Category: Emergencies

Falls and Head Injuries

2/3/2019

Sooner or later, every child will fall and strike his or her head. Falls are especially common when your child is learning to walk. Most head injuries simply result in a scalp injury. Big bumps can occur with minor injuries because the blood supply to the scalp is so plentiful. For the same reason, small cuts on the scalp or face can bleed profusely.

Home Care Steps:

1) If there is a scrape, wash it off with soap and water.
2) Apply pressure with a clean cloth for 10 minutes to stop any bleeding.
3) For swelling, apply ice for 20 minutes. (Frozen vegetables such as peas work well or keep a wet sponge in a zippered bag in the freezer).

For more serious head injuries, look for the following symptoms:

Did your child cry immediately? Crying is a normal response and indicates that he has not lost consciousness.
Is he sleepy? After a fall it is common to be sleepy and you should encourage your child to lie down and rest until all symptoms are gone. Just observe him closely and awaken him every 15 minutes for the first hour and every 30 minutes for the second hour. Awaken your child twice during the night. Arouse him until he is walking and talking normally. Do this for two nights.
Did your child lose consciousness? If he becomes unconscious, but regains consciousness within a few seconds, bring him to the office for evaluation. If he remains unconscious for more than 1 minute, call 911.
Did your child vomit? If he vomits only 1 to 2 times and otherwise appears normal, give him only clear fluids until he has gone 2 hours without vomiting. If he vomits two or more times, bring him to the office for evaluation.
Does he have persistent pain or headache? If so, bring him to the office for evaluation. Don’t give any pain medicine.
Does he have abnormal body movements? If so, bring him to the office for evaluation.
Are his pupils unusually small, large, or unequal? If so, bring him to the office for evaluation.

Call our office immediately if:

The pain or headache becomes severe.
Vomiting occurs two or more times.
Vision becomes blurred or doubled.
Your child becomes difficult to awaken or acts confused.
Walking or talking becomes difficult.
Your child’s neurological condition worsens in any other way

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Cold / Upper Respiratory Infection Care

2/3/2019

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The common cold involves an array of symptoms including runny or stuffy nose, congestion, fever, sore throat, cough, hoarseness, red eyes, and swollen lymph nodes in the neck. A cold or URI is a viral infection of the nose and throat.

Cold viruses are spread from one person to another by droplets through hand contact, coughing, and sneezing, not by cold air or drafts. Since there are up to 200 different cold viruses, healthy children still commonly contract six to ten colds each year.

A typical course of cold symptoms may include a fever that lasts 3 days, nose and throat symptoms that last 1- 2 weeks, and a cough that may linger for 2 to 3 weeks. The main things to watch for are secondary bacterial infections such as ear infections, yellow drainage from the eyes, sinus pressure or pain, or difficulty breathing.
Home care remedies usually do not impact how long a cold lasts, but can relieve many of the symptoms. Examples of home treatment for associated symptoms include:

Runny nose: Nasal discharge is the nose’s way of eliminating viruses. Put a thin layer of vaseline or Aquaphor on the area under the nose to avoid irritation. You may gently use a soft rubber suction bulb to remove the secretions if necessary.
Stuffy nose and congestion: Most stuffy noses are blocked by dry mucus. Blowing the nose or suction alone cannot remove most dry secretions. Normal saline nose drops are very effective for loosening dry mucus. Place three drops of warm normal saline drops in each nostril, using a washcloth, cotton ball or syringe. Frequently, the baby will sneeze the loosened mucous out, otherwise you may use a soft cleanable rubber suction bulb to suck it out. Over use of the suction bulb may be traumatic to the nasal tissue, so try to use it only when absolutely necessary. It is especially important to clear a stuffy nose in young infants because they are obligated to breathe through the nose while they are sucking.

The older child should try to gently blow his nose after instilling the saline drops. Use nasal washes 2-4 times per day or whenever your child is having trouble breathing through his nose.
When your child sleeps you may use a cool mist humidifier in his or her room. The most effective steam room, however, is your smallest bathroom with the shower running on hot. Sit in the steamy room with your child for 20 minutes three or more times a day.

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Emergency Contact Details

1/27/2019

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Hospitals
Washington, D.C.

Children's National Medical Center
- Address: 111 Michigan Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20010
- Phone: 1-888-884-2327
Medstar Georgetown University Hospital
- Address: 3800 Reservoir Road NW, Washington, DC 20007
- Phone: 202-444-2000

Northern Virginia

Inova Fairfax Hospital
- 3300 Gallows Road, Falls Church, Virginia 22042
- Phone: 703-776-4001
Virginia Hospital Center
- Address: 1701 North George Mason Drive, Arlington, Virginia 22205
- Phone: 703-558-5000
Inova Alexandria Hospital
- Address: 4320 Seminary Road, Alexandria, Virginia 22304
- Phone: 703-504-3000

Maryland

Holy Cross Hospital
- Address: 1500 Forest Glen Road, Silver Spring, Maryland 20910
- Phone: 301-754-7000
Suburban Hospital
- Address: 8600 Old Georgetown Road, Bethesda, Maryland 20814
- Phone: 301-896-3100

Poison Control Center

Phone: 1-800-222-1222

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Poison Exposure or Ingestion?

1/27/2019

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Do you suspect that your child has been exposed to or ingested something poisonous (including household agents, medications, or plants)?

Call the Poison Control Center (1-800-222-1222) immediately.

They will give you exact instructions about the necessary steps to follow.

Call to update us after you have carried out the Poison Center’s instructions.

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What Temperature is Cause for Concern?

1/27/2019

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Make sure to use the appropriate method for taking your child's temperature depending on their age (click here to find out Is [It] a Fever and What to Do?).

Rectal temperature

Under 2 months of age: Over 100.4°F if under 2 months of age
Between 2 and 4 months of age: Over 101.4°F

Oral or Eardrum
Older babies and toddlers may have temperatures between 103° and 105°F.

Your child has a fever if any of the following apply:

Rectal temperature over 100.4° F for babies less than 2 months old.
Rectal temperature over 101.4° F for babies older than 2 months old.
Oral temperature over 101 ° F for kids over 5 years of age

The body’s average rectal temperature is 98.6 °F, but it normally fluctuates during the day, tending to rise toward the end of the day. Fever is a symptom, not a disease. Fever is the body’s normal response to infections and plays a role in fighting them.

The usual fevers (100° to 104° F) that all children get are usually not harmful in themselves.

Does your child have a fever? Apply appropriate Fever Care to look after your child.

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Is it a medical emergency?

1/26/2019

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As parents, we want to protect our children from harm. Sometimes, that means overreacting to non-emergencies. We've all done it. The "better safe than sorry" mentality can drive a parent crazy.

Knowing what to look for and how to determine if something is an emergency is critical to help you decide what action to take. Please use this post as a reference.

Here are some life-threatening emergencies that warrant immediate action:

Choking
Difficulty breathing that has not responded to a nebulizer treatment
Unresponsive
Significant bleeding that won’t stop
Blue color
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)

What do you do in an emergency? Call 911

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Falls and Head Injuries

Cold / Upper Respiratory Infection Care

Emergency Contact Details

Poison Exposure or Ingestion?

What Temperature is Cause for Concern?

Is it a medical emergency?

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