It is likely that these days you have read or heard about the case of an eight-year-old girl who died because the ambulance did not arrive on time. That said it seems terrible news and makes us think that the girl was unassisted, but it was not exactly so because the girl was already in a hospital and the ambulance was to transfer it to another.
The fact is that this makes us think of all the situations in which we may need an ambulance for our children, and that is why we wanted to talk about it here today: When and how to call the ambulance if your child is sick?
But what happened to the girl?
I comment to expand the information because it is not very clear why everything ended as it ended. Apparently, the girl went to the hospital around two in the morning, feeling very bad after several days of discomfort in which she did not go to school. That same afternoon he had gone to the Primary Care Center on his own foot, but was sent home. At night, around half past two, he entered the emergency room with what seemed a diabetic debut. According to the Generalitat, with "signs and symptoms that guided diabetic ketoacidosis, decompensation caused by the lack of insulin in the body." However, the first sources spoke of a possible peritonitis or appendicitis, which would have caused sepsis.
After starting the corresponding treatment, an ambulance was requested to transfer the girl to a hospital where there was a pediatric unit for admission (apparently the pediatric unit of the hospital in which it was located was eliminated in 2011 probably as a result of health cuts).
The ambulance took about two hours to arrive, but then it was too late, because it suffered a cardiorespiratory arrest that could not be reversed despite the efforts of professionals.
That is, seeing how quickly everything happened, it seems risky to say that if the ambulance had arrived before the girl would have been saved (an ambulance that must have a medical team specialized in pediatrics, of which there are only two in Catalonia) . If the hospital where the child died should have a pediatric ICU or if there should be more ambulances prepared for these events is an issue that requires extensive debate, because there are probably fewer resources than necessary; but if inside the hospital I was in, nothing could be done for the girl, I have doubts that something else could have been done for her with more means.
When to call an ambulance?
That said, comment that it is not very common for parents to call an ambulance for our children Because most of the time the events are mild, and because they weigh little and we can take them ourselves in our car (sometimes it is faster to take the child and go with the car to the hospital than to wait for help to arrive). But there are times when we doubt and then you have to have some minimum notions to choose the best option.
If we consider that our child is ill, we can act as follows:
- Attend it at home: Most of the times, illnesses and accidents are mild, so that a small cut or wound, a cold, a little cough and mucus or even a few tenths of fever should not be considered a reason for consultation. In fact, in many cases you can follow a fairly valid method called "wait the next day", or what is the same: see if the next day you feel better, equal or worse. On many occasions, the next day the child is perfect, or much better.
- Call the pediatrician: If you have that possibility, you can make a call to ask for a specific fact. The professional can explain the best way to proceed and the warning signs to know when to see a doctor.
- Take it to the office: if there is no improvement or if the child seems to be worse, the fastest is usually to go to the pediatrician's office, because in hospitals it is prioritized according to severity and the slightest things are usually taken care of later.
- Take him to the hospital emergency department: In case we consider that the situation is more complicated and that it will probably require a few hours of observation or admission, it is better to take it to the hospital emergency room. If you have suffered a more or less important accident, if there is a disturbance of consciousness, if there are seizures, a high fever that cannot be controlled, moderate or severe respiratory distress, etc., we should take the child to the emergency room.
- Call the ambulance: it would be in the previous cases, if the severity is such that it would be better not to move the child (if it is a traumatic accident, for example), if he is unconscious, if he is not breathing well and is beginning to affect his coloration, etc. It would be in those cases that it is better to wait for professionals to come home so that parents can go following the instructions given to them through the emergency telephone (because taking it by car may mean not being able to attend it well). Further, if the parents are very upset or nervous, driving could be dangerous for them and for the drivers of other vehicles.
How to call the ambulance?
Although it seems a truism, it is important to know how to call an ambulance, starting with the number we should dial. He 112 It is the one established at European level as an emergency number, so it is the number we should call as the first option. Before dialing we must be clear that we can leave the child a few seconds to call and talk on the phone (if there has been an accident of some kind, try to make the area in which it happened safe for everyone before anything else).
When calling, try to briefly explain what happens to the child and where do we want to receive assistance. It seems a lie, but the nerves can be treacherous, and there are calls explaining what happens, they are asked to "come as soon as possible", but the place to go is not said. In this situation it may be useful to have the application installed on your mobile "My122" or similar (Android, iOS), which uses the location of the mobile terminal so that the help knows exactly where to go (or at least the area from which it is called, to try to contact again and receive the data more accurately).
Therefore, if there is a second person, or if you can put the phone in hands-free, it is better not to hang. Because the person on the other side can give parents instructions to act according to the information that is explained. In case of convulsions, for example, they will say that nothing should be put in their mouths, that they remove any object that can be damaged, that they loosen their clothes, etc.
Although having someone on the other side of the phone makes many people nervous, because they have the feeling that they do nothing but talk to you without sending help, this is not the case. The ambulance will probably be on the way (if available and with the cuts the service is sufficient), so that even when you are talking with the other person on the other side of the phone, you might get to hear the sirens approaching your home.
Photos | iStock
In Babies and more | The child has a cough, when to go to the pediatrician ?, Baby fever: when to go to the emergency room?
