Posted: 6/22/2022
Accidents, injuries don’t take a vacation
The days are longer, temperatures have begun to creep up and family plans are well underway to escape the hustle and bustle of work and school. But officials with Parkland Health caution that accidents and injuries don’t take a vacation just because the calendar says it’s summer.
The excitement of family reunions, picnics, traveling, sunbathing and boating can come to a sudden stop unless everyone remembers a few summer safety tips. Key among them is protecting your skin from sunburn and sun exposure. Deaths have resulted from acute sun exposure and significant temporary disability is experienced by millions of sunburned people each year.
Sunburn results when the amount of exposure to the sun or other ultraviolet light sources exceeds the ability of the body’s protective pigment, melanin, to protect the skin. Sunburn in a very light-skinned person may occur in less than 15 minutes of noonday sun exposure, while a dark-skinned person may tolerate the same exposure for hours. No matter how dark the skin, however, continuous exposure to ultraviolet rays is a health threat.
Heat-related illnesses are also a danger from prolonged exposure to the sun and heat.
“Even short periods of high temperatures can cause serious health problems. Doing too much on a hot day, spending too much time in the sun or staying too long in an overheated place can cause heat-related illnesses,” said Gilberto Salazar, MD, Emergency Physician at Parkland and Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine at UT Southwestern. “It’s important to use common sense – if you think you are overheated, you probably already are.”
Heat exhaustion occurs when people are exposed to high temperatures and when the body loses fluids and becomes dehydrated. When heat exhaustion elevates it may result in heat stroke, a life-threatening medical condition occurring when the body’s cooling system, which is controlled by the brain, stops working. The resulting high body temperature causes damage to internal organs, including the brain, and could result in death.
Symptoms of heat stroke include thirst; red, warm, and dry skin; body temperature over 104 degrees Fahrenheit; fast breathing and heart rate; vomiting; muscle cramps; confusion or disorientation and coma.
In 2021, Parkland’s Emergency Department evaluated 18 people for heat-related illnesses, with two of those individuals requiring admission. Those being treated ranged in age from 33 to 67 years old, with most of those patients (12) being 55 years or older.
But the heat isn’t the only potential risk and with summer vacation in full swing, kids of all ages are particularly at risk when riding motorcycles and all-terrain vehicles. It’s especially important that everyone, regardless of their age, wear a helmet.
“When we’re out having fun with our families, sometimes we get in a hurry and don’t think about our safety,” said Courtney Edwards, DNP, MPH, RN, CCRN, CEN, TCRN, NEA-BC, Director of Trauma Community Outreach in the Rees-Jones Trauma Center at Parkland. “A helmet is critical for anyone on wheels, regardless if it’s an ATV, motorcycle, bicycle or even skates. Helmets can protect you from serious brain injuries and in some cases can be a life-saving piece of equipment.”
Whether you’re spending your vacation away from home or in the backyard, Sarah Scoins, MSN, RN, CNS, CCRN, ACCNS-AG, Burn Outreach and Injury Prevention Educator in Parkland’s Regional Burn Center, said adults and children alike should exercise special care with flammable liquids and open flames near tents.
From January 2017 through February 2022, there were 94 individuals treated in Parkland’s Burn Center for injuries associated with camping out.
Scoins said when camping out, take the following precautions:
- Use a tent made of flame-retardant fabric
- Build your fire downwind, far away from your tent
- Make sure the fire is properly extinguished when unattended
- An extinguisher tool (i.e., shovel, a bucket of water, fire extinguisher, etc.) is a must for every camper’s equipment
- Never add a flammable liquid to a fire or hot coals
- Adults should always supervise their children around fires
- Before you leave make sure the fire is completely out
For more information about services available at Parkland, please visit www.parklandhealth.org.