1. Community-Mercy.org 3
StayingSafe
Each year, home injuries account for more than
10 million visits to the emergency room. Many
of those are easily preventable. “Our homes
contain many potential sources for accidents,”
says Annette Nathan at Springfield Regional
Medical Center Emergency Department. Falls,
burns, choking, drowning and poisoning are
common home accidents, yet are sometimes
easily preventable”
Prevention is the Key
Since many home injuries are easily prevent-
able, take a look around your home to see
what you can do to head off any incidents.
Here are some tips to prevent accidents at
home:
Make sure stairwells are well-lit, clutter-free
and have handrails.
Keep cleaners, medications and beauty
products in a place where children can’t
reach them or behind child safety locks.
Have working smoke alarms and hold fire
drills. If you build a new home, install fire
sprinklers.
Keep small items such as coins, latex bal-
loons and hard round foods out of reach
from small hands. A general rule of thumb
is that if it can fit in a toilet paper roll, it
can choke a child.
Keep a close eye on children when they
are in or near water, including bathtubs,
toilets, pools and spas. A few seconds is all
it takes for an accident to happen.
When an ER Visit is Necessary
If you’re sick or hurting, it may seem like the
best thing to do is to go the ER. While the ER
may seem like the best source for immediate
medical attention, if your situation is not a true
emergency, you might be better off waiting
until your family physician can help.
So when should you wait until the doctor’s
office opens and when should you go to the
emergency room? If an injury is life-threaten-
ing, call 911, particularly if you are experienc-
ing chest pain, dizziness or stroke symptoms.
People with these symptoms should never
drive themselves to the hospital. “If you or
someone you love needs emergency care,
come to the ER,” says Dr. Nathan. “If you think
the condition is life-threatening or could get
worse on the way to the hospital, call 911 to
have EMS come to you.”
Other injuries that require emergency care
include difficulty breathing or shortness of
breath, chest or upper abdominal pain or
pressure or unusual abdominal pain, fainting,
sudden dizziness, weakness, changes in vision
or difficulty speaking, confusion or changes
in mental status, sudden or severe pain,
uncontrolled bleeding or coughing or vomit-
ing blood, severe or long-lasting diarrhea or
vomiting or suicidal feelings.
One thing to keep in mind is that children
often display symptoms different than adults,
and symptoms not serious for an adult can
often be serious to a child. Always seek imme-
diate medical attention if you think your child
is having a medical emergency.
If you do need Emergency Services...
visit the Emergency Room at Springfield Regional Medical Center.
Please note: Beginning November 13, 2011,
the ER will move to the NEW Springfield
Regional Medical Center located at
100 Medical Center Dr., at the corner
of North and Plum Streets, at 6 a.m.
Visiting
theER
HealthPartners
A rule of thumb: when
in doubt if it’s a true emergency
or not, visit the nearest ER.3