7-1-08

Fireworks Injuries

Thousands of people go to hospital emergency rooms with injuries from fireworks each year.  Most of these injuries occur around the Fourth of July.

Fireworks and celebrations go together, especially this time of year.  But fireworks can be dangerous, causing serious injuries if proper precautions are not taken.  Dr. Nicole Sommer, assistant professor of plastic and reconstructive surgery at SIU School of Medicine in Springfield, explains the most common injuries from fireworks.

SOUND BITE:  “The most common areas injured are the face, the hands and the eyes.  Forty-six percent of the injuries occur on the head, 49 percent occur in the extremities and then 55 percent of those injuries are burns.  So it’s obviously a significantly higher amount to the face, the hands, the eyes, which are usually the closest parts to the fireworks when they’re being used.”

Dr. Sommer says all fireworks are meant to be displayed at a distance – most injuries occur when people get too close.  She recommends some safety precautions when using fireworks.

SOUND BITE: “Well, the first, probably the easiest way for them to be avoided is to enjoy fireworks in a public display forum instead of buying them as a consumer and using them yourself.  That’s going to be the safest way is just to go to an official public display of the fireworks and not be handling them yourself.  If you are handling them yourself, you want to make sure there is an adult present, that children aren’t using them alone.”

By being cautious and following safety rules when using and watching fireworks, you can have a safe and happy Fourth of July.  If anyone is injured by fireworks, they should get to a hospital emergency room as quickly as possible.

This is Ruth Slottag at SIU School of Medicine in Springfield.