Jul 2, 2008 8:54 am US/Eastern
Doctors Urge Everyone To Play It Safe On The 4th
10-Thousand People A Year Are Treated For Fireworks Injuries
MIAMI (CBS4) ―
Millions of Americans spend the Fourth of July having fun in sun, firing up the grill and of course setting off fireworks.
Unfortunately, it's a busy time for hospital emergency room across the country as doctors and nurses treat those hurt by fireworks. According to a report released by the National Fire Protection Association in 2008, each year more than 10,000 fireworks-related injuries are treated in emergency rooms across the U.S., including 14-hundred eye injuries. Sparklers, fountains and novelties alone accounted for 28 percent of emergency room fireworks injuries in 2007.
Dr. Mark Grossman, an emergency room physician at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami, says the 4th can be a very busy time at the ER.
"The most common injuries we see are burns and injuries to the hands and eyes, which can also be the most devastating and hardest to recover from," said Grossman.
Dr. Grossman said it's not just the adults who run into trouble on the 4th.
"About half, a little bit more than half of the injuries to children every year," said Grossman.
The risk of fireworks injury is two-and-a-half times higher for children ages 10-14 as compared to the general population.
Dr. Grossman said there are some simple things everyone can do to stay safe over the holiday.
"The best thing to do to stay safe is to not have your own fireworks display in your own yard or at your neighbors house. Go to one of the professional shows, there are plenty of them in our area," said Goodman. "The next thing is to not buy fireworks that are illegal. There is a statistic where (U.S.) Customs tested some of the fireworks that came in from overseas and almost half of them had illegal shipments, or illegal fireworks in them and those are the most dangerous."
Dr. Grossman said if you do plan to put on your own fireworks show, keep children away from them and have a source of water on hand, either a hose or a bucket.
Click Here for FAST FACTS on Fireworks Safety and additional information an also be found on the National Fire Protection Association website:
www.nfpa.org.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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