(NewsNation) — Burns, dehydration, heatstroke, swimming accidents and more will keep hospital emergency rooms busy between now and Labor Day – what ER doctors and nurses call “trauma season.”
“(It’s) the season when the weather turns nice, the daylight lasts longer, and everyone’s thoughts turn to fun and frolic … But not to safety,” said Dr. Brad Curt, a neurosurgeon with The Mayfield Clinic in Cincinnati.
Curt says the most frequent victims of trauma season appear to be adolescents and young adults “probably because they are more likely to be fun-seekers and risk-takers.”
“Also – and they do not like to hear this – members of that age group do not have the mature judgment that comes with more life experiences,” he added.
Motor vehicles of all types are the source of many trauma season injuries, according to Dr. Gary Wease of Trinity Hospital in Minot, ND.
“Accidents involving all-terrain and off-highway vehicles are always a concern,” Wease said. “Off-roading can be a fun recreational activity, but ATVs can be unstable and hard to control, particularly at high speeds. Rollovers and collisions happen and often lead to an emergency-room visit.”
Health professionals are quick to offer advice to keep you and your loved ones out of the ER:
- Drink more water to stay hydrated, especially if you’re drinking alcohol. The best rule is to drink one glass of water for every beer, wine or cocktail.
- Respect the barbecue, campfire or fire pit. Use long-handled tools when cooking and stay at least three feet away when you’re just watching.
- Don’t go in the water if you don’t know how to swim, stay in areas where there’s a lifeguard, and don’t swim alone.
- Learn CPR. Free classes are available everywhere.
- Keep the car locked and the keys or fobs away from where young children might find them.
And when it comes to finding your kids, Sharon Rengers, a nurse at Norton Healthcare in Louisville, Kentucky has some simple advice:
“Always remember: if your kids are missing, look in a pool (first), and look in a car second.”