How to Manage Christmas Emergencies

How to Manage Christmas Emergencies

Christmas is a peak time for increased stress and accidents. Decorations, fires, new toys, visitors, cooking and houses packed with over-excited children and extra animals present a lot of potential hazards. Factor in the additional seasonal stress and alcohol and you can start to understand how people fall foul of the festive season.

Falling from a ladder while hanging Christmas lights, decorations catching fire and the tree topplin. But real holiday health mishaps happen more often than many people might think, resulting in a spike in visits to the emergency room for \”holiday-related\” injuries, calls to the poison centre, and even a rise in allergy symptoms.

We have put together an essential guide of common incidents to help you avoid becoming a Christmas statistic.

Allergies

Christmas is a time when people with food allergies need to take extra special care. The ingredient list of pre-packed food should list all major allergens, but be cautious with catered food.

Some of these would contain nuts or possible nut residues. Even if there is no nut warning, there may be a risk of cross-contamination.

Cuts and Bleeding

Not sure how to stop a cut from bleeding? Using disposable gloves, apply and maintain pressure with a pad or dressing until the bleeding stops. Bandage the wound firmly with a clean dressing. 

If the bleeding continues through the pad, add another one, and keep applying pressure until the bleeding stops. If a body part has been severed, wrap it in cling film or a plastic bag and take it to hospital. For a heavy bleed, call ERA (080002255372). 

Burns

Run a burn under cold running water for at least 10 minutes. Then cover it with cling film to prevent infection. Only if you are in any doubt about the seriousness of the burn, or if it is a child who has been burned, do you need to call ERA (080002255372).

Alcohol

Alcohol can reduce one’s risk awareness and inhibitions. Accidents are more likely to happen in the kitchen and the home if you have overdone the alcohol. Space drinks out with non-alcoholic ones and the cook should refrain from drinking alcohol until the food is on the table.

If someone has collapsed having drunk too much; check they are breathing and then roll them into the recovery position to keep their airway clear. Someone should stay with them at all times, this is particularly important if they are vomiting. At the end of the day make sure any residual alcohol is emptied out of glasses as children could drink the remains and are often the first down the morning after a party.

Indigestion and food poisoning

Food poisoning is always a worry at Christmas. There are an estimated one million cases of food poisoning every year and this doesn’t rest for the festive season. 

Undercooked turkey can cause salmonella poisoning, which can be life-threatening, especially for those who are very young, old or frail.

If you find someone occupied with their pills or any other potentially poisonous substance, but are unsure if they have taken anything, always get them checked!

Depending on what they have taken, they may have:

• A burning sensation in the lips and mouth
• Nausea or vomiting
• Drowsiness or hyper-mania
• A change in their heartbeat

If someone has swallowed a non-corrosive substance (a product that will not burn them) and seems completely well:

1. Encourage them to stay calm and still

Moving around will increase their metabolism and speed up the poison circulating around the body.

1. Try not to be cross or angry with them

They may not tell you what they have taken if they are scared, stressed or feel uncomfortable.

1. Call ERA and get advice 

Fortunately, avoiding holiday-related injuries often depends on following a few common-sense tips.

• Don\’t leave home unless you really have to. Other people on the roadways are drunk and driving. Don\’t drink and drive yourself. 
• For those with infants and small children with a taste for anything shiny, precautions are needed to keep tinsel and glass ornaments out of reach. Make sure decorations and toys are safe for children.
• Those with special needs – dialysis patients, for example – should head into the holidays prepared. This means getting fully dialyzed before the celebrations. And people on low-salt diets should take care not to overindulge in their favorite holiday delicacies.

Last but not least, those who plan on decorating their homes may do best to leave the dangerous stuff to the pros. If you really want to do high-level lighting, get someone professional – or at least more expert – to deal with decorating, and use better sense when going to heights.

Anything can and will go wrong this time of year.

 

Who should you call in a medical emergency at Christmas?

• Emergency Response Africa is run by trained Doctors, Paramedics, and we are open 365 days a year.
• Call 080002255372 if you need urgent medical help or advice or a life-threatening situation.
• Call 080002255372 where you need an ambulance straight away.