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Archive: Jun 2017

Fireworks Safety Tips

Fireworks are a staple for Fourth of July celebrations in the U.S. However, the thrill of fireworks can be dangerous. On average, 230 people visit the emergency room every day with fireworks-related injuries in the weeks around July 4th. Most of these injuries are to the hands and fingers. Fireworks can also cause serious injuries to your eyes. Typical fireworks injuries can be caused by firecrackers, bottle rockets sparklers and more.

Here are some Fourth of July safety tips that are useful for everyone:

Kids

  • Never allow young children to play with or ignite fireworks. If older children are playing with fireworks, always have adult supervision.
  • If you give kids sparklers, make sure they keep them outside and away from the face, clothing, and hair. Sparklers can reach upwards of 1,800° F – hot enough to melt metal!
  • Keep children at a safe distance when attending a professional fireworks show, but use this tip even more so when they are around backyard shows.
  • If a child is injured by fireworks, immediately go to a doctor or hospital. If an eye injury occurs, don’t allow your child to touch or rub it, as this may cause even more damage.

Pets

  • The safest place for your pet is inside your home, not in a crowded, unfamiliar park or a noisy backyard.
  • Provide a safe spot from loud noises. Preferably an area that is escape-proof, as animal control officers note a steep increase in lost pets this time of the year.
  • Have your pet properly identified. This include an up-to-date identification tag, microchip, and picture.
  • Keep emergency contact information handy in the event that your pet is injured.

At Professional Displays

  • ALWAYS mind any barriers, signs, or warnings stating to remain out of certain areas, you may be setting up camp in a fallout area where debris may land.
  • If there are some debris that finds its way to spectator areas, do not touch it. The debris could still be hot or “active.”

General Safety Tips

  • Never place any part of your body directly over a fireworks device when lighting the fuse. Back up to a safe distance immediately after lighting fireworks.
  • Never try to re-light or pick up fireworks that have not ignited fully. Wait 20 minutes then place them in a bucket of water.
  • Keep a bucket of water or a garden hose (or fire extinguisher, if trained) handy in case of fire.
  • Never carry fireworks in a pocket or shoot them off in metal or glass containers.
  • Only buy fireworks marked BS 7114 or CE Marked (EN 15947).
  • Ensure spectators are kept at a safe distance from where the fireworks are being set off.
  • Alcohol and fireworks never mix.
  • Never try to make your own fireworks.
  • Point fireworks away from homes, and keep away from brush and leaves and other flammable substances. The National Fire Protection Association estimates that local fire departments respond to more than 50,000 fires caused by fireworks each year.
  • After fireworks complete their burning, douse it with plenty of water before discarding it to prevent a trash fire.

Given the risks involved with consumer fireworks, you might want to simply be a spectator this Fourth of July; kick back, and let the professionals handle the thrilling experience. Either way, stay safe this weekend!

For even more information about fireworks safety, visit the National Council on Fireworks Safety website.

Be Wary of Heat Exhaustion

Warmer weather is here to stay for a while! Summertime allows us to enjoy a lot of fun outdoor activities (swimming, biking, boating, etc.) as well as some activities that might be considered less enjoyable (mowing, pulling weeds, etc.). However, whether you’re out enjoying what Mother Nature has to offer or you’re simply taking care of the chores, it makes sense to stay cool.

When the temperatures rise in the spring and early summer, it can take some time for our bodies to adjust to the hot weather. If you’re not careful, you may find yourself experiencing heat exhaustion. Heat exhaustion can be dangerous and possibly lead to heat stroke. However, it is predictable and preventable. Heat exhaustion happens when your body gets overheated, and it can be caused by excessive physical exercise or simply by extremely hot weather conditions.

Some of the symptoms you may experience are:

  • Heavy sweating
  • Feeling weak and/or confused
  • Dizziness
  • Nausea
  • Headache
  • Fast heartbeat
  • Dark-colored urine, which indicates dehydration

As with any health concern, be sure to contact your physician if you experience any of the symptoms above. Also, if you’re at an increased risk, take extra precautions. High-risk groups include infants young children, those who are physically ill, those who are 65 and older, and those that take certain medications.

Here are some tips you can take to avoid the heat when you’re out enjoying the summer weather:

  • Drink plenty of fluids. Don’t wait until you’re thirsty to drink. Staying hydrated will help your body sweat, and that will help you maintain a healthy body temperature.
  • Avoid alcoholic or caffeinated beverages. I know it said to drink plenty of fluids, but these types of drinks can actually cause you to lose additional body fluids.
  • Wear light-weight, loose-fitting clothing. Wearing clothing that fits tightly or excess clothing will keep your body from cooling itself properly.
  • Limit your outdoor activity to morning and evening hours. Try to schedule exercise or physical labor for cooler parts of the day, if possible.
  • Take frequent breaks. If you can’t avoid strenuous activity during the hot weather, take frequent breaks in a cool or shaded area to help regulate your body temperature.

Most heat-related illness and dehydration syndromes are preventable by using common sense and the tips listed above. Summertime is a great time to make memories with friends and family, so make sure you stay cool to make the most of your outdoor activities.

ER vs. Urgent Care

All too often, illness or injury appear out of the blue: you wake up in the middle of the night with intense abdominal pain. You stumble while carrying groceries up a flight of stairs, and can no longer put weight on your swollen ankle. Or your child spikes a high fever on the weekend.

When these situations occur, we’re often faced with uncertainty about where to go for care, especially if the symptoms seem severe and our regular doctor’s office is closed.

While the answer is not always simple, knowing the difference between urgent care and emergency care and where to seek treatment could save you both time and money.

Urgent care clinics help fill a vital gap when you become sick or injured, but your regular doctor is not available and you can’t wait for an appointment. If you sudden illness or injury is something you would normally feel comfortable addressing with your primary care doctor, then an urgent care setting is probably more appropriate than the emergency room.

Hospital emergency departments provide medical care at any time, day or night. However, unlike urgent care centers, they are equipped and staffed for even the most complex or critical needs, including life- and limb-threatening situations ranging from heart attack and stroke to traumatic injuries following a car accident.

Cost

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Americans made 136.1 million visits to one of the country’s nearly 5,000 emergency rooms in 2012. It is estimated that more than $18 billion could be saved annually if those patients whose medical problems are considered “avoidable” or “non-urgent” were to take advantage of primary or preventive health care and not rely on ERs for their medical needs.

The cost difference alone should be enough to encourage people to go to urgent care centers. The average urgent care visits range from $50 – $150, depending on the patient’s co-pay and level of treatment. Uninsured patients face additional charges for things like x-rays, shots, lab tests or casting a broken bone.

Average emergency room costs vary wildly based on treatment, but a 2013 National Institute of Health study put the median cost at $1,233. Other estimates push it as high as $2,168.

The bottom line is that an urgent care visit is substantially cheaper than an emergency room visit.

Time

Then there is a time factor. Patients at urgent center care are seen on a first-come, first-serve basis and average less than 30 minutes from the time they arrive until they depart. Emergency rooms treat patients based on the severity of condition. Patients with life-threatening injuries go first. The average time for arrival to departure is 2 hours and 15 minutes.

Time for the ER

Symptoms that are best evaluated in an emergency room include:

  • Persistent chest pain, especially if it radiates to your arm or jaw or is accompanies by sweating, vomiting or shortness of breath
  • Difficult breathing
  • Any severe pain, particularly in the abdomen or starting halfway down the back
  • Sudden clumsiness, loss of balance or fainting
  • Sudden difficulty speaking, or trouble understanding speech
  • Altered mental status or confusion, including suicidal thoughts
  • Sudden weakness or paralysis, especially on one side of the face or body
  • Severe heat palpitations
  • Sudden, severe headache
  • Sudden testicular pain and swelling
  • Newborn baby with a fever (a baby less than 3 months old with a temperature of 100.4 degrees or higher needs to be seen right away)
  • Falls that case injury or occur while taking blood thinning medications
  • Sudden vision changes, including blurred or double vision and full or partial vision loss
  • Broken bones or dislocated joints
  • Deep, severe cuts that require stitches – especially on the face – or a large open wound that won’t stop bleeding
  • Head or eye injuries
  • High fevers or fevers with rash
  • Vaginal bleeding during pregnancy
  • Severe and persistent vomiting or diarrhea
  • Serious burns
  • Seizures without a previous diagnosis of epilepsy

Urgent Care is not Emergency Care

A study conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics found that among patients who had visited the emergency room but were not admitted to the hospital, 48% went there because their doctor’s office was not open.

Urgent care centers are same-day clinics that can handle a variety of medical problems that need to be treated right away, but are not considered true emergencies. Symptoms that can be evaluated and treated at an urgent care clinic include:

  • Fever without rash
  • Ear pain
  • Painful urination
  • Persistent diarrhea
  • Sore throat
  • Vomiting
  • Minor trauma such as common sprain or shallow cut

If your symptoms come on gradually or you already know the diagnosis, it’s worth calling your primary care doctor’s office to see if you can get a same-day appointment. After all, your primary care doctor knows your health history, including what treatments have worked best int the past and whether you have other medical conditions that need to be taken into consideration.

But if the situation is life threatening or the person is showing symptoms for a life threatening condition such as difficulty breathing, unconscious or unresponsive, call 911 or get to your nearest emergency room.

 

National Safety Month 2017

National Safety Month 2017 has begun. The National Safety Council and its member companies mark June each year and the month has several themes each year.

National Safety Month is focused on reducing the leading causes of injuries and deaths at work, on the road, and in Americans’ homes and communities.

The National Safety Council offers downloadable resources highlighting the month’s lineup of safety topics:

  • Week 1: Stand Up for Falls
  • Week 2: Recharge to Be in Charge (Focusing on Fatigue)
  • Week 3: Prepare for Active Shooters
  • Week 4: Don’t just Sit There (Focusing on Ergonomics)

For more information and access to downloadable materials to use, click here.

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