What are the Difference between Juvenile and Adult First Aid?
Children get bumps, scrapes and bruises all the time. These may be a fact of life, but knowing how to properly treat and to learn first aid these wounds is important. Left unattended, these bumps and scrapes could have lasting health consequences.
First aid training is very similar to those used on adults, but there are some key differences. The main differences have to do with leaving out first aid techniques that are suitable for adults, but not suitable for kids. First aid training and first aid certification differs between children and adults. Below we discuss the differences between juvenile and adult first aid.
Why Juvenile and Adult First Aid is Different
The bodies of children and adults are physically and physiologically different. They respond different to physical techniques and medication. Children are not fully developed physically and emotionally. Their bodies react differently to medication. Performing adult level first aid techniques could lead to serious injury.
The causes of juvenile first aid injuries are often very different. First aid injuries with children involve poisoning and choking. Most first aid cases involving adults are not poison or chocking related. Anyone with the desire to learn basic first aid should be aware of these differences.
Using Child Sized Doses
The doses for over the counter pain medication are very different for children. It is critical to use the right dosage for kids to eliminate the risk of overdose. Also, certain pain medications should not be given to children because of safety reasons. It is not advisable to give adult sized pain medication pills to children. Dosage amounts can easily be miscalculated. Children can also choke on adult pain medication. Using tourniquets on children to stop bleeding is also not advisable.
Remaining Calm
It is very important to remain calm when performing first aid tasks on children. They often gauge their reaction to the adult caring for them. Being in a heightened state of panic or stress can cause the child to become inconsolable and unable to receive treatment.
Knowing effective and knowledgeable first aid training and techniques you will be able to get bright first aid careers in the future.
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