Summer safety

The long-awaited summer holidays are just a heartbeat away. While we are all looking forward to carefree days at the seaside or at home enjoying the beautiful weather with friends and family, now is the time to ensure that the well deserved break that you have looked forward to for most of the year does not end in tragedy or discomfort.

Here are two highly informative stories from GEMS - the medical scheme that cares about your well being - that will ensure that your special summer holiday has only good memories for you and your loved ones.

Water Safety

Every day more than one child drowns in South Africa. Over a third of these drowning incidents involve children under the age of 14 years. The Medical Research Council consistently lists drowning as the third-highest cause of accidental deaths in children under the age of five, with only pedestrian motor vehicle accidents and shack fires being higher risks.

Most drowning and near-drowning incidents happen when a child falls into a pool, or is left alone in the bath. 60 to 90% of drownings occur in residential pools and this is a statistic that parents cannot afford to ignore.

However, although most children drown in swimming pools, children can drown in less than one inch of water. Children under the age of five do not understand the dangers of falling into water and do not normally splash or cry for help. Drowning can be a silent event.

Although the death statistics with regards to drowning are shocking, the consequences of near-drownings are even more so. For every child that dies from drowning, five suffer from permanent brain damage as a result of a near-drowning. It takes only four minutes without oxygen for irreversible brain damage to occur.

We encourage all child minders to be extra vigilant if children have access to swimming pools, ponds or any other body of water. A total of 90% of children who drown are under some sort of supervision at the time.

This proves that, in spite of good intentions, no parent is able to protect their child from drowning by ‘keeping an eye open'. It is irresponsible of parents to not do all they possibly can to keep their children safe.

In the event of a drowning, the following assisting steps are recommended:

• Prevention is, obviously, far better than trying to cure, especially when it comes to drowning cases. Having multiple layers of safety (such as a safety net, a closed fence, a childminder and a surface alarm) around the pool and spa areas or other open bodies of water can prevent tragic accidents.
• Get the victim out of the water as soon as possible, but do not become a victim yourself. Make sure it is safe for you to enter the water first.
• Handle the victim with care. Many submersion incidents are associated with neck injuries, so keep movement to the back and neck to a minimum.
• Assess whether the victim is awake or not.
• Check for breathing. If the victim is not breathing, administer two slow rescue breaths ensuring that the victim's chest JUST starts to rise.
• If the victim shows no response to the rescue breaths, start CPR.
• CPR is vital, even if it is an amateur administering it. Keep on doing it until someone who is trained in advanced life support arrives and can take over. All parents should learn how to administer child CPR as it does differ from adult CPR. There has also recently been a worldwide revision in the CPR technique and it is vital that even current first aiders be retrained according to the new protocols.
• Call, or have someone call, a recognised ambulance service as early as possible during this sequence. Whoever calls for the ambulance must give the dispatcher an accurate location of the incident and a contact number at the scene. Never hang up on the operator and always return to the rescuer to inform them that you have called for help.

Sources
http://www.swimalive.co.za/drowning_stats.html
The National Injury Mortality Surveillance System (NIMSS)
http://www.childsafe.org.za/stats.htm
http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/SA-kids-drowning-in-legacy-20061220
http://drowningprevention.ilsf.org/node/18

Sun Safety

The days of unprotected sunning are gone! Unfortunately there is no such thing as a safe tan, since tanning is a sign of skin damage. Contrary to popular belief, an already tanned body or a dark complexion does not protect the skin from harm. And a freckled face may be cute, but it also shows vulnerability to sun damage and is a sign you might already have had excessive exposure to the sun.

Sunburn is an inflammation of the skin that has been caused by over-exposure to the harmful rays of the sun. This in itself can create a number of complications, such as heat rash or heatstroke.

Special caution should be taken with children as evidence suggests that serious sunburn during childhood may be a more important factor in the development of adult malignant melanoma (skin cancer) than total lifetime exposure to the sun. Because children have a larger proportion of skin to body mass than adults, severe sunburn can furthermore cause serious fluid and electrolyte imbalances.

Taking the sting out of the sun

• Don't wait for a healthy red glow to appear before reaching for your hat or sunblock. In fact, most sunburns do not reach their peak colour until six to 24 hours after sun exposure!
• Sunbathe sensibly by limiting sun exposure to approximately 30 minutes only at the beginning of summer. Increase your exposure to the sun gradually.
• Just like medicines, a sunscreen has a shelf life which impacts on its effectiveness.
• Avoid sunbathing between 12h00 and 14h00 when the sun is at its strongest.
• As you move inland, above sea level, the sun's rays become more intense.
• Don't skip the sunscreen when it is slightly overcast, particularly not if you are on the beach, since ultraviolet light can penetrate light cloud cover.
• Exposure to the sun whilst overdressed only adds to skin distress. So do thick lotions and oils, such as petroleum jelly, which prevent moisture evaporation and therefore block pores resulting in heat rash.
• If possible, apply sunscreen 30 minutes before going out into the sun, since it takes that long to be absorbed into the skin.
• Diet has some bearing on sun protection since recent studies seem to indicate that a diet high in beta-carotene (leafy greens, yellow vegetables and fruits) may ward off the ravages of the sun by reducing the detrimental effects of UVA rays.
• Beware of the glare, particularly at the seaside, where you are unlikely to find natural shade. Do not rely on a beach umbrella alone since it cannot protect the very young or elderly from the reflected glare of sun on the sand. Instead, pitch a small beach tent, which will provide adequate shelter.
• UVA rays pass through glass, and a person sitting near a window (unless it is tinted for sun screening) is also susceptible to the damaging rays of the sun.

For relief from sunburn
In the event of over-exposure to the sun the application of cool tap-water compresses for 10 to 15 minutes, three or four times per day, until the redness subsides, can provide immense relief. The evaporating water will moisten and cool the skin.

A sunburn relief spray or moisturising cream will further ease discomfort. Never use petroleum jelly on a burn, since it will seal out the air needed to ensure healing. Unless prescribed by a doctor, antihistamines should not be used either. Painkillers are a better alternative to ease discomfort caused by sunburn. However, contrary to popular belief, aspirin will not prevent skin damage!

In the case of severe sunburn, blistering, pain, nausea, or chills, a doctor should be called immediately. Steroid ointments or creams may be prescribed, and large blisters might have to be drained and dressed.

Skin cancer
With skin cancer self-screening is the operative word! Regularly examine all moles, warts and sunspots and see your doctor immediately should any change occur.

Sources
http://www.cansa.org.za/cgibin/giga.cgi?cmd=cause_dir_news_item&cause_id=1056&news
_id=54355&cat_
http://www.prlog.org/10892850-sunsafety-skin-safety-sunburn-prevention-sun-safety-sunscreen-advice-
http://www.melanoma.co.za/P_patcnr_patedu.asp
http://www.koolasun.co.za/children-sun.html