Dealing with an emergency

Allergy is an illness in which our environment plays an important part. When the body meets certain plant, animal, food or chemical substances (as well as certain viruses), the immune system tries to form a defence against them to protect the body. If that defence is imperfect, it can trigger an allergy. Allergies are very common in children, so as care givers it's important that we know how to avoid foods or materials that can trigger an allergic reaction.

Jaella has been suffering from a strange rash. Her doctor has put her on an elimination diet to try and determine the cause and choose appropriate treatment. Jaella will be attending Cybertots during the time-frame that she is on the elimination diet and she will not be allowed to eat oranges (or consume any orange-based product), so this needs to be considered when organising food and drinks.

Do some research into common allergies in children, including their causes. You could try asking at your local child care centre, or have a look on the Internet. Write a summary of your findings in your notebook. To get you started, try looking at the following.

• The Food Anaphylactic Children Training and Support Association (F.A.C.T.S) has a site with some really great information on food allergies in children,
• Another good Australian site is the Australian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy (ASCIA). There is a section on this site about allergies in children.

Asthma can occur for the first time at any age. People with asthma have sensitive airways and their airways can narrow due to exposure to certain triggers.

The three main reasons that cause the airway to narrow are:

• the muscle around the airways tighten
• extra mucus can be produced
• inside lining of the airways becomes red and inflamed.

Triggers for asthma symptoms include:

• colds and flu
• exercise
• changes in weather
• cigarette smoke
• dust mites, pollens, moulds
• medication for example, aspirin
• chemicals
• emotional factors for example, laughter or stress
• food, food preservatives, flavourings or colourings.

It is important that an Asthma Action Plan is written for the individual. This is a set of instructions prepared with assistance from a doctor. It should include information to help recognise worsening symptoms, how to start treatment quickly and to seek the correct medical assistance. This can prevent a serious asthma attack.

Visit the Asthma Australia web site for further information on Asthma. This site has some very interesting content, and the information section has some helpful guidelines for care givers. Another good site is the National Asthma Campaign. You could also try researching through other resources such as books and videos.

You need to find out the following and write a summary in your notebook:

• what the signs and symptoms of an asthma attack are
• what care and treatment is required to deal with an asthma attack.

Bee stings can cause a severe life-threatening allergic reaction for some people. For others however, it will be a temporary irritation.

It is important to remove the barb immediately. It is recommended to remove the bee sting by scraping it off with a fingernail. Try to avoid squeezing or touching the barb.

Jarrad has been stung by a bee while playing outside at Cybertots. In your notebook, write down how you can find out if Jarrad is allergic to bees and, if required, what care and treatment you should provide.

Choking can be caused by an object either partially or completely blocking a person’s airway. Choking can cause the casualty to have trouble breathing. If the obstruction is complete they may not be able to breathe at all.

Signs and symptoms of a partial obstruction include:

• coughing
• difficulty breathing
• wheezing or snoring sounds.

A casualty with a partial obstruction should not be slapped on the back. Encourage them to cough and provide them with reassurance.

Signs and symptoms of a complete obstruction include:

• inability to breathe, speak, cough or cry
• distressed
• holding or grasping at throat
• rapid loss of consciousness
• blue colour to lips/skin.

A complete obstruction of the airway is a serious emergency and immediate action must be taken. Conduct some research on the care and treatment required to deal with a conscious and an unconscious casualty. Write your response in your notebook.

Arteries, veins and capillaries carry blood around our circulatory system. Our blood consists of red cells, which circulate oxygen around our body; white cells, which fight infection; platelets, which assist in our blood clotting; and plasma, which is the fluid portion of blood. The average adult body consists of approximately five to seven litres of blood, depending on their size.

The heart and blood vessels move blood around our body. The loss of blood pressure through bleeding and/or haemorrhage can pose a severe threat and can cause death if not treated immediately. It is important to reduce the amount of blood loss immediately.

It is extremely important when dealing with blood that you wear protective equipment for example, gloves.

Read more about the two forms of bleeding-external and internal-below:

External bleeding

External bleeding occurs after a receiving a wound. Types of wounds include:

• abrasions – is a wound generally caused from a fall on a rough surface where the skin layers have been scraped off, they tend to bleed less
• incisions - is often a narrow wound, cut cleanly and bleeds extensively. These wounds are generally caused by a sharp knife or object
• lacerations - an irregular cut or tearing of the skin
• punctures – caused by an object piercing the skin
• amputations – is the partially or full removal of a body part.

Nosebleed

A nosebleed is a common condition and is due to bleeding from inside the front of the nostrils.

How you can help:

• pinch the fleshy part of the nose below the bone
• lean slightly forward
• breathe though mouth
• maintain this position and posture of approximately 10 minutes
• if bleeding persists seek medical help.

Internal bleeding

Most internal bleeding is caused by blunt force trauma. Internal bleeding occurs inside the body after either the arteries, veins or capillaries have been ruptured and can be difficult to identify and treat. Capillary bleeding is not considered serious and is seen in the form of bruising under the skin.

It is possible for no signs of bleeding to appear. However, the following signs and symptoms may be observed:

• rapid, weak pulse and/or swallow breathing
• pain or discomfort around the site of the injury
• swelling of the abdomen
• thirst
• nausea and/or vomiting.