Where there’s smoke…
The sights, sounds, and smells of summer are here—chicken on the grill, stories by the campfire, and fireworks. And for all the fun that lies ahead over the next few months, seasonal hazards can spoil it.
Pittsburgh area emergency medicine physician and president of the Pennsylvania Chapter of the American College of Emergency Physicians Michael Turturro, MD, FACEP, urges all of us to be cautious this summer.
“Every year I see patients of all ages with burns or other serious injuries that could have been avoided by what I call ‘common sense safety,’” he says.
Annually, nearly 10,000 people are injured by fireworks and almost 5,000 are injured by charcoal/wood-burning and propane grill fires, according to the US Fire Administration.
Dr. Turturro, who is also a member of the Pennsylvania Medical Society, offers these summer safety guidelines:
- Don’t handle fireworks yourself; go see a show.
- Be very careful handling sparklers. Make sure to supervise children—more than half of fireworks injuries to children are caused by sparklers, according to the US Fire Administration.
- Follow the annual maintenance instructions for outdoor grills. Don’t bring a grill indoors or even into a partially enclosed area, like a garage.
- Never add lighter fluid to an already lit fire.
- Build only small campfires, away from dry grass and leaves. Keep plenty of water and a shovel nearby and don’t leave children unattended by the fire.
The silent killer
A 2007 report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that Pennsylvania leads the nation in the number of unintentional, non-fire related deaths from carbon monoxide poisoning. Because carbon monoxide (CO) gas is odorless, tasteless, and impossible to see, you can be easily overcome. Low levels of exposure can make you nauseous and tired, like you have the flu.
According to Dr. Turturro, “Carbon monoxide impairs the body’s ability to deliver oxygen to the tissues that need it. The brain is first, causing headaches, dizziness, and disorientation in addition to nausea and fatigue.”
We tend to think more about the danger of CO poisoning in the winter when we retreat to the warmth indoors. But deadly CO gas can come from several sources: charcoal grills, wood-burning furnaces or fireplaces, and motor vehicles including gas-powered engines and tools such as generators, compressors, and power washers, according to the CDC.
The following examples show how workers in areas with closed doors and windows were incapacitated by CO gas within minutes. Opening doors and windows or operating fans does not guarantee safety, according to the CDC.
- A farm owner died of CO poisoning while using an 11-horsepower, gasoline-powered, pressure washer to clean his barn. He had worked about 30 minutes before being overcome.
- A municipal employee at an indoor water treatment plant lost consciousness while trying to exit from a 59,000-cubic-foot room where he had been working with an eight horse-power, gasoline-powered pump. Doors adjacent to the work area were open while he worked. His hospital diagnosis was CO poisoning.
- Five workers were treated for CO poisoning after using two eight horse-power, gasoline-powered, pressure washers in a poorly ventilated underground parking garage.
- A plumber used a gasoline-powered concrete saw in a basement with open doors and windows and a cooling fan. He experienced a severe headache and dizziness and began to act in a paranoid manner. His symptoms were related to CO poisoning.
Dr. Turturro recalls a water skier who was overcome by skiing too closely behind the boat exhaust. He adds, “The best approach is an ounce of prevention. First and foremost, install CO detectors on each level of your home, especially by the bedrooms. Don’t operate gas-powered vehicles, appliances or tools in enclosed or poorly ventilated spaces. Have all fuel burning appliances, furnaces, venting, and chimney systems checked by a qualified professional at least once a year.”
From fire to ICE
Do you have ICE in your cell phone? ICE stands for “in case of emergency”—a phone number that medical professionals can use to get vital information when a patient arrives unconscious or unable to answer questions.
Save at least two numbers and be sure that both contacts are familiar with your medical history. They can be saved as "ICE - 1" and "ICE - 2" or with names such as "ICE - Mom." In all cases, the "ICE" designation should come first.
The Pennsylvania Chapter of the American College of Emergency Physicians and the Pennsylvania Medical Society suggest that you carry a hard copy summary of your medical history that includes the following information:
- Current medications including herbal and organic supplements.
- All known allergies to medications and foods
- Names and phone numbers of doctors (or medical providers) responsible for your regular care.
Please remember that neither "ICE" nor wallet-based information should be considered substitutes for medical alert bracelets and necklaces that also provide critical medical information.