With an entire season devoted merrymaking, it’s inevitable that things can take an unfortunate, unexpected turn. While no host or guest wants to face sickness or injury, it’s important to be prepared for these occasions. As your emergency room in El Mirage, we want to equip you to identify situations that could occur this holiday season that would require a visit to an emergency room. No matter the season, it’s always better to be educated and safe, than unaware and sorry.

Burns

With the amount of food preparation and festive candles associated with this time of year, you or a loved one may find yourself with a skin burn. How do you know if the burn warrants emergency or urgent medical treatment?

If a burn on the skin is deep enough to cause white or charred skin, if the burn occurs on the face or neck or genitals, if the burn is larger than hand-sized, or if it was caused by electricity or chemicals, then you should immediately go to your local emergency room.

While waiting for medical help, try to protect the area from additional injury or exposure to contamination by covering loosely with gauze or a cloth. You can also remove clothing or jewelry from the burned area, and try to elevate the burned area above the heart. 

Food poisoning

No matter how careful someone is with food cooking and storage, food poisoning can rear is ugly (and miserable) head at any time. Here’s how to tell if an upset stomach is severe enough to seek emergency medical treatment.

If vomiting lasts for longer than two days, if vomiting is so persistent that the person cannot keep food or liquids down, or if diarrhea becomes black or lasts longer than several days, they should seek prompt medical attention. Also, if there is blood in the vomit, the person has a temperature over 102 degrees, or if they have severe pain in or around the stomach, it’s important to seek emergency medical attention.

Food poisoning can often be prevented by practicing clean cooking practices such as ensuring surfaces, kitchen tools, hands, and food are all cleaned appropriately and often. It’s also important to refrigerate perishable food within two hours after being out, and ensure food is cooked to the proper temperature.

Overindulgence

We’ve likely all fallen prey to overindulgence of food or drink at some point, always leading us to the inevitable conclusion that too much of a good thing is NOT great. But what happens when overindulging on alcoholic beverages takes a more serious turn? How do you know when someone who’s had too much to drink needs urgent medical attention?

When someone has consumed too much alcohol too quickly, they could be in danger of experiencing alcohol poisoning. Here are the signs of alcohol poisoning to watch for:

Inability to remain awake or conscious, slow or irregular breathing, seizures, pale or bluish skin tone, or mental confusion

If you see someone who’s been drinking exhibit these symptoms, it’s important to call 911 right away. And while waiting for medical help to arrive, be sure not to leave them alone, ensure they’re sitting upright, and ensure they don’t fall and hurt themselves.

It’s our hope that your holiday festivities are merry, bright, and safe. By being informed about possible medical emergencies, you can feel more confident when hosting or attending events. The El Mirage Emergency Room will be here for you when you need us should an urgent medical situation arise. In the meantime, our team wishes you and your loved ones a very happy holiday season.