Many children are celebrating the start of summer break and families will be gearing up for road trips and fun in the sun. As the exclusive ground emergency medical services (EMS) provider for Washoe County, Nevada, REMSA Health wants to ensure everyone stays safe this summer and is providing information to raise awareness of the dangers of children being in hot cars and heat-related illnesses in children.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, approximately 40 children a year die from heatstroke, either because they were left or became trapped in a car. The majority of hot car deaths – 53% – happen because someone forgets a child in a car. Additionally, a child’s body temperature rises three to five times faster than an adult’s, making them more at risk for heat-related illnesses, such as heat stroke.
REMSA Health offers tips to help families avoid the danger of children being in hot cars:
- Use the “look before you lock” rule to establish safe habits while driving with children.
- As you’re getting out of your car, train yourself to look in your back seat every time you leave your car to ensure children aren’t there.
- Fatalities can also happen when children get trapped in a car without their parent’s or caregiver’s knowledge.
- It’s important to remind children that vehicles are not play areas.
- Keep your vehicle locked and keep your car keys out of reach at all times.
- If you ever see a child alone in a car, call 9-1-1 immediately and work quickly to get them out.
- If the child shows signs of heat illness, cool them down until help arrives including moving them to a cool location, providing them water or an electrolyte beverage to drink, or applying ice packs on the head, neck, armpits and groin.
Summer temperatures often increase the risk for heat-related illnesses, making it especially important for parents and caregivers to be aware of the signs of heat-related illnesses in children who are more susceptible, and what to do if a child or someone is experiencing symptoms:
- Heat cramp symptoms include muscle cramping that is more intense and prolonged than regular cramps and usually occur in calves, arms and in the abdominal wall and back. Treatment includes resting, cooling off and drinking an electrolyte-containing sports drink.
- Heat exhaustion signs include more significant cramping, fatigue, headache, nausea or vomiting and dizziness or fainting. Other symptoms may include rapid and shallow breathing. Typically, you can treat heat exhaustion by having the person rest in a cool place and lay on their back with legs elevated higher than the heart. They should drink cool water and sports drinks. Loosen restrictive clothing and encourage them to take a cool shower. If symptoms don’t subside within one hour, they should seek prompt medical care.
- Heatstroke is the most serious heat illness and can be fatal. Heatstroke symptoms in children include fussiness, vomiting, and skin that is hot, red and flushed, but not sweaty. If any of these signs or symptoms are present, call 9-1-1 immediately and begin to cool the person down by spraying them with a hose, submerging them in a tub of cool water, fanning and misting or applying ice packs on the head, neck, armpits and groin.
Find more summer safety tips and information at REMSAHealth.com/news.
About REMSA Health and Care Flight
REMSA Health is a private, non-profit community organization which provides a full range of innovative healthcare services outside of the hospital setting. We are funded only by user fees, with no local tax subsidies. REMSA Health provides Washoe County’s 420,000+ residents with 24/7 ambulance services. Care Flight, a service of REMSA Health, provides critical care transport services via ground and air ambulance across the western United States. REMSA Health includes an internationally accredited Regional Emergency Communications Center, a Nevada-licensed Center for Integrated Health and Community Education, an accredited Nurse Health Line, and special operations and special events teams. REMSA Health: Care. Community. Innovation. For more information, visit www.remsahealth.com.
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