LIVONIA, Mich. — Emergency rooms across the country see a surge in patients every Fourth of July weekend, and doctors say many of those visits could be avoided with a little preparation.
Watch Christiana Ford's report below
Dr. Bernice Sessa, an ER physician with Corewell Health in Livonia, said she has seen it all in her three decades of practice.
"I've been doing this for 30 years, and it's still surprising what can come through the emergency department sometimes," Sessa told me.
Sessa said the combination of a holiday weekend and high temperatures creates a particularly challenging environment for emergency staff.
"It is kind of a double whoozy because it's a holiday weekend and the heat is going to add to it," she said.
Sesa says the types of injuries her team expects to treat are wide-ranging.
"We see a lot of firework injuries and burns and the burns could include some minor burns, hand and eye trauma too. But because of the heat and it's a holiday weekend, we'll have boating injuries and swimming injuries or alcohol-related injuries. And then with the weather we're going to be adding heat exhaustion, and dehydration," explained Sessa.
Sessa said she wishes more families understood that most of these injuries are preventable with advance planning, because accidents can happen in an instant.
"The best emergency is the one we prevent. I mean, to me, that's the biggest thing. You know, you want to build memories of happy times so you don't want to turn a fun time into an emergency. But some of the most important things for this weekend is: hydrate before you're thirsty. Watch your fireworks, don't handle it. Remember that if the fireworks don't work the first time, give it a second chance. Alcohol and water don't mix, so make sure you stay hydrated in that water and body of water so, so if you're swimming or you're on a boat, make sure you're not mixing alcohol with the driver. Make sure you have a designated observer that's not on the phone," Sessa said.
Sessa said even small steps before the festivities begin can make a significant difference.
"You want to make your holiday weekend memorable and not a trip to that emergency department. I would say that is the most important thing I would love to make sure people are aware of. Preparing and making sure everyone is aware of what safety measures are needed so you can have a good time," Sessa said.
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