British Red Cross - Learn First Aid for Asthma Attacks

British Red Cross | Learn First Aid for Asthma Attacks

With warmer weather finally here, the children in your care will hopefully be able to spend more time outdoors. But while children are running around excitedly, it’s important to keep an eye out for asthma attacks. Should a child in your care experience an asthma attack, it’s important to act quickly and calmly.  

If someone is having an asthma attack:

1. Help the person sit in a comfortable position and take their inhaler.

When someone has an asthma attack, their airways narrow, making it difficult for them to breathe. An inhaler relaxes the muscles, allowing the airways to expand and ease their breathing. 
If possible, a child having an asthma attack should use a spacer to help them take their medication. A spacer is a hollow cylinder that attaches to an inhaler. It can help a person having an asthma attack to take their medication more effectively.

2. Reassure the person. If the attack becomes severe, or they don't have their inhaler, call 999 as soon as possible.

A mild attack should ease within a few minutes. If it doesn’t, they can continue to take their inhaler. You should call 999 if they don’t have their inhaler, their inhaler has no effect, they are becoming worse or they become unable to talk. Do not leave them, in case the attack becomes severe quickly. If you can’t call 999, get someone else to do it.  

Good to know: updates to EYFS mealtime wording 

In March 2023, the Department for Education published a consultation response saying that it intends to change the wording in the Early Years Foundation Stage statutory framework. They intend the new wording to be explicit that ‘adequate supervision’ while children are eating means that children must always be in sight and hearing of a member of staff – not just within sight or hearing. The change is intended to come into force by September this year.

Make sure you and your staff feel confident to help if a child is choking or having a severe allergic reaction by training with a trusted first aid provider. Red Cross Training’s blended paediatric first aid course includes one day of online and one day of face-to-face training and can be booked here. You can also refresh your knowledge by downloading the free First aid by British Red Cross app.

The information in this article is provided by the British Red Cross and does not represent Morton Michel.