Parents Urged To Put Safety First This September

29th August 2016 –  Vhi SwiftCare Clinics are calling on parents to put safety first as the new school year starts, highlighting the fact that last year their medical teams saw a 41% increase in the number of children presenting as patients in September (3,500) compared with the previous month (2,500). 

The number of children presenting with sprains increased by a startling 230% between August and September last year.  The same period saw ankle injuries increase by about 40%, finger injuries increasing by 45%, foot injuries increasing by 9% and knee injuries increasing by 41%.  There was also an increase of about 38% in the number of children presenting with coughs, colds and infections.

Dr Michelle de Brun, Medical Director, Vhi SwiftCare Clinics, stated “Since the first Vhi SwiftCare Clinic opened in 2005 we have seen a very noticeable increase in the number of children that we treat in September with the start of the new school year.  These injuries are not life threatening but they can be painful and uncomfortable for children and can really get the new school year off on the wrong note, adding additional stress at a busy time of year for families.”

With a view to helping parents steer clear of these “term time tears”, Dr de Brun has some advice as follows:

  • For younger children, you should try to teach children proper playground behaviour.  That means no pushing or shoving, taking your turn and watching where you go.  We see many accidents where children have suffered a bump as a result of walking in front or behind a swing or where another child has come down a slide immediately after them and banged into them or falling from a height. While school playgrounds are mostly supervised, there is only so much a teacher or assistant can do to prevent such accidents.
  • For older children, who may be trying a new sport (particularly common in those of secondary school going age), they should be cautioned to listen to the instructor and follow their advice.  Many sprains and breaks occur as a result of young teenagers throwing themselves into a new sport that they are inexperienced in.  Not only can a break or sprain prevent them from playing that sport for some time, it can also put a child off playing that particular sport in the future.
  •  As the school year starts coughs and colds can spread rapidly.  While it’s not possible to avoid these entirely, you can do your best to improve your child’s overall health by ensuring they are eating a healthy, nutritious diet, containing lots of fruit and vegetables. Encouraging good hand hygiene, educating children about placing their hands over their mouths while coughing and sneezing and proper disposal of used tissues can all help to reduce the spread of infection.

Dr de Brun concluded that “In the event of an injury, immediate care should aim to reduce bleeding at the site of the injury, prevent or reduce swelling and reduce the pain. The application of an ice pack may be used to assist with this and the use of simple pain relief can also help reduce their discomfort. If further treatment or assessment is required, the Vhi SwiftCare Clinic teams can assist with minor illnesses and injuries but parents are reminded that more serious or complex injuries such as open fractures (where the bones can be seen), as well as traumatic or high velocity injuries to the neck and back (like those suffered for example in rugby, mountain biking, road cycling or horse riding accidents) should be treated in an Accident and Emergency Department.

Vhi Swiftcare Clinics are Ireland’s first walk-in, urgent care clinics, providing rapid assessment, treatment and advice for patients with a range of minor injuries and illnesses.   Information on the Vhi SwiftCare Clinics is available on www.vhi.ie/swiftcare. 

ENDS

Note to Editors

Vhi Swiftcare Clinics are Ireland’s first walk-in, urgent care clinics, providing rapid assessment treatment and advice for patients with a range of minor injuries and illnesses.   Conditions that can be treated in the Vhi SwiftCare Clinics include: potential breaks, sprains, bumps and bruises, minor burns or cuts that may need a stitch.  The Vhi SwiftCare Clinics do not treat serious medical conditions such as difficulty in breathing, severe chest pain, loss of consciousness and severe burns. The Clinics do not treat children less than 12 months of age or pregnancy-related conditions. The Clinics can be visited by all members of the public, not just Vhi Healthcare members, and are open 365 days a year from 8am to 10pm. 

 The Vhi SwiftCare Clinics can be contacted on 1890 866 966.  Further information on the Vhi SwiftCare Clinics is available on ww.vhi.ie/swiftcare

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29-Aug-2016