First steps in case of domestic injuries in children: surgeon's advice

Children are always restless, they are curious about everything, everything is interesting to them. But curiosity can lead to unpleasant incidents.

Intent continues its series of partner publications on health. Mykhailo Ternavsky, a pediatric surgeon at Odrex Medical Home in Odesa, spoke about the most common cases in his practice and what parents should do in such cases.

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If a child steps on a nail

If a child steps on a nail or needle, the first thing parents need to do is to calm down and reassure the child who is scared. It is necessary to examine the wound and treat it with any antiseptic, such as chlorhexidine or betadine, and put a plaster over it. If everything is done correctly, the next day the child will not have swelling and fever. Then there is no need to go to the doctor.

But it is important to remember that there may be harmful germs on the needle or nail. If an infection gets into the leg or handle, swelling or redness will appear. In this case, a consultation with a surgeon is necessary. In addition, if a foreign object remains in the body, it can migrate. Children are very mobile, so a piece of a needle can migrate, for example, from the heel to the knee or even higher. If you react in time, it's not a big deal, but it needs to be removed. There was a case when a child got a splinter but did not tell his parents. Then the inflammation occurred not in the foot, but in the thigh. After surgery, the splinter was removed.

If the child swallowed or drank something harmful

All children, without exception, when they learn about the world, like to taste everything, that is, they put it in their mouths. It is very important that anything that can be swallowed or drunk, such as detergent, is kept out of the child's reach. If a child drinks some chemical liquid, it is very dangerous for the esophagus and stomach. These organs are very delicate, and burns can occur. If the child is 5-7 years old, you can try to rinse the stomach yourself, if the parents are not afraid to do so. Otherwise, you need to see a doctor who can do it, including through a probe.

Let me emphasize that chemicals are very dangerous for the mucous membrane, causing burns that can be so large and deep that it can result in surgery, reconstructive surgery and, God forbid, disability of the child.

Small things can also cause disaster. For example, a coin can get stuck in the esophagus. If you know that the child has swallowed something, you should go to the hospital to take an X-ray.

If you try to wash out the stomach on your own, the child should just drink water, but drink a lot of it. For example, if the child is two years old, it is about half a liter. If you are not afraid, you need to press down on the root of the tongue with two fingers, that is, to induce a gag reflex. If the child is too young, this is done in the hospital with a probe. This is a rather dangerous procedure, but if it is not done, it can be bad.

If something gets into the trachea

If a child chokes on a piece of food, it is dangerous because the food can get into the trachea and bronchi. This is a foreign body in the tracheobronchial tree. In such cases, both the child and parents are frightened because the child stops breathing. This can last for 30-40 seconds or even a minute, but then the child starts breathing. But this is one of the clinical signs that something has entered the bronchial tree.

The foreign body should be removed immediately, because if this is not done, the consequences that may be associated with the child's future life are resuscitation and surgery. It is better to call an ambulance and go to the hospital even if a piece of food or an object has been pushed out.

It should be remembered that a child can inhale something very small, such as a sunflower seed or a piece of a nut. In order to rule out that something is left in the bronchi, it is important to observe the child, and maybe do a bronchoscopy. This is already done by surgeons and endoscopists.

Ігор Льов