Mass. General doctor on being Fourth of July safe
Updated: 6:10 PM EDT Jul 1, 2022
5 AT 5:30. WE ARE COUNTING DOWN THE MINUTES TO A HOT HOLIDAY WEEKEND HERE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS ABOUT CELEBRATING SAFELY AS DR. ALI RAJA DEPUTY CHAIR OF THE DEPARTMENT OF EMERGENCY MEDICINE AT MASS GENERAL HOSPITAL. HAPPY ALMOST FOURTH OF JULY DR. RAJAT. THANKS FOR JOINING US. THANKS, ERIC. IT’S GOOD TO SEE OF COURSE. THERE ARE NO DAYS OFF FOR BOSTON’S LARGEST. ER. WHAT ARE THE MOST COMMON CASES YOU YOUR COLLEAGUES SEE DURING THE FOURTH OF JULY WEEKEND? YOU’RE RIGHT JESSICA. THERE’S NO DAYS OFF AS YOU’D EXPECT. WE DEFINITELY SEE SOME FIREWORKS INJURIES, BUT WE ALSO SEE PEOPLE WHO GET INTO DRUNK DRIVING ACCIDENTS AFTER DRINKING TOO MUCH AT THEIR BARBECUES AND SWIMMING ACCIDENTS AND BOATING ACCIDENTS AND ESPECIALLY GIVEN THE TEMPERATURES. WE’RE GOING TO SEE THIS WEEKEND. WE’LL SEE A LOT OF DEHYDRATION. WE’LL SEE SOME HEAT STROKE AND WE’LL ALSO SEE SOME FOOD POISONING QUITE HONESTLY FROM POTATO SALAD THAT’S BEEN LEFT OUT TOO LONG. OH CONSIDER. YES WELL AND SO YOU MENTIONED BURNS CERTAINLY A BIG RISK THE FIREWORKS YOU MENTIONED THE GRILL. SO, WHAT’S THE FIRST THING YOU SHOULD DO IF YOU DO GET BURNED. YOU KNOW, WE’VE ALL ENDED UP WITH MINOR BURNS FROM THE GROUND. WELL, MAYBE IT’S JUST ME, BUT WE’VE ALL HAD SOME BURN FROM THE GRILL AND FORTUNATELY THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT IF THEY’RE MINOR IF THEY’RE BASICALLY LIKE A BAD SUNBURN YOU CAN DEFINITELY TREAT THEM AT HOME. SO FIRST YOU WANT TO COOL OFF THE AREA RUN IT UNDER SOME COOL WATER. DON’T PUT ICE ON IT THEN APPLY SOME ALOE VERA OR SOME PETROLEUM BASED OINTMET TO IT. KEEP IT LOOSELY WRAPPED AND IT’LL LIKELY HEAL JUST FINE. BUT IF IT’S WORSE THAN A BAD SUNBURN CALL YOUR DOCTOR OR GO TO THE EAR. OKAY. YOU ALSO TALKED ABOUT THE FIREWORKS. HE SAYS, YOU KNOW THEY’RE ILLEGAL IN MASSACHUSETTS. EVEN IF YOU PURCHASE THEM IN ANOTHER STATE, BUT WE STILL KNOW PEOPLE WILL SET THEM OFF AND BACKYARDS OR ON THE BEACH. WHAT DO YOU WANT THEM TO KNOW ABOUT THE RISK? YOU’RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT JESSICA. WE’VE GOT TO REMEMBER THAT WE’RE WE’RE HANDLING EXPLOSIVES WHEN WE USE FIREWORKS. THEY’RE REAL PRETTY ONES, BUT THEY’RE REAL EXPLOSIVES AND WE REALLY SHOULD LEAVE THEM A PROFESSIONALS. I’VE GOT TO TELL YOU THOUGH NATIONALLY OVER 15,000 PEOPLE WERE HOSPITALIZED LAST YEAR DID FIREWORKS IN GREECE 18 OF THEM DIED. EVERY YEAR WE SEE IN THE MGH ER INJURIES TO FACES TO EYES TO HANDS AND MAKE CAN OFTEN LEAVE LIFELONG SCARS. SO JUST BE SAFE IF YOU’RE NOT GONNA HANDLE THE NEST DEFINITELY THE WAY TO GO, BUT IF YOU INSIST ON HANDLING THEM BE AS SAFE AS POSSIBLE. HMM. YEAH WELL AND AND THINGS WE MIGHT THINK OF AS SAFE. ARE THEY SAFE? SO WE KIND OF ALL REMEMBER THE SPARKLERS YOU THINK MAYBE THEY’RE HARMLESS THOSE PAPER SNAPS THAT YOU THROW THE POPPERS. SO THOSE FIREWORKS THEY’RE ILLEGAL TOO IN MASSACHUSETTS, BUT SINCE THEY DON’T CAUSE THOSE BIG EXPLOSIONS IF PEOPLE DO HAVE THEM ARE THOSE REALLY ANY SAFER. THEY’RE NOT A LOT SAFER IN THE MAIN REASON IS THAT IT’S IT’S KIDS WHO USUALLY USE THEM AND OFTENTIMES THOSE KIDS ARE UNSUPERVISED. WE’VE GOT TO REMEMBER THAT 40% OF FIREWORKS INJURIES INVOLVED KIDS, AND THOSE SPARKLERS ARE 2,000 DEGREES AND THEY THROW OFF A LOT OF SPARKS AND THEY CATCH LOOSE CLOTHING ON FIRE. SO IF YOU ARE GONNA HAVE THOSE FOR YOUR KIDS AND AGAIN, THEY’RE NOT NECESSARILY SAY BUT IF YOU ARE GONNA HAVE THEM MAKE SURE YOU SUPERVISE YOUR KIDS YOU CAN SEE THEM AND HAVE A BUCKET OF WATER OR A FIRE EXTINGUISHER HANDY JUST IN CASE SOMETHING SOMETHING GETS CAUGHT ON FIRE. ALL GOOD ADVICE DR. ALI RAJA. WE ALWAYS APPRECIATE YOUR INSIGHT.
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Mass. General doctor on being Fourth of July safe
Updated: 6:10 PM EDT Jul 1, 2022
With the Fourth of July holiday weekend upon us, Dr. Ali Raja, Deputy Chair of Emergency Medicine at Mass General Hospital talks about celebrating safely.
With the Fourth of July holiday weekend upon us, Dr. Ali Raja, Deputy Chair of Emergency Medicine at Mass General Hospital talks about celebrating safely.
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