Transporting a child by ambulance

Transporting a child by ambulance

Among all the missions that an ambulance service can be called upon to perform, the most difficult one probably remains the Transport of a child by ambulance. In addition to taking care of the child, it will also be necessary in most cases to reassure the parents, who are most of the time panicked and this is understandable. In addition, the child most of the time feels the nervousness and distress of his parents, which does not help the situation when we approach him since we are also strangers to him and we must approach him to improve his condition.

Before transporting a child by ambulance, it is therefore important to start by approaching him gently and putting him at ease, asking his first name, telling him ours, explaining to him exactly what we are going to do, removing any form of stress if possible, speaking to him calmly and seeing if he complains of pain, etc. Then reassure the parents, their stress can be transmitted to the child and complicate things, explain to them clearly what we are going to do to take care of the child, if the child can be taken in the arms according to his age it is preferable that the mother can hold him so that he feels safe.

A child does not react like an adult, he needs to feel a known presence near him, preferably the father or mother, which is why when transporting a child by ambulance we always favor the accompaniment of one of the parents and if possible near the child in the sanitary cabin, the safer the child feels, the easier it will be to provide care.

You should never lie to the child, if for example he has to have an injection it is better to tell him the truth, admit that it will sting him but explain to him that it is necessary and why, when transporting a child by ambulance a pediatrician will be with the paramedics to administer the necessary care, it will then be he who will manage the situation, in some cases this pediatrician will join us either at home or at a junction point between it and the destination hospital, in the meantime our role will be mainly to console and explain the situation well to the child and the parents.

Bringing a comforter, depending on their age, can sometimes calm the child, so we have small teddy bears on board our pediatric ambulances, a simple gesture can sometimes reassure children much faster than adults, however the child will react differently to strangers, hence the importance of being very attentive to their condition, speaking to them with maximum gentleness, showing them that you are addressing their parents with the same gentleness, these gestures may seem trivial but are of great importance for the rest of the transport and for the child. Our service is at your disposal if you have any questions, so do not hesitate to contact our services.