It's really important to us as parents to have access to emergency care. Our daughter has acquired cerebral palsy, and she has a lot of health issues out of normal doctor clinic issues. The emergency care people are so great at providing immediate care and working out exactly what our daughter knows and which specialists they need to contact. I'm not a medical person, so having that expert help on call is extremely important and helps make our life much easier. This blog is all about being a parent with a sick child and how to access emergency care at any hour.
Having emergency care available
First Aid Courses for Remote Driving
Kristina Diaz
If you are planning a long driving trip across Australia, it can be a good idea to do a first aid course. In many cases, you can be quite far away from medical help if you do run into trouble, and being able to provide capable first aid can massively improve the outcomes of any injury you experience.
Poisons and bites
Australia is well known for its deadly fauna, but even bites from spiders and scorpions can be poisonous. If you are sleeping outside or camping, it can be very common to get a spider bite. It's important to be able to recognise the signs of a poison bite and provide some immediate first aid, including isolating the bitten area and limiting blood flow from the bite to the surrounding body. It can also be very helpful, when possible, to identify the insect or creature that has bitten the person so that medical staff can provide the appropriate anti-venom.
Sprains and breaks
If you have a car injury while driving, it can be easy to get sprains or broken bones. A first aider can help to provide compressive bandaging and cold packs to give some immediate relief from the swelling. It is not generally a good idea to drive when you have a suspected sprain or broken bone, as you may not be able to operate the car controls as required in an emergency. Instead contact emergency services, or turn on your personal location beacon to help emergency help come to your destination.
Dehydration
The heavy heat and dryness of the Australian outback can catch even the fittest hiker unaware. It is a good idea to have someone in your party who understands how to treat dehydration. The person should be given small amounts of water to sip, as over drinking water can actually cause people to vomit. It is also a good idea to carry some oral rehydration salts in the first aid kit that can be added to the water and help the dehydrated person to feel much better.
If the dehydration is severe and the person is delirious, then it is important to get medical help as they may need IV fluid to fully rehydrate.
Travelling to remote Australia can create some unique first aid challenges. It is a good idea for at least one person in your travelling party to have done a specialist first aid course in case you run into any of these issues.
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