Basic first aid know-how helps children deal with emergency situations. One needs to teach children about being mentally prepared for emergencies.Children should be taught about different first aid measures, both at home and at school, which helps emphasize the importance of child safety. This helps them overcome difficult situations like injuries, burns and outdoor emergencies. First aid is all about using common sense in the hour of need.

Basic First Aid
Sometimes children have to face unexpected and problematic situations like injuries, accidents, burns, heat strokes, etc. They should have some basic first aid knowledge on how to deal with such situations. The following points would give us an idea about basic first aid for kids.

Dangers
If a child gets injured, his peers should have the basic know-how on how to protect him or at least minimize the danger they are facing. If a friend has met with an accident, then the first thing to be done is to inform an adult about the situation or move him to a safer place if there is no quick help available.

Splinters
Splinters are the most common cause of concern among children. Children tend to roam around barefooted, which leaves them vulnerable. Before trying to remove a splinter, one should wash their hands to avoid any infection. One should proceed further, only if the splinter is small enough and can be removed easily. The ones deeply embedded should be removed only by a doctor. Administering a tetanus booster after the removal of a splinter is necessary.

CPR (Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation)
In order to perform CPR, prior training is necessary. It should be performed only if the affected person doesn't show any signs of life. In this process, the person who provides first-aid, has to press on the lower-half of the breastbone of the person in need. Compressions followed by 2 breaths, completes the cycle. The cycle should be repeated until the affected person regains consciousness.

Burns
Burns should be treated with cool water. Treating a burn injury with cool water reduces the sting and helps a quick recovery. It also minimizes the damage that the skin suffers from the burn. A blistering burn should however, be attended to by some elder person in the house.

Cuts
Cuts should first be cleaned with water. Children should be taught how to stop a cut from bleeding by applying pressure.

Poison Ivy Rash
This rash develops after one comes in contact with a poison ivy plant. Usually, such cases are often seen during outdoor camps. The treatment for a poison ivy rash includes cleaning with alcohol, followed by water. While washing with water, one should avoid using soaps. After the above two steps, a warm water shower should be taken and the rash should be cleaned with soap. Finally, any belongings that might have come in contact with the plant should be washed and cleaned with the help of water and alcohol. This is done in order to prevent further infection.