

Fainting/unconsciousness

Whenever your child is unconscious, you should first check whether he or she is still breathing. If it is, simply place it in the recovery position. If breathing stops, you must give your child artificial respiration. A typical age for fainting - known as syncope - is puberty. The teenager has been lying down for a long time, has eaten little or nothing and gets up too quickly: Zack, blood pressure plummets and the child passes out. «If this happens in situations that are appropriate in terms of the circumstances, it's usually harmless,» says Staubli. After three or four minutes, most fainters are fully conscious again, and many slowly regain consciousness after a good 30 seconds.

During this time, you should simply ensure that the patient can lie protected on their side. Elevating the legs to transport more blood to the heart is unnecessary. However, if fainting spells occur frequently or under strange circumstances - for example during sport - medical advice should be sought.

Electric shock and nosebleeds

Electric shock
When it comes to electricity, a distinction must be made between household electricity and other electricity. «In the household, it is not normally dangerous to touch the electricity,» says Georg Staubli. This means: a brief shock, no getting caught by the current, no unconsciousness and no so-called current marks on the body to indicate where the current has entered and left the body. This is harmless in the vast majority of cases. If this is not the case, help should be sought immediately, even if the patient is in pain or if the power source is not a household one.

Nosebleeds
Suddenly blood shoots out of your nose, slowly at first, then faster and faster - a nosebleed usually comes out of the blue. What to do now? Put your head back? Or bend far forwards? «In principle, it doesn't matter, the bleeding will stop either way,» says the paediatric emergency physician. The recommendation to hold the head forwards is based on the fact that the blood should not run down the throat into the stomach. This is because blood in the stomach has a strong emetic effect, it makes us feel nauseous and makes us vomit.

If you have a nosebleed, it can help to put something cold on your forehead, nose or neck, as this constricts the blood vessels.

The nose usually bleeds in the front area. That's why it often helps to press the nostrils firmly together with your thumb and index finger. «You should hold it like this for five minutes and not let go every ten seconds to see if it's still bleeding,» says Staubli. It can help to put something cool on your forehead, nose or neck, as this constricts the blood vessels.

Foreign bodies and poisoning

Foreign bodies
You've seen it in films: they often say that you should never remove an object that you have accidentally rammed into your body. This really does apply, says Georg Staubli, but only to really dangerous objects and places in the body: for example, a knife in the thigh or a pencil in the eye. This should be left in until a doctor can deal with it. Fortunately, this rarely happens. Much more frequently, smaller foreign bodies made of wood or metal get into the flesh. «Anything wooden should be removed quickly to prevent infection,» says Staubli. «However, this often hurts like hell.» It is therefore best to take the child to the clinic, where foreign bodies can be removed with the help of nitrous oxide if necessary. Foreign bodies in the broadest sense also include ticks: They should be removed as quickly as possible, if necessary with your own fingers. This can reduce the risk of the tick releasing potentially pathogenic pathogens into the blood. «It doesn't matter if a piece gets stuck in the skin, it will be removed by the body,» says Staubli.

Poisoning
It is pure curiosity that can lead to poisoning in children. They swallow or drink an unknown substance, cleaning agents are a classic example. «In such cases, you should contact the Tox Centre on 145, they are available around the clock and can tell you immediately whether and how badly your child has been poisoned and whether you need to see a doctor with your child,» says Staubli.

Alcohol or drug intoxication

The teenager comes home in the evening and has clearly had too much. Alcohol? Drugs? Try to find out whether the teenager has «only» consumed alcohol or has been smoking pot. «Neither is usually dangerous as long as the person concerned can still be woken up,» says the paediatric emergency physician. «There's not really anything you can or have to give as a parent.» If the patient can no longer be woken up or has taken any other substances, the ambulance should be called and the child should be taken to hospital for assessment and monitoring.

Dental accident

The rule of thumb for dental accidents is: If the injured or knocked out tooth is a permanent tooth, take your child to a dental practice or dental clinic immediately. «However, not every milk tooth accident is a dental emergency,» says Andreas Filippi, Professor of Oral Surgery at the University Centre for Dental Medicine Basel. The most important thing in the event of a dental accident is to remain calm. «If recognised and treated correctly, even badly damaged teeth can often be saved,» says Filippi.

A knocked out tooth should be soaked in cold milk for transport to the dentist or dental clinic.

The Swiss Dental Association SSO recommends the following procedure for dental accidents:

For milk teeth:

• Tooth loose or displaced: The treatment is not urgent. Visit the dentist the next day at the latest. Only if the bleeding does not stop after ten minutes or if the child cannot bite should you go to the dentist immediately.
• Broken tooth: If a baby tooth breaks off, you should see a dentist within the next three days; if it bleeds from the tooth, on the same day.
• Tooth knocked out: Treatment is not urgent. A knocked out baby tooth will not be replaced. See a dentist within the next three days.

For permanent teeth:

• Tooth loose or displaced: Leave the tooth in position and take your child to the dentist immediately.
• Broken tooth: Find the broken piece of tooth, put it in water and take it to the dentist.
• Tooth knocked out: Place the knocked out tooth in a tooth rescue box (available in pharmacies or dental surgeries). If not available, place the tooth in cold milk. Consult a dentist or dental clinic immediately.

  Important: Never clean the tooth or store it dry. «Time is precious - knocked out teeth remain vital for at least 24 hours when stored in a tooth rescue box, but only for a short time in cold milk,» says Filippi. And: Inform your child's insurance company about the dental accident so that they can cover any costs.

Cardiac massage, artificial respiration and recovery position

Stable lateral position
If your child is unconscious but breathing on their own, place them in the recovery position. This is easily possible for children of school age and older. To do this, place the arm of the child closest to you at a right angle to the body. Position the leg facing away from you. Place the hand of the arm facing away from you on the knee of the raised leg, hold the knee and hand firmly and tilt the child towards you. Slightly overstretch the child's head to keep the airways clear. This will allow saliva and vomit to flow out without the child choking.

Cardiac massage and artificial respiration
If your child is no longer breathing and you cannot feel a pulse, you must perform chest compressions and rescue breathing. Continue to do this until the emergency services arrive or your child starts breathing again. Start with two breaths for children. For small children, give these via the mouth and nose, for older children via the mouth or nose. Then alternate 15 chest compressions with two breaths. The chest compressions should be slightly faster than for an adult (100 per minute) at a rate of around 120 per minute.

Emergency numbers
In all medical emergencies within Switzerland, call 144. The international emergency number is 112. If you are concerned that your child may have been poisoned, dial 145 for poison information. All numbers are manned around the clock. It's worth saving the numbers of the paediatrician, children's dentist and the nearest children's emergency in your mobile phone so that you don't have to google them first in an emergency.