DETROIT – Summer is the season of injuries in emergency rooms, and no one wants to spend a holiday weekend there.
Dr. Jason Vieder, vice chair of emergency medicine at Henry Ford Health, says most injuries they treat are traumatic in nature.
“People are falling or hurting themselves,” he said.
Dr. Vieder strongly recommends wearing helmets and other protective gear when riding bikes or motorcycles.
“I always kind of cringe when I’m on the road and I see someone riding a motorcycle in shorts and a T-shirt, because, you know, if something happens, those injuries are much more severe,” Vieder said.
With the Fourth of July approaching, emergency rooms are starting to see burns and other devastating injuries from fireworks. Vieder advises against using fireworks at home.
“I just refuse to do fireworks,” Vieder said. “I’d rather go somewhere like a city or township that does a fireworks display, and they do a great job, and they’re people who are doing it professionally. They understand how to do these things.”
Water safety is also critical during summer.
“You really cannot take your eye off a small child when you’re around a pool. Things can happen really fast. Not to make people feel paranoid, but you really got to be careful watching children around pools,” Vieder said.
WATER SAFETY IS ALSO CRITICAL.
He also sees many patients with severe sunburns, infected bug bites, and dehydration. He urges everyone to wear sunscreen and bug spray and take frequent breaks from the heat.
HE URGES EVERYONE TO WEAR SUNSCREEN AND BUG SPRAY... AND TAKE FREQUENT BREAKS FROM THE HEAT.
“In the emergency department, we do plan for the worst-case scenarios, and hopefully they don’t happen,” Vieder said. “But it’s more just about putting those extra couple of minutes of thought into some of these issues before you go out, and most likely, you’re not going to have to worry. But should something happen? At least you’re prepared.”
To help the community be more prepared for summer emergencies, free “First Aid Basics” classes will be offered Tuesday, July 15.
The classes, hosted by the Red Cross, will take place at the University of Michigan Dearborn, starting each hour from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Bring a friend or come by yourself. The hope is to see lots of people there ready to learn essential first aid skills.
Find out more here: Go 4 It: Learn First Aid Basics with a free 50-minute class