Thursday 28 July 2016

And it Ended in the Emergency Department

Last Thursday I got the phone call that every parent dreads when in between first aid courses (ironically) from an unknown number and decided to answer it to hear...."hi, it's dad here, just thought you should know we are in first aid........". My little lady had been out for the day with grandma and granddad enjoying the sunshine, when she had tripped and fallen, hitting her head in the process.  After a quick discussion with her granddad, I ascertained she was okay just bleeding quite a lot but still smiling, I managed to have a little chat with her as well which gave me some comfort.   The afternoon progressed, but the bleeding didn't stop, so off she went to the Emergency Department and some glue and a lolly later she was in fine fettle just bashed up and grazed.

Nearly a week on the scabs are disappearing and she is back to her normal self, with more grazes to each leg after more little scuffles and scrapes.  Such a clumsy little lady but thankfully she lived to tell the tale. So what do you need to do in the event of a head injury?  The first 24 hours are crucial.  Keep them calm, observe them for abnormal drowsiness, an ongoing headache, irritability or vomiting, and if in doubt get them checked out.  A cut to the head will bleed quite a lot so if this happens apply pressure directly to the area for 10 minutes, apply a dressing and then get the wound checked if the bleeding persists or the edges are not coming together. For further information on managing a minor head injury follow this link http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Head-injury-minor/Pages/Introduction.aspx


www.safety-first-welling.org