Keeping our children safe, happy and healthy is the job of any parent, and when they suffer from an injury or illness, you want to do everything you can to make it better. Knowing how to treat an injury is something everyone should learn, especially when you have young children around. You should also make sure that your first aid kit is stocked with the right dressings and tools for any situation.
When treating your child for an injury or wound, you want the best possible choice available right away for your little one. Different dressings are designed for different wounds and so it is vital you do your research and make sure the other members of your family know the basics as well. For example, knowing when to use something like Mepilex Border Sacrum self adherent dressings that are used to treat ulcers and when to use gauze dressings for cuts and scrapes could mean the difference between healing and infection.
Cleaning
Preventing infection is the first step to treating an injury and help to promote quicker healing. The first instinct for most people is to wash a wound with clean water as soon as possible and you’d be right. Don’t use oils, ointments or antiseptics at this stage or you could increase the chance of infection. Any foreign objects such as dirt or gravel should be removed using tweezers if necessary and once the wound is clean, pat dry with a clean towel.
Pressure
If the wound is bleeding, apply moderate pressure with a clean cloth. Hold it there for at least 5 minutes before checking then reapply for a further 5 minutes. If the bleeding has not stopped in that time, take your child to a doctor or emergency room straight away. If the bleeding has stopped, then you can apply antiseptic ointment and dress the wound at home.
Dressings
It is important to get the right dressing for the injury at hand. If you use a dressing that is too small, it will irritate the wound and leave it open to infection. Too big and it will be more likely to move around and rub the wound, causing it to become sore and sensitive. Try and match up the dressing to the injury, using thin strips for finer injuries for example, or a wide, flexible shape for a scraped knee. Using a quality dressing that both protects the injury and allows oxygen to pass through is the best way to treat your child’s wound and will promote fast healing.
Treatment
It can be tempting to leave a wound open to air to heal but most children don’t understand the importance of not picking at scabs and so could cause an infection without realizing it. Change the dressing daily or if it becomes wet or dirty. If it does become sore or swelling occurs, use an antiseptic ointment and keep the injury as clean as possible at all times.
