PATCHS PROGRAM PUBLIC HEALTH NURSING ADVOCATES TEACHING CHILD HEALTH AND SAFETY HEALTH CARE PROGRAM FOR CHILDREN IN FOSTER CARE (HCPCFC)
Volume 1, Issue 12		JUNE 2003

Medical Information Fact Sheet

Child Safety and Accident/Injury Prevention Tips:
It is staggering the number of children who are injured or killed due to accidents that could have been prevented. Here are some tips that can make your child safe.

Now that summer is upon us we will also review drowning and prevention. Hope this information will provide everyone with valuable safety information.

Carbon Monoxide Poisoning:

Carbon monoxide is an odorless and colorless gas that can cause illness and even deaths. Any heater that burns fuel, such as furnace, gas water heater, or portable butane or gas heater can leak carbon monoxide and should be inspected every year.

Here is a list of how to protect your family from carbon monoxide poisoning:

• Get a Carbon monoxide detector
• Never burn anything in a stove or fireplace that isn’t ventilated properly.
• Never heat a home with a gas oven.
• Never run a generator in an enclosed space (like a basement) or outside where the exhaust could blow indoors, even if the power goes out.
• Do not warm up a car in a closed garage. If it snows clean snow out of tailpipe.
• All of these tips must also be utilized if you have a houseboat. Houseboats are a common place for carbon monoxide poisoning.

The most common symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning are headache, dizziness, weakness, nausea, vomiting, chest pain and confusion. High levels can cause loss of consciousness and death, or can cause someone to pass out and fall into the water and drown. People who are sleeping or intoxicated can die from carbon monoxide before ever experiencing symptoms.

CDC. (2003, May 21). Carbon Monoxide. Retrieved on June 9, 2003 from the World Wide Web: http://www.cdc.gov./nceh/airpollution/carbonmonoxide/health_tips.htm

Child Passenger Safety:

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death among children. Many of the injuries or deaths could have been prevented if the children had been restrained properly.

Here are some tips to correctly restrain your child in the car.

• Infants should be place in rear-facing car seats in the back seat until they reach age one and weigh 20 lbs.
• Toddlers should be placed in forward facing seats in the back seat and are for children over the age of one and weigh at least 20lbs or greater.
• Booster seats should be used for children over 40 lbs. and until about the age of 8. Children should continue using the booster seats until the lap/shoulder belts fit properly which is usually when they are 4’9” tall.
• All children under the age of 12 should ride in back seats. This is the safest place to be in the event of an accident. Also children under 12 should not be in the front seat due to the air bags.
• Everyone must always wear his or her seat belts.

CDC. (2003, February 28). Child Passenger Safety. Retrieved on June 9, 2003 from the World Wide Web: http://www.cdc.gov.ncipc/factsheets/childpas.htm

Bike Helmet Safety

When a child receives their first bike, they should understand that it is not a toy but a means of transportation that is subject to the same laws as motor vehicles.

Parents should set limits on where children may ride depending on their age and maturity. Here are some tips to make your child safe when riding a bicycle.

• Young children should ride off the street and be supervised by an adult.
• The decision to allow older children to ride in the street should depend on traffic, individual maturity and the ability to follow the “Rules of the Road”.
• Children must always wear their helmet (approved by the Consumer Product Safety Commission) properly when riding.
• Children should never ride at dusk or in the dark. Night riding requires special skills and special equipment and many children do not possess either.
• Children should be trained on proper usage of the bike, helmets and “Rules of the Road”.
• Parents should check tires, brakes and seat and handle bar height occasionally.

“Rules of the Road”

1. When turning or stopping always use hand signals.
2. LOOK both ways at street corners and driveways.
3. Always ride with traffic, to the right.
4. Always stop at STOP signs and the curb.
5. When you ride on the sidewalk watch out for people.
6. Riders must always wear their helmets.

CDC. (2003, May 12). National Bike Safety Network. Retrieved on June 9, 2003 from the World Wide Web: http://www.cdc.gov.ncipc/bike/co.htm

Poisonings Prevention

In 2000, approximately 2.2 million poison exposures occurred. More that 90% occurred in the home and 52.7 of them were children under the age of 6. The most common exposures for children were ingestion of household products such as cosmetics, personal care products, cleaning substances, pain relievers, foreign bodies and plants.

Here are some prevention tips:

• Post Poison Control number 1-800-222-1222 near every phone.
• Store all medicines, household products and personal care products in locked cabinets that are out of reach of small children.
• Know the names of the plants in your house and yard. Identify poisonous plants and keep them away from children or remove them.
• Be aware of any medicines that visitors may bring into your home. Make sure visitors do not leave medicines where children can easily find them, for example in an unattended purse or suitcase.
• Monitor air quality in the home. Place carbon monoxide monitors throughout the house.
• All combustion (fuel burning) appliances should be professionally installed and inspected annually.
• Check house for lead-based paints.

Use poisonous products safely:

• Always store household products in their original containers. Do not use food containers such as cups or bottles to store chemical products such as cleaning solutions and cosmetic products.
• Always read the labels before using a potentially poisonous product. Never leave the product unattended while using it and return it to locked cabinet when you are finished.
• A light should be turned on when giving or taking medication.
• Avoid taking medications in front of children since children tend to imitate adults.
• Do not call medicine candy.
• Follow directions on label when taking medications. Be aware of interactions with other medications and alcohol. Never share prescription drugs.
• Turn on fan and open windows when using chemical products.
• Wear protective clothing (gloves, long pants, long sleeves, socks, shoes) when spraying pesticides and other chemicals.
• Never mix household and chemical products together. A poisonous gas may be created when mixing chemicals.
• Do not burn fuels or charcoal or gasoline-powered engines in confined spaces such as garages, tents and poorly ventilated rooms.

What to do if poisoning exposure occurs.

1. Remain calm
2. If you have a poison emergency and victim has collapsed or is not breathing call 911. If you have a poison exposure and the victim is alert call Poison Control and have the following information ready when you call:

• The person age and estimated weight
• The container/bottle of poisonous product
• Time that poison exposure/ingestion occurred
• Your name and phone number

3. Follow the instructions from the emergency operator or the poison control center.

CDC. (2003, June 6). Poisonings. Retrieved on June 9, 2003 from the World Wide Web: http://www.cdc.gov.ncipc/factsheets/poisoning.htm

Drowning Prevention

Unintentional drowning is a huge problem that is preventable. Most children drown in swimming pools, while adults are more likely to drown related to recreational watercraft use as well as operating the watercraft under the influence.

Here are some safety tips that can help prevent children from becoming drowning or near-drowning victims.

• Whenever young children are swimming, playing, or bathing in water, make sure an adult is constantly watching them. By definition this means the supervising adult should not read, play cards, talk on the phone, mow the lawn, or do any other distracting activity while watching the children.
• Never swim alone or in unsupervised places.
• Keep small children away from buckets containing liquid: 5-gallon industrial containers are particularly dangerous.
• Never drink alcohol during or just before swimming, boating or water skiing. Never drink alcohol while supervising children. Teach teenagers about the dangers of drinking alcohol and swimming, boating or water skiing.
• To prevent choking, never chew gum or eat while swimming, diving or playing in water.
• Learn to swim. Enroll yourself and/or your children aged 4 and older in swimming. Swimming classes are not recommended for children under age 4.
• Learn CPR. This is particularly important for pool owners and individuals that regularly participate in water recreation.
• Do NOT use air filled swimming aids (such as water wings) in place of life jackets or life preservers with children. These can give parents and children a false sense of security and increase the risk of drowning.
• Check the water depth before entering. The American Red Cross recommends 9 feet as a minimum depth for diving or jumping.

If you have a swimming pool at your home:

• Install a four-sided, isolation pool fence with self-closing and self-latching gates around the pool. The pool fence should be at least 4 feet tall and completely separate the pool from the house and play area of the yard.
• Prevent children from having direct access to swimming pool.
• Install a telephone near the pool. Post emergency numbers in an easy to see place.
• Learn CPR

Additional tips for open water:

• Know weather conditions and forecast before swimming or boating. Thunderstorms and strong winds can be dangerous for swimmers and boaters.
• Restrict activities to designated swimming areas, which are usually marked by buoys.
• Be cautious, even with lifeguards present.
• Use Coast Guard approved life preservers when boating.
• Remember that open water has limited visibility and conditions can sometimes change from hour to hour.
• Currents are often unpredictable—they can move rapidly and quickly change direction.
• Watch for dangerous waves and signs of rip currents—water that is discolored unusually choppy, foamy, or filled with debris.
• If you are caught in a rip current, swim parallel to the shore. Once you are out of the current swim towards the shore.

CDC. (2003, February 28). Drowning Prevention. Retrieved on June 9, 2003 from the World Wide Web: http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/factsheets/drown.htm

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HCPCFC PROGRAM UPDATES and ANNOUNCEMENTS!!! We would like to Welcome Chris Jordan to the HCPCFC program. She will be covering the Metro Region. Welcome Chris!

 

Editor: Kristen Thompson, PHN
Contributors: William Chavez, PHN, MBA, Interim Assistant Nurse Manager and Judy Earp, MHA, Director of Public Health Nursing.