To a child
To yourself
1 Reassure
2Prepare spacer
3Deliver dose
CARING FOR A SICK PERSON
167
ADMINISTERING EARDROPS
To a child
• If the drops are being kept in the refrigerator,
allow them to warm to room temperature before using them.
• Lay the child on his side. Hold his
head firmly as you squeeze the drops into the ear canal.
• Keep his head still for a minute
to allow the eardrops to settle.
To yourself
• If the drops are being kept in the refrigerator, allow them to warm to room temperature before using them.
• Lie down or tilt your head and squeeze the ear drops into the ear canal.
• Keep your head still for a minute to allow the eardrops to settle.
Hold child’ s head still
GIVING ASTHMA MEDICATION TO CHILDREN
1 Reassure
• Stay calm and reassure the child or baby because he may be frightened by the mask.
• An asthma attack can be frightening not only for the child or baby but also for the adult caregiver.
2Prepare spacer
• Check that the inhaler is working by shaking it and depressing it once.
• Place the inhaler in the hole at one end of the spacer.
• Attach the mask( for a baby or young child) or mouthpiece( for an older child) to the other end of the spacer if it is not already in place.
3Deliver dose
• Sit the child or baby on your lap, place the mouthpiece in the child’ s mouth or the mask over the baby’ s face and depress the inhaler.
• Hold the spacer in place until the child or baby has taken five deep breaths, which should be sufficient to inhale all of the medicine.
Hold mask over baby’ s face
Depress inhaler
Spacer