Newswise — For many Americans, summer means fun in the sun; kids are out of school, adults are on vacation and it's time for outdoor activities. But with all these pleasures of the season comes injuries and increased visits to the emergency department.
“Summertime is the worst time of the year for injury, and our trauma numbers go up,” says Jane McCormack, RN, Trauma Program Manager, Stony Brook University Hospital. “People are getting outdoors, doing high energy activities and they really need to take a moment to think about safety and take some precautionary measures. At Stony Brook, we see many injuries related to swimming, boating and biking, but a huge problem is fireworks and burns,” she says.
Stony Brook experts available to discuss the uptick in traumas during the summer and safety prevention tips include:- James Vosswinkel, MD, Medical Director of the Trauma Center, Stony Brook University Hospital- Jane McCormack, RN, Trauma Program Manager, Stony Brook University Hospital- Kristi L. Ladowski, MPH, Injury Prevention & Outreach Coordinator, Stony Brook Trauma Center
Burn Safety:Nearly 10,000 Americans are injured by fireworks each year, according to the National Council of Fireworks Safety. In addition, outdoor grills, both charcoal and propane, cause hundreds of injuries and thousands of fires every year. Most of these injuries occur during the Fourth of July holiday and include serious burns, loss of fingers, and blindness.
Water Safety:Statistics show that drowning is the leading cause of unintentional injury and death for children ages one to four, and that drowning can occur in as little as two inches of water.
Boat Safety:More than 73 percent of the people in boating accidents drowned and more than 90 percent of the people who drowned were not wearing a life jacket.
Road Safety:Increased summer car crashes are largely due to more miles driven over the season for recreational activities and traveling. In addition to distracted driving, alcohol use and more roadway construction are extremely common this time of year.
Stony Brook University has a ReadyCam TV interview studio capable of transmitting live broadcast-quality standard and high-definition video directly to all news media organizations around the world 24/7. An ISDN line is also available.
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