Scouting injuries at camp

[peewee]

I am putting together a roundtable topic "scouting injuries at camp and - What leaders should know". What I would like is if you could list some injuries that happened to your group,did you have the right first aid supplies, training or infomation that you can share to scout leaders old and new. R.M.

[Eamonn]

Looking back at the injuries that OJ has suffered, I thank the Good Lord that they have all been small: Insect bites and Bee Stings,Twisted Ankle,Black Eye (Twit, walked into a tree!!)Split Lip (Bit it while playing Frisbee)

Worst injury at camp over the past few years was a broken collar bone. Tree limb fell on a tent with two Lads sleeping. One Lad came away without a scratch the other had the broken collar bone. Camp First aid team led by a EMT managed the situation well till the Lad was transported by ambulance to the local hospital.

Eamonn.

[scoutldr]

At our camp, the most injuries came from the weekly Staff/Scoutmaster softball game. Softball is now a banned activity, but it sure was fun! Other stuff is pretty minor...bug bites, poison ivy, sunburn, scrapes from the pool deck concrete, etc. Dining hall staff are subject to burns and cuts. Simple rules can prevent a lot of pain...no running in camp, buddy system, sanitation, totin chip enforcement, sunscreen, hydration, limit junk food, thunderstorm safety, adult supervision at aquatics and climbing areas, etc. Review the G2SS for more ideas.

 

 

[le Voyageur]

 

For high adventure activities where you're in remote settings some distant away from camp, or medical help;I've come to the conculsion that most first aid kits are ok for the run of the mill stuff....but beyound that, they're fairly useless. ....Thus, I'm in agreement with NOLS when it comes to risk management..believe me, it's a good feeling going through a whole summer without dipping into the first aid box, and no entries in the first aid log....

 

[frank10]

Back in 1980, we had a scout shatter his hip at a Klondike Derby...

 

Don't know about the supples and training, mostly I just layed in the snow and moaned. Worse part is that they tried to disqualify my patrol because they finished the sled rece one man short of what they started with. In the end we got all five gold nuggets.

[dsteele]

Trying to help with the roundtable presentation regarding what unit leaders should know in the event of injury at camp:

 

1) Have copies of the medical forms (the one on the back of the youth application will suffice) complete with parent signature for every minor on the trip. Have these in your physical possession.

 

Without the permission to treat, any hospital will not treat the patient (other than lifesaving measures) until the parent has been contacted. With it, it's usually not an issue.

 

2) Have a basic first aid kit. If the basic first aid kit won't do the required job, get other help immediately.

 

3) Have an emergency communications plan. If Billy gets hurt, how do you reach a parent quickly. I've had it happen where Mom and Dad went to visit a friend while their son was on a weekend campout. The kid needed stitches, the Scoutmaster didn't have the medical form, and it took three hours to hunt down one of the parents.

 

4) Don't live in fear of a kid getting injured. It happens.

 

5) If a kid does get injured and your unit has followed the Guide to Safe Scouting (which also happens) don't beat yourself up. Just get him the best treatment you can.

 

Unc.

[LauraT7]

Just have the parent come up with every odd injury they have ever heard of a kid doing - it's bound to happen again to somebody!

 

injuries i've heard of : ( not all in our troop, thank heaven! we've actually had very few injuries, most solved with a basic first aid kit and Mrs t's 'expanded' stuff)

 

Broken bones - usually arms, collarbones, shins - once a knee and an ankle - both on caving expiditions.

 

Scrapes - lots of them. Make sure you have plenty of wipes or liquid available and soap to wash them, and gauze pads and tape to keep the dirt out until they get a scab over it. after that - leave 'em open.

 

Our worst was a rope burn - the kids (i wasn't there this time) made a rope swing out of jute rope, and one kid slid down it in shorts - he had a hard time walking for a week! - his mom was the overprotective type ( which is why this kid didn't know any better in the first place) and blew her top when she saw him on parents' night.

 

Heat rash/ ringworm, jock itch! -

 

we had one really hot, sticky week at camp where every kid got a rash or ringworm, or something from constantly being in damp clothes, either from not changing out of their swim stuff, or constantly having waterfights to cool off. Most of them ended up with a rash on their feet or jock itch. I always carry ointment and powder, and have been know to make a run into town to do laundry for the boys, so they would have clean DRY undies and socks - esp if we have a damp week. Our older boys have learned the hard way to change clothes ALOT winter and summer.

 

Bug bites - I always carry benadryl gel. if you get int on a bite ASAP it is not nearly as itchy - esp if you are particularly affected by bug bites like me!

 

Aloe and sunburn lotion.

zinc for noses and high SPF suntan lotion.

 

Rather than have the boys each carry their own on a hiking or canoe trip, take a lesson from the schools -

 

Each year the teacher asks each kid to bring in a box of kleenex and other classroom 'essentials.' but instead of each kid using their own, the treacher store them and pull out one as needed for the whole class.

 

We ask parents to donate stuff like suntan lotion, baby wipes, bar soap, even travel size soaps, shampoo, toothpaste - that way on a small group trip, people don't waste weight carrying all their own items. we share. Unless someone has a particular preference, then they can bring their own.

 

I also always carry myself over-the-counter things like advil, pepto-bismol, immodium, benadryl gel, contact lens saline (good for getting stuff out of kids eyes) antibiotic and anti-itch ointments - things like that. I never GIVE these things without consulting a parent first - so I also carry a cell phone. But those items have saved a kids (or parent's!) weekend many times!

 

laura

[Vicki]

We have taken a page from the schools' book - when we get an updated medical, we also have a form the parents sign giving us permission to give them normal OTC stuff like Advil or Tylenol and put down the dose.

 

Also, and you'll howl at this one - when it comes to chafing and jock itch, somehow (lost in the mists of time), someone discovered that Vagisil is the best thing going for treatment. No, I am not kidding or pulling your leg. Try it in secret next time, if you don't believe me:

[Eagledad]

Hi All

 

Weve had a couple broken arms, cuts, and things like that. Many of those injuries came from wrestling around. Boys love to wrestle. The cut was just plain stupid. But blisters are one injury Ive seen cause a lot of concern because we are usually in the middle of Gods country when they occur. I can usually stop them if the scout lets us know early enough, but if they let them get too far along, the scout has a miserable trip.

 

Barry

 

[SemperParatus]

Vicki,

 

Thanks for the tip...but I think I'm going to have pass on that one.

 

'Hold up thar boys, I got me a lil' chafing goin' on here...anybody seem my vagicil?'

[Vicki]

Semper, your loss:

[crgholthus]

My wife threatened to take away the vagisil,& hide it(two tubes in my first aid kit!!) It works. just put white med tape over the label,& mark it Man itch cream

[NIscouter]

Our troop had a pull up type rope swing (don't know the proper name for it) set up at scout camp a few years ago (before I was active). A boy was pulled up and dropped to the ground (I guess a few of the boys thought this was a "fun" thing to do to him), and he broke his upper thigh bone. It was deduced that one of the factors in this was the lack of adults at the campsite. We now make sure a duty roster for daily campsite supervision is set for the adults (and no more rope swings).