6 Simple Steps to Avoid the ED

Ah, summer. Time at the lake, hours lounging poolside, using the extra daylight hours for projects around the house. However you’re spending your summer, make sure you stay safe and out of the ED.

John Marcucci, M.D., medical director of the emergency department at Baylor Regional Medical Center at Plano, offers the following six tips for avoiding summer’s most common emergencies.

1. Heed the heat. Watch for the initial signs of heat exhaustion, such as perfuse sweating, muscle aches and pains, dizziness and headache. If these signs appear, stop exercising and get out of the heat. Find air-conditioning or shade, and drink plenty of water. There is no set amount of time we can be outside in the heat, Dr. Marcucci says. “When you start having symptoms is when it’s too long for you to be outside,” he says.

2. Prevent sunburns. Wearing adequate sunblock to prevent extreme burns. “By the time you realize you’re burned,” Dr. Marcucci says, “it’s too late.” This is especially true for children. Keep them safe with a high-SPF sunscreen.

3. Watch kids around water. “The worst thing for any of our physicians is getting a child CPR in progress from a pool drowning,” Dr. Marcucci says. “And unfortunately, we see it far too often.” It only takes a minute for a child to drown, he warns, which is why children should never be left unattended around water. And if you’re boating, everyone should be wearing life preservers.

4. Wear protective sports gear. Make sure your kids wear their helmets when bicycling, Dr. Marcucci says. And kids with skateboards and scooters should add knee and elbow pads and wrist guards in addition to a helmet.

5. Take preventive measures. When working on household projects, don’t forget protective goggles and masks. Secure ladders. Wear proper footwear. And make sure you aren’t taking on a project you can’t handle.

Summer Safety

For more tips on summertime safety from Dr. Marcucci, click here.