General News
17 May, 2023
Powerful advice from ambulance paramedic, be prepared to drive your kids to hospital
AN Ambulance Victoria paramedic has warned parents in Dimboola they might be better off driving their children to hospital in an emergency. Stu Mills was presenting a talk at the Dimboola Early Learning Centre on Thursday, where he shared...
AN Ambulance Victoria paramedic has warned parents in Dimboola they might be better off driving their children to hospital in an emergency.
Stu Mills was presenting a talk at the Dimboola Early Learning Centre on Thursday, where he shared information on infant CPR and crisis procedures for emergency medical conditions in toddlers.
He stressed the importance of an Ambulance subscription, given the town's remote location, but he also advised that in dire circumstances it might be wise for parents to drive a sick child immediately to the hospital themselves as an ambulance could take up to 20 minutes.
Some children might also react badly to being in an ambulance, he said, in which case parents could take them in their own car while the ambulance followed behind.
Mr Mills, a paramedic for 11 years, and father to a three-year-old son, shared practical tips with infinite patience, as the toddlers in his audience crawled up his legs and offered him their toys.
But despite their squeals and screams, he offered priceless advice and information to the mums and dads in attendance.
He covered first-responder emergency procedures for various conditions, such as croup (swelling of the voice box and windpipe), burns, choking, drowning, food allergy reaction, heat stroke (never give the child a cold shower), fever, and bites from ants and bees .
He also demonstrated CPR on a baby-sized doll, and gave a graphic demonstration of the harm caused by ingesting batteries, showing slices of ham that had been wrapped around a battery beginning to heat up.
But Mr Mills emphasised that parents should not be afraid to call for help, and that ambulance paramedics were well-equipped to treat both children and anxious parents.
"The parents are usually more stressed than the child." he said.
"We will monitor the parent's blood pressure in those cases."
At the end of the talk, he showed the parents the ham. After only 40 minutes it was well-cooked.
"Prevention is the most important method of stopping toddlers from swallowing batteries," he said.
"Avoid toys that contain batteries - and keep a close eye on TV remotes."