Cuts and Bruises
Everyone experiences cuts and bruises throughout their lives. Children are particularly vulnerable .As they learn to walk, climb and explore their surroundings, they will without doubt stumble and fall, and bleeding will occur. Even minute amounts of blood can seem like a lot to a child and blood loss may be frightening because the child may not understand that the bleeding will soon stop when clotting occurs.
Adults usually watch small toddlers carefully. It's when children get a little older, start riding bicycles and skateboards and exploring the house and garden without parental supervision that more serious cuts and trauma becomes a risk.
Dark red blood may ooze from small skin scrapes or flow quickly from larger cuts. If an artery is damaged, the blood will appear bright red and may spurt from the wound. If there has been an accident involving glass, it may be possible to see the glass in the wound and this can be particularly painful, especially if the child tries to move the affected area. In major accidents, broken bones occasionally stick out through a cut.
Bleeding usually follows some sort of trauma. In most cases, the blood loss is minor and will stop on its own accord. Applying pressure on the wound can help slow blood loss. A clean dry dressing or plaster may be applied to keep the wound clean.
If bleeding is profuse it's important that it's stopped as quickly as possible. Raise the affected part of the body if possible and apply pressure to it using a clean pad of tissue or fabric. Hold the pressure until bleeding stops and then tape the pad in place. Don't disturb the wound or try to remove any foreign bodies, glass or dirt embedded in it, or bone extruding from it. Get advice from your local accident and emergency unit.
If bleeding doesn't stop, call an ambulance.
Always have a first aid kit on hand for any potential incident. In the heat of the moment, you may panic. Having everything to hand and in one place will be a great help to you.
