What to Do When Your Child is Injured at School

by Presented by the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) and Safety4Kids®

What does one do when a child is injured at school? How can one tell the difference between a simple scrape or bump on the head and something much more serious?

To help prepare for and respond to medical emergencies among school children, the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) is partnering with Safety4Kids®, producers of public television's Emmy-award-winning SeeMore's Playhouse, to launch a campaign aimed at improving children's health and safety – at school and at home. As part of this effort, ACEP is sending educational materials to elementary schools for distribution to teachers and parents.

"More than 200,000 kids under age 14 visit the emergency department every year for playground injuries alone," said ACEP President Brian Keaton, MD, FACEP. "In addition, approximately 135,000, or 65 percent, of sports-and recreation-related traumatic brain injuries treated in emergency departments each year involve youngsters ages 5 to 18.

"As emergency physicians who treat these injuries firsthand, we recognize how important it is to know the warning signs of serious bodily, and especially brain injury in school settings," Dr. Keaton added. "That's why we are making ACEP's 'When Your Child Has an Emergency' brochure available to schools, teachers and the public."

To help educate children and ease their fears with regard to emergency medical situations, the producers of Seemore's Playhouse plan to air an episode on the topic in the spring of 2008. The episode, "9-1-1: ER Visits," features a character from the show being taken by ambulance to the emergency room, where he receives the treatment he needs from friendly, caring doctors and nurses.

Medical Emergency Indicators According to the ACEP childhood emergency guide, the following are warning signs of potential traumatic brain injury or other medical emergency:

·

Confusion, delirium, severe headache, unconsciousness or vomiting, especially following a head injury ·

Strange or withdrawn behavior, or any significant change from normal behavior ·

Abnormal or difficult breathing ·

Inability to stand up or unsteady walking ·

Decreasing responsiveness or alertness ·

Excessive sleepiness ·

Irritability ·

Skin or lips that look purple or blue (gray for darker-skinned children) ·

Uncontrolled bleeding ·

Increasing or severe, persistent pain ·

Severe or persistent vomiting or diarrhea

Responding to a Medical Emergency If a child is exhibiting any warning signs of a medical emergency, it is important to remain calm and seek professional medical help. Alert the school nurse, if one is available, and dial 9-1-1 (or your local emergency services number) if immediate help is needed. If the child has stopped breathing and you or someone nearby knows how to perform rescue breathing or CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation), start employing this medical technique immediately. If the child needs first aid, and you or another adult on the scene know the techniques involved in stopping serious bleeding, managing shock, handling fractures or performing basic choking rescue procedures, begin employing them. In the event of a seizure, place the child on a carpeted floor with his or her head turned sideways, and stay there until help arrives.

To ensure better preparedness for emergency situations, ACEP recommends taking a first-aid class and learning CPR. (Such courses are typically available through local American Red Cross and American Heart Association chapters.)

For details regarding how to prevent and prepare for potential childhood injuries, or for a free copy of ACEP's "When Your Child Has an Emergency" brochure, visit www.acep.org/webportal/PatientsConsumers/HealthCampaigns or call 1-800-320-0610, ext. 3006. The brochure also includes the symptoms of illness in children. (Please note, however, that not all the warning indicators of a medical emergency are included, and that some children may have previous medical problems, the signs and symptoms of which may require additional monitoring.)

To access a new tool kit from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) titled "Heads Up: Concussion in Youth Sports," see www.cdc.gov/ConcussionInYouthSports. For details regarding concussions, traumatic brain injury and injuries in general, see the CDC's Injury Center Web site at www.cdc.gov/injury.

ACEP is a national medical specialty society representing emergency medicine with more than 25,000 members. ACEP is committed to advancing emergency care through continuing education, research and public education. Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, ACEP has 53 chapters representing each state, as well as Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia. A Government Services Chapter represents emergency physicians employed by military branches and other government agencies.

For more info on SeeMore's Playhouse, please visit www.SeeMoresPlayhouse.com.