Emergency Care

Spotting an Emergency

Many minor injuries can be treated with therapy at home or at your Hemophilia Treatment Centre (HTC). But some need treatment at a hospital emergency department (ER).

For parents, bring your child to the ER if:

• He has a bleed and is not on home infusion
• He is on home infusion but you can't access the vein
• He has a serious head, neck, chest or abdominal injury
• He has an uncontrollable nose bleed (more than 30 minutes)
• There is blood in his stool
• He is vomiting blood
• He has numbness in an arm or leg
• He has any kind of unusual bleeding, such as in the groin
• He has had an accident with trauma
• She has uncontrollable vaginal bleeding

If you are unsure about whether you should go to the hospital, call your doctor or HTC.

Emergency Card

Whether you have mild or severe hemophilia, the AHCDC (Association of Hemophilia Clinic Directors of Canada) recommends carrying documentation that identifies your bleeding disorder and indicates the appropriate steps to take in an emergency. For those who require factor therapy in emergency the Canadian Hemophilia Foundation has developed the Factor First Card, which can be downloaded here Factor First Card. An emergency wallet card should contain important patient information including details on diagnosis and treatment guidelines and contact names and phone numbers of the patient’s HTC.

Planning Ahead as a Parent

If you have other children, set up an emergency babysitting plan with a relative, friend, or neighbour.

Know about your child’s disorder. You should know what the treatment is, including the usual dosage required.

Have your child wear a MedicAlert® bracelet so that hospital workers will know he has hemophilia and what type.

Visit www.medicalert.ca today, if you or your child would like to learn more about MedicAlert®.

Prepare an ER Bag, including:

• Medication, such as clotting Factor and infusion supplies
• An ice pack to place on a bleeding joint on the way to the hospital
• An emergency card
• Names and phone numbers for your child’s hematologist, pediatrician, or HTC
• Snacks, toys, books, and favorite blankets or stuffed animals