SPORTS ACCIDENTS AND INJURIES

 

SPORTS ACCIDENTS AND INJURIES

 

Introduction

           Accidents are the leading causes of death in children 5-14 years of age and contribute significantly to morbidity figure for the school child.  Motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of death followed by drawing, burns and firearms.

 

          But great importance are the preventive measures that the nurse can implement with the child and fly.  This teaching may take place in a variety of settings including the school.

 

Sports injuries:

          Sports injuries are a reality in school children.  Older children have greater number of injuries because of their larger size, greater speed at play and increased contact with other.

 

          A thorough physical examination is essential before their participation in sports.  A variety of injuries can occur specific to contact sports.  Eg:- Brecieses, sprains, muscle strains, lacerations, fracture, dislocation and tendonitis.

 

COMMON ACCIDENTAL INJURIES IN THE DIFFERENT AGE GROUPS

Infancy:

Drowning:

          Drowning is the cause of approximately 7000-8000 deaths each year in the united states.  About 40% of these facilities occur in children between the ages of 1 and 4 years.

          Many deaths due to drowning occur also in older school age children and adolescent.  Most childhood drowning and recreational pools.  Excavation sites, rivers, ponds, or buckets of water, fish tanks and toilet bowels.

          A drowning death may be caused by respiratory obstruction and asphyxia without or with water aspirated while the person is submerged.

Prevention:

Ø      Never leave the infant alone in a bathroom.  The child can sleep into the collection of water and drown himself in the bath tubs or a bucket filled with water.

Ø      Always keep the door off, bathroom locked unless in uses, as the child finds, water play most interesting and crawl down himself.  The bucket must be kept upside down.

Ø      Keep infant away from swimming pools or any other water body like wells and they should be well fenced.

 


Burns:

          50 – 60% of all major burn injuries occur in individuals less than 20 years of age and 30% of those injuries occurring in children less than 10 years.

          Thermal injuries are the third cause of accidental death in the age group between 1 and 4 years 80% of burns injuries occur with in the home.

          The most common cause of burn injury in the toddler is the scald injury, from moist heat.  Scald occur in the home, usually in the kitchen (or) bathroom.  Children from 1-4years of age are at risk at time un attended.

 

Prevention:

Ø      Keep lighters, match box, crackers candles cigarette in a safe place not accessible to toddlers.

Ø      Keep a fire extinguisher in the house

Ø      Keep all the hot cooked food well away from the edge of the table.

Ø      Ensure that hot electrical heating rods stream press are kept in a secure place well away from the kids.

Ø      Do not light crackers with big dripping candle.

Ø      Avoid using hot fluids like coffee, tea, milk, water in the infants vicinity.

Ø      Do not let kids, silky, shiny, loose, inflammable clothes while lighting the crackers.

Ø      When cooking always turn the handle of the utensil towards the back of stove never hold baby while cooking.

Ø      Keep the matchbox, lighters, blowers, steam press, kerosene, diesel away from the infants reach.

 

FALL:

          Fall occur common in infants when they turn from side, creep, crawl and walk.  Due to lack motor co-ordination and lack of sense of space they easily fall from the height.

 

Prevention:

Ø      Fit the mattress at lower level and never let the infant play alone in high cot.

Ø      Use cribs with long rails.

Ø      Avoid leaving the large trays in the crib as it can act as stepping stone for the infant to trip off.

Ø      A soft pillow on the side alone may not sufficient especially in an older infant when may fall over it.

Ø      Be slow and careful while carrying the body.

Ø      Do not keep the child or infant in high chair unless the child is able to sit without support.

Ø      Do not lift the infant by his own limb, he may slip.


FOREIGN BODY ASPIRATION

 

          As the infant grows every thing enjoys putting small things into openings (or) holes like nose, ear or mouth.

          For example [ Toys, buttons, pins, seeds uninflated balloons] lying in his vicinity are put to mouth.  There can be aspirated into airway and cause accidental in infancy.

Prevention:

Ø      Infants should not have access to any small things such as beads, stones, nuts or buttons.

Ø      Ensure that toys do not have small detachable ports that can be swallowed.

Ø      Parents must ensure that small buttons peanuts, are not used (or) thrown in infants rooms.

Ø      Use large soft toys with smooth edges.

Ø      Common practice of giving coins to infants should be discouraged.

Common accidents in toddlers and preschool children:

          After the age of 1 year (one) the mobility of the children is increased, children like to walk, own, limb up and down they enjoy moving about always, they are interested in the surrounding.

          They open the doors, drawers, cupboards tins (or) boxes for investigating as they are not aware of the danger related to their activity they are prone to accidents in many circumstances.

 

Prevention:

Ø      Toddlers are ego centric – The negative statement such as “Do not” should never be used to control their activities.

Ø      They should be instructed about the expected activities.

Ø      The proper direction for the activity are recommended.

Ø      Their activities should be under supervision

Ø      Protective screen for windows are advisable.

Ø      Hot things, stove, electrical appliances should be out of their reach.

Accidents in school age children

Ø      Being more active and adventures school age children are prone to fall in sports, injuries like drowning and vehicle accidents.

Prevention

Ø      School age children should be explained the use of the toys safety rules and protective behaviour.

Ø      They should be encouraged to play in safe place such as play grounds gardens, halls (or) indoor.

Ø      They should be thought the precautions for using matchbox, fire, sharp instruments, electricity and open water places in early school age supervisory games may be encouraged.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Chemical test for Tragacanth

Chemical test for Benzoin

Chemical test for Agar/Agar-Agar / Japaneese Isinglass