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Pediatric first aid knowledge among parents
Adam J Singer1, Janet Gulla, Henry C Thode
1Department of Emergency Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA. adam.singer@stonybrook.edu
Insights
Many parents lack knowledge of essential first aid practices for children, according to American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) guidelines. Targeted education is needed to improve understanding of critical child first aid measures.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Emergency Medicine
- Public Health
Background:
- The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) provides crucial first aid guidelines for managing common childhood illnesses and injuries.
- Parental knowledge of these guidelines is essential for timely and effective emergency care.
- Previous assessments of parental first aid knowledge are limited.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the level of knowledge among parents regarding the AAP's first aid guidelines for pediatric emergencies.
- To identify specific areas where parental understanding of first aid is lacking.
Main Methods:
- A descriptive survey design was employed.
- A convenience sample of 654 parents presenting to an emergency department completed a multiple-choice questionnaire.
- Data analysis included descriptive statistics and chi-squared tests.
Main Results:
- No parents answered all questions correctly; on average, participants were familiar with only 60% of the guidelines.
- Significant knowledge gaps were observed in areas such as bee sting management (36% aware), wound care (79% believed drying wounds was beneficial), burn management (43% aware of covering victims), and tick bite protocols (47% aware of seeking medical attention).
- Parental age, gender, and education level did not significantly impact their first aid knowledge.
Conclusions:
- A substantial proportion of parents are unaware of key AAP first aid recommendations for children.
- Misconceptions, such as the belief that wounds should be dried, are prevalent.
- There is a clear need for enhanced public education initiatives to improve parental knowledge and application of pediatric first aid practices.
Objective:
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has published simple guidelines for the first aid management of ill or injured children. We determined knowledge of these first aid practices in parents.
Methods:
Design-Descriptive survey.
Participants:
A convenience sample of adult parents presenting to the emergency department.
Survey Instrument:
Standardized collection of demographics was performed and adults were given a multiple-choice questionnaire concerning the proper management of stings and bites, burns and scalds, eye injuries, fractures and sprains, fever, head injuries, fainting, poisoning, dental emergencies, nosebleeds, seizures, and skin wounds.
Outcomes:
Percentage of adults responding to questions appropriately based on AAP guidelines.
Data Analysis:
Descriptive statistics and chi2 tests.
Results:
Six hundred fifty-four adults were surveyed. Mean age (SD) was 38.5 (13.8), 56% were female, 69% were white, 56% had at least a high school education. None of those surveyed answered all questions correctly with roughly half being familiar with 60% of the questions. Knowledge of specific guidelines ranged from 21% to 92%. Subjects especially lacked knowledge regarding the need to rapidly remove all bee stingers (only 36% aware); keep wounds moist and covered (79% felt that drying wounds was beneficial); the need to cover victims of large burns (only 43% aware); and the need to seek medical attention after tick bites (only 47% aware). Knowledge was unaffected by age, gender, and education.
Conclusions:
Many adults are unfamiliar with AAP first aid measures according to the AAP guidelines and most believe that wounds should be allowed to dry. Further education is required to improve knowledge of first aid practices.
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