The signs of SEPSIS and other serious reactions

IT’S not just accidents acc such as falls and fractures that children may encounter. They can also suffer allergies and infections that could become serious. Here’s how to react to five common concerns.

ALLERGIC REACTIONS

An Allergy is an abnormal reaction to an allergen or ‘trigger’. One of the most common is pollen, causing hay fever. Others include animal hair, bee stings, medication (especially penicillin) and food such as nuts and shellfish.

Allergies are when the body has an abnormal immune reaction to a normally harmless substance, mistaking it for a threat.

SYMPTOMS

Red blotchy skin Itchiness Difficulty breathing Swelling of hands, face or feet Abdominal pain, vomiting and diarrhoea

WHAT TO DO

Assess the child’s symptoms. If they are old enough to talk, ask if they have a known allergy. Separate them from the trigger. Treat the symptoms. If it’s a known allergy and the child has medication, help them take it.

Seek medical assistance.

ASTHMA ATTACK

DURING an asthma attack, the muscles of the air passages go into spasm and the airways narrow, making breathing difficult. Sometimes, but not always, there is a known trigger, such as a cold, a drug or an allergy.

SYMPTOMS

Wheezing and coughing Anxiety Difficulty breathing or speaking

Blue-grey tinge to lips, earlobes or nailbeds

A severe attack will also result in exhaustion

WHAT TO DO

reassure them and help them use their reliever inhaler. If no inhaler, call 999 or 112. Sit them down and ask them to breathe slowly and deeply.

If the attack does not ease, advise one to two puffs of the reliever inhaler every two minutes for up to ten puffs.

If they don’t improve, call 999 and monitor until help arrives.

CROUP

CROUP is an inflamed windpipe and voice box, often developing from a cold or cough.

SYMPTOMS

Distinctive short barking cough — often likened to a seal’s bark

Difficulty breathing Flushed appearance Distress Blocked or runny nose as it often follows a cold

WHAT TO DO

Sit the child on your knees, supporting their back in order to reassure them and help them breathe regularly.

If croup is severe, with a high temperature, call 999 or 112.

There is a small risk they may have a rare but similar condition called epiglottitis. The epiglottis is a flap of tissue at the base of the tongue which keeps food from going down the windpipe when swallowing. If this gets infected and swollen it can block the airway. If you suspect epiglottitis you should call 999 or 112.

Monitor breathing and responsiveness until emergency help arrives.

SEPSIS

SEPSIS ( also known as septicaemia or blood poisoning) is a potentially life-threatening condition affecting 25,000 children in the UK each year. It is the immune system’s overreaction to an infection or injury. If not treated immediately, sepsis can result in organ failure and death. yet with early diagnosis, it can be treated with antibiotics.

Sepsis is most commonly caused by a bacterial infection. It can develop as a complication of meningitis but sometimes doctors cannot find the source of the infection.

Sepsis can initially look like flu, gastroenteritis or a chest infection.

If your child is ill with a fever, very low temperature, or has had a fever in the last 24 hours, it is possible they have sepsis. There is no one sign, and symptoms in children can appear different from those in adults.

SYMPTOMS: UNDER FIVE

Not feeding Vomiting repeatedly Has not passed urine for 12 hours

SYMPTOMS: FIVE AND OVER

Rapid breathing Has a ‘fit’ or a convulsion Mottled, blue-ish or pale Has a rash that does not fade when you press it Lethargic or hard to wake Feels abnormally cold to the touch

WHAT TO DO

Call 999 or 112 immediately. Try to reassure the child. Cover them with a blanket if they feel cold while waiting for help to arrive.