| Top 10 Ways to avoid emergency room visits |
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By: Dr. KEVIN BEIER, MTMC ER director
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Posted: Sunday, January 3, 2010 8:34 am
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Over the 14 years Dr. Kevin Beier, chairman of emergency medicine at Middle Tennessee Medical Clinic, has spent in the emergency department, he has seen many injured or worse from accidents that could have been prevented.
With the New Year sprung and resolutions abounding, Beier would like to share his Top 10 tips ways to avoid the emergency room.
1. Use appropriate protective equipment with tools and use tools only for indicated and directed use. Especially important is use of eye protection with power equipment, hammering and lawn equipment.
2. Use seat belts while driving and especially with heavy equipment operation, such as bulldozers and tractors.
3. Ladder and height-related injuries are one of the most common causes of serious limb and life-threatening injuries. Use great care at heights and be aware of the intrinsic risk.
4. Use great care with pools and use child-protective equipment and close supervision of children and those with heart and neurological medical problems with pools to avoid drowning.
5. Mandate safety classes with firearm use, and don't take loaded firearms indoors.
6. Consult professionals for home repairs outside of your scope of expertise, especially electrical and roof-related repairs.
7. Avoid high-risk activities such as 4-wheeler, all-terrain vehicle use; and recognize and avoid potentially catastrophic injuries, such as camping/hiking situations that expose one to bear attacks or hypotermia.
8. Be especially careful and aware of kids while mowing lawn to avoid projectiles hitting kids or backing over kids.
9. Falling on stairs commonly causes head and extremity injuries. Many of these can be avoided by holding on to the railing and turning on lights. Avoid carrying objects in both arms while going down stairs. Also make sure children’s toys and other objects are not on the stairs.
10. Don't use waders while duck hunting or fishing in boats. |
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