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Show Accidents result from lack of awareness Editors note: This information was taken from the June issue of Forum. Unintentional injuries, or "accidents," often result from a lack of awareness of preventive measures and from widely held misperceptions regarding safety and emergency response. In 1986, nearly near-ly 8,000 children were killed and 50,000 permanendy disabled by unintentional injuries. Correcting these misperceptions is the first step toward teducing the incidence- of injury to children. Listed below are some widely held misperceptions. Misperception Scald burns are nothing to worry about and not as serious as burns from fire. Fact - These are the most frequent fre-quent cause of non-fatal burn injuries. in-juries. Children's skin burns more easily than an adult's. Newborns "and children up to the age of three are scalded three times more often than all other age groups. Misperception Butter and soothing ointments or oils are the best treatment for a burn. Fact - These are among the worst treatment They hold the heat in and allow the burning to continue. con-tinue. Tepid or cool water is the best treatment for bums without blisters. Keep the burned area under running water until il reaches the temperature of the unburned skin. Burns with blisters should be treated by a doctor immediately. Cover loosely with a clean cloth and go to the emergency ward. Misperception - Once the source of thejmni is out of contact with the skin, no further burning can occur. Fact Heat absorbed by the skin makes the skin continue to burn even after it has been removed from the source of the burn. It is best to cool burns immediately with cool water. Misperception - Drinking large amounts of water will dilute harmful harm-ful poisons in the stomach and reduce the harmful effect. Fact - Water and other liquids increase the rate at which poisons are dissolved and therefore absorbed absorb-ed into the system. The best way to treat poisoning is to call the poison control center nearest you and follow their directions. Seventy-five Seventy-five percent of poisonings can be treated in the home following their directions. Misperception - Vomiting is the best treatment for a child who has swallowed something poisonous. Fact Vomiting can aggravate an already serious situation. A corrosive cor-rosive substance, such as a drain cleaner, will further irritate body passageways. There is also a risk of the substance getting into the lungs. (It's best to call a poison control center first.) Misperception - Safety caps are child proof. Fact - Safety caps arc child resistant, resis-tant, not child proof. Toddlers can often open a bottle with a safety cap within 10 minutes. At best, they discourage the child, thereby increasing in-creasing the likelihood of the child being found by a adult before an injury in-jury occurs. |