The holidays are a joyous time, but this time of year can also be very dangerous. Check out the post below to learn how to handle any emergency that might occur during the holiday season.
In Case of Emergency: How to Survive A Holiday Accident
The holiday season can be the most wonderful time of the year, but it can quickly turn into one of the worst as well. While most people enjoy the festivities with their loved ones, many others, unfortunately, wind up in the hospital or emergency rooms because of horrific accidents or sudden illnesses that, most of the time, could have been prevented.
Getting terribly sick or having an accident is one of the worst things that could happen during the holidays, but every year, more than 80 thousand people get hospitalized. Oftentimes, these accidents are caused by small decisions that lead to big problems, like leaving a lit candle, using the wrong ladder, or overloading the socket with too many power connections, which can supposedly be avoided with common sense.
Preventing these accidents from happening should always be the priority, but what should you do if you do get into an emergency situation?
House Fires
Candles, Christmas lights, dry Christmas trees, and circuits can cause household fires if not given proper attention. In the event of a fire, move away from the heat source, smother the fires with a blanket, and use a fire extinguisher if you have one. If someone is on fire, have him stop, drop, cover, and roll.
For burn injuries, apply cold, running water to the area for 20 minutes. If you do not have access to running water, alternate two wet clothes on the person's skin. Do not use ice or cream. Remove clothing and jewelry from the burn area. Seek medical attention for burns bigger than the size of a 20c piece or if the burn blisters.
Traffic Accidents
During the holidays, many accidents occur on the road. If you happen to come across an auto accident, park at a safe distance and turn off the engine before going out to help. Call for help. Check to see if anyone is injured, and move the casualty only if the person is in immediate danger. Unnecessarily moving injured people may cause splint fractures.
Place the unconscious victim in a side position and check the ABCs (airway, breathing, and circulation through the pulse). Check for bleeding, and if there is, try to control it with direct pressure. Also, check for indications of shock. Stay with casualties until emergency services arrive.
Poisoning
Did you know that mistletoe and poinsettias are also poisonous upon ingestion? Many people, especially children, fall victim to poisoning during the holidays. In fact, 52 children visited to the hospital for swallowing cologne bottle contents.
Call for medical aid immediately. While still at home, monitor the victim’s airway, breathing, and pulse. Determine how much the victim ingested, and do not encourage vomiting unless instructed by the National Poison Control Center. If the victim throws up, save the vomit, this may sound gross but it may help the medical team identify what drug is necessary to reverse the poisoning.
Falls
According to the National Fire Protection Association, two to three people per hour visited the ER for fall-related injuries in 2011, totaling more than 5,800 injuries during the holiday season. The majority of the falls happened outdoors while hanging decorations and lights.
When a person falls, immediately check for consciousness, broken bones, bleeding, and seizures. If the fall was bad, do not allow them to move until you have checked that the upper part of the body is injury-free. If the victim becomes unconscious, sleepy, vomiting, having difficulty breathing, and complains of intense pain, seek help immediately.
Looking for more holiday survival tips? Check out the posts below:
- Emergency Preparedness | Is 72 Hours Enough?
- Traveling for the Holidays? Make Sure You’re Prepared
- 10 Surprisingly Simple Things That Save Lives
About the author: Melissa Page is a passionate writer and social media contributor who works with Staff Care, an AMN Healthcare company and leader in locum tenens staffing. When she isn’t busy writing, she’s playing bowling with close friends.
Auto Accidents – moving the injured unnecessarily may cause paralysis due to spinal injuries being moved around unstabilized. I don’t know what “splint fractures” are and I have been a wilderness EMT and am current in wilderness advanced first aid.