JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) – Doctors at the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC) in Jackson are encouraging families to stay out of the pediatric emergency department during the holidays.
Dr. Fernando Gomez, chief of pediatric emergency medicine at UMMC, said the emergency department at Children’s of Mississippi sees some ailments more than others this season. These can range from injuries from car accidents to medication misuse and cases of the flu.
Buckle up and drive safely
Motor vehicle accidents were the leading cause of death for U.S. children in 2021, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends children younger than 13 sitting in the middle of the back seat in the car or booster seat suited to their weight. Between 2019 and 2020, about 3.8 million emergency room visits resulted from car crashes in the U.S., according to the National Institutes of Health.
Medication precautions
Families also need to make sure they pack any daily medications their children might need as well as rescue medications such as albuterol for children with asthma or an EpiPen for allergic reactions, he said.
Another medication-related danger is children ingesting medications of grandparents and other family members.
“If staying with family, make sure the home is child-proof and that everyone keeps medications as well as vitamins and supplements out of children’s reach,” said Erinn Funches, safety and community outreach manager at Children’s of Mississippi. “Program the Poison Help number, 1-800-222-1222, into your phone in case it’s needed.”
‘Exploratory ingestions’
During holiday celebrations, it’s a good idea to have at least one adult assigned to watch young children.
Batteries and toys with small parts can be a danger.
More than 7,000 visits to emergency rooms from 2010 to 2019 were battery-related, as estimated in a study published in August by the journal, Pediatrics. That’s more than double the number recorded from 1990 to 2009.
Avoid the flu
Another way to stay out of the emergency department is to make sure everyone in the family gets a dose of the flu vaccine before the holidays. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends flu vaccination to everyone 6 months or older with rare exception, Gomez said.
Most children with flu don’t need emergency care. However, symptoms such as fast or troubled breathing, a bluish discoloration of the skin or dehydration are signs a child needs immediate care in an emergency department.