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Be Prepared: "What Parents Can Do To Be Ready for an Emergency"
By Michelle Liu, R.N.

Be prepared is the Boy Scout motto, but it also is good advice for parents of young children. As injuries are the number one cause of death for children and adolescents aged 1-21, quick and proper first aid can reduce consequences of the injury. Most emergencies happen in or around the home, so it is most likely that you will be administering first aid to a relative or friend.

Be ready for an emergency

There are many things that parents should do to be prepared for an emergency.   Keep important medical information about family members in a convenient location.   Having information such as past medical history and current medication can save much needed time for paramedics and hospital staff.   Keep insurance records up to date.   Teach children, when age appropriate, how to call 911.   Make sure your house or apartment numbers are easy to read from the street.   Keep phone numbers of your doctors, family members or friends who may be able to help in an emergency.   Keep in mind that it may be an older child, grandparent or a babysitter looking for emergency phone numbers, so those phone numbers should be in a prominent place.   The family first aid kit is an ideal place to keep the numbers posted.   The first aid kit should be kept in a central location where it is easily located.

First aid kit

First aid kits can be purchased in many drug or discount stores.   The American Red Cross sells them or you can put together your own.   It is a good idea to keep a first aid kit in your car as well. Once you have a kit assembled, check it on a regular basis to make sure all expiration dates are current, batteries are working and that any used items have been replaced.  

Here are some important items to be included in a basic first aid kit.

  • Disposable gloves
    • At least two pairs.
    • Used to protect yourself from blood or body fluids.
    • Equally important, used to protect the injured from any germs that may be on your skin.
  • Bandages and Dressings
    • Adhesive bandages in assorted sizes.
    • Sterile gauze pads and adhesive tape.   These can be used to control bleeding or to cover a wound that is too large for a band-aid.
    • Roller gauze bandages to wrap over gauze pads to provide pressure for bleeding.
    • Elastic bandages that may be used for wrapping joint injuries such as a sprained ankle.
    • Sterile eye pads; these could be used to cover an eye after traumatic injury.
  • Medicines
    • Antibiotic ointment such as Bacitratin or Polysporin for minor cuts and scrapes.
    • Antiseptic solution or wipes for   cleansing skin and cuts.
    • Sterile contact lens saline solution for rinsing eyes.
    • Hydrocortisone lotion for relief of itching.
    • Calamine lotion for bug bites and stings as well as poison ivy and oak.
  • Other equipment
    • Flashlight and batteries.
    • Scissors.
    • Tweezers (to be used to remove ticks and splinters).
    • Disposable instant cold packs to prevent swelling to an injury.
    • Instant hand sanitizer or moist towelettes to clean hands before and after providing care.
    • A first aid book.

You can customize your first aid kit to be prepared for your favorite sports, hobbies or age groups.   You might include more or less of a specific item. For example, depending on your circumstances, you might need more cold packs, a sling, an aluminum finger splint, or child-sized band-aids.   

Handling poisons

Keep the poison control number near a telephone.   The National Capital Poison Control Center phone number is 1-800-222-1222.

You can help prevent poisonings by storing medicines and household products in the original containers.   Store and lock medications and household products in secure places where children cannot reach them.   Read labels before giving medications and always use products and medications as the label instructs.   Ipecac syrup was previously used to induce vomiting after a poisoning.   It is now rarely used and not a needed first aid supply.   In fact, many times it can cause more harm than good and its use should be avoided.   Always call Poison Control if a poisoning is suspected. 

Many hospitals and the American Red Cross offer first aid classes.   It would be wise to take such a class, especially since accidents often happen in and around your home.   As parents, we all want and need to know how to respond.

Sources: The American Red Cross; The American Academy of Pediatrics; The Centers for Disease Control National Capital Poison Center.

Michelle Liu, R.N., is a former school nurse and the mother of three children. She has also worked in neurology and neurosurgery at Northwestern.