Celebrations and health

With the arrival of Christmas and New Year, there is an increase in consume of fireworks as part of the celebration.  The roar of the firecrackers and the color of fireworks are part of the celebration’s tradition and there are thousands of people that use them is towns and cities.

And there are also thousands of injured who visit health centers with burns and injuries from the effect of the fire or the detonations.  Starting a celebration for ending in a hospital is the path of many.  “Fireworks handled by inexperienced persons, and we all are, is a risk with serious consequences.  Because from one moment to the next, health turns into sickness”, warns Dr. Nelso Caffaratti, medical Sub Director of the Hospital for Burns of Buenos Aires city.

“Generally – he states – burns are relatively slight, but also, in some cases, there are serious traumatic events as the amputation of the hand’s fingers.  There are other more serious cases where what is directly put at risk is the patient’s life, for the extension or depth of the injury”.

According to the hospital’s statistics, 60% of the injuries are produced in the upper members and hands (6 out of every 10 cases); 20% in the abdomen and thorax; 10% in the face and the remaining 10% in the lower members.  The seriousness varies from slight wounds to cases where surgical interventions are necessary for restoring the members, functions or vital organs.

“The best prevention is to not use fireworks”, defines Caffaratti.  Because these types of accidents are 100% avoidable if children and adults avoid consuming the products.  That’s why – adds the sub director- “the first measure is to not use it, and the second too: there is no other alternative.  We are not against fireworks when handled by experts.  In fact, they are used in parties with a great number of people and the number of injured is zero”.

The root of this problem, thus, is not in the existence of fireworks or detonating devices but in the hands of those who light them and, specially, in the ignorance of the danger they present.  From the health point of view, “there are no good or bad fireworks, authorized or unauthorized, black or white gunpowder.  All products are harmful because they cause damage.  The danger is in using them, this is the only cause in these types of accidents”.

Collaborated in this article: Dr. Nelso Caffaratti

Islets of Langerhans transplants achieve insulin independence in 80% of the cases.