Surviving an Iowa Summer
Keep Your Patients Safe
During Peak Injury Season
A Texas man was rushed to the Emergency Room after being stabbed in the abdomen at a family barbecue.
While the ER staff was examining the injury, the man coughed, and his entire dinner began gushing from the wound. The staff spent 20 minutes suturing the hole in the man's stomach and picking barbecue and corn out of his intestine.
The particular health risks associated with summertime present some unique challenges to healthcare workers. ER visits surge around summer holiday weekends, many involving children. The higher injury risk is commonly associated with increased daylight hours and popular outdoor activities, such as fireworks, swimming, and cookouts.
Lazy, Hazy, Crazy (and Risky) Days
The most common summertime injuries and illnesses requiring emergency care include:
Bicycle injuries: Biking accidents can cause serious damage like head trauma, broken bones, bruises, and lacerations.
Paws to Consider
Leaving an animal in a hot car is prohibited in 31 states. Unfortunately, Iowa is not one of them.
The inside of a vehicle parked in the hot sun can reach 120 degrees in a matter of minutes, causing an animal to suffer heat stroke, brain damage, or even death.
If you encounter an animal trapped in a hot car, The Humane Society recommends the following:
- Note the vehicle's make, model, and license plate number.
- Immediately notify any nearby businesses so they can attempt to locate the car's owner.
- If the owner can't be found, call the non-emergency number of the local animal control or police. Then, wait by the car for them to arrive.
Source: Humane Society
Drowning: Swimming is a particularly high-risk summertime activity for kids. According to the CDC, drowning is the primary cause of death for children ages 1 through 4 and the second-leading cause of injury-related fatalities in older children.
Burns: Summer activities such as grilling, bonfires and fireworks are notorious for causing severe burns in children and adults. In 2022, an estimated 10,200 fireworks-related injuries required emergency care.
Sun-related illnesses: There's more than one way to get burned. Excessive sun exposure causes severe heat-related illnesses like extreme sunburn, blistering, heat stroke, heat exhaustion, and heat cramps. (See "Is It Hot in Here?" below.)
Orthopedic injuries: Summer means outdoor sports and recreational activities. Soccer, basketball, baseball, and football involve sudden twisting or pivoting movements that can place excessive stress on the knee joint, resulting in anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries. Other common orthopedic injuries include rotator cuff tears, muscle strains, and golfer's/tennis elbow.
ATV accidents: Crashes on all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) result in more than 800 deaths and an estimated 100,000 ER visits every year.
Spread the Word
You can help your patients minimize summertime injuries by identifying the common causes for these incidents and sharing a few summer safety tips.
- Encourage cyclists and ATV enthusiasts to wear protective gear like helmets, knee pads, leather gloves, and goggles.
- Remind parents of small children to closely supervise them around pools, lakes, fires, and outdoor grills.
- Regarding fireworks, advise patients never to ignite fireworks while impaired by alcohol or drugs, light only one device at a time while maintaining a safe distance from people and buildings, use protective eyewear, and keep a bucket of water handy.
- Encourage patients to use sunscreen, sunglasses, and a wide-brimmed hat to protect against the sun's harmful rays.
- Summertime in Iowa means bugs, so advise patients to wear insect repellent, keep their lawns trimmed, and check themselves for ticks before coming inside. Note: A "bullseye rash" (a ring around the bite) is a classic sign of Lyme Disease and requires immediate medical attention.
- Advise patients to always warm up before engaging in rigorous physical activity.
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Is It Hot in Here?
Iowa summer is hot -- sometimes extremely hot.
Heat is the top weather-related killer in the United States. In 2022, more than 1,000 Iowans were treated for heat-related illnesses, 49 of whom required hospitalization. Overexertion on a hot day and too much sun exposure can push the body beyond its limits. The combination of extreme heat and humidity slows evaporation, straining the body to maintain a normal temperature.
Offering your patients the following reminders can help prevent heat-related illnesses:
- Plan outdoor activities for the cooler morning or evening hours.
- Drink plenty of fluids before feeling thirsty, and eat plenty of fruits.
- Avoid alcohol and energy drinks, as these encourage dehydration.
- Know the signs of heat-related illness: headache, thirst, nausea or vomiting, weakness, dizziness, confusion, or fainting. Anyone experiencing these symptoms should be moved to a cool place, clothes loosened, and a cool compress applied. If in doubt, call 911 immediately, as heat stroke is a medical emergency.
- Never leave a child in a hot car, even with open windows. The temperature inside a parked vehicle can quickly rise to a dangerous level for both humans and pets. (See sidebar, "Paws to Consider.”)
Smooth Sailing
As a healthcare provider, your patients rely on you to help them avoid summertime health risks. Your timely advice can prevent ER visits and ensure your patients’ memories of Summer 2024 are nothing but pleasant.
Sources:
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