Put safety first this summer and avoid a trip to the emergency room

Doctors’ warning amid peak season for trauma

IT is summer time, Christmas and New Year parties surround us, and people are revelling in the festive season. Many of us are planning visits to friends and family, organising road trips to our shacks or planning to make the most of Tasmania’s outdoor possibilities.

Yet, while many of us wind down in the festive period, many of our hospital emergency workers are preparing to scale up. A glimpse inside the doors of any emergency department (ED) at Christmas reveals an array of injured patients.

Whether they be from collisions, falls or car accidents, injuries tend to increase over the summer months.

From the Tasmanian Trauma Registry, we know that at least 32 Tasmanians suffered major traumatic injuries in the 2021 – 2022 Christmas school holiday period. We also know that 2022 has been a terrible year on the roads, with the annual road toll sitting at 51 (compared with 36 for 2021) as of November 2022.

However, these trauma injuries are often both predictable and avoidable.

Many older people may be in less familiar environments over the Christmas period while visiting family and relatives. Take a few moments to make your home a safe place for relatives who might easily trip can save a nasty fall.

At this time of year we see an uptick in serious injuries from outdoor activities such as mountain biking. We know it’s exciting to be out on the tracks in the sunshine, but it’s important to follow the safety advice and wear your protective gear.

While those undertaking these activities are often in good health, there is still potential for injuries if the correct safety precautions aren’t taken.

With festive season parties and social gatherings planned, we also see a rise in injuries from car accidents or violent incidents linked to alcohol and recreational drug use.

Alcohol consumption combined with other dangerous driving behaviours means it can be a particularly high-risk time on the roads. So, by all means enjoy a drink, but plan not to drive afterwards and don’t let your mates drive either.

We also see a rise in family violence around this time of year.

A variety of triggers can cause this including more alcohol and drug use, stretched finances, heightened stress and emotions, and separated families coming together over Christmas. We hope everyone spends quality time with their loved ones, but remember it is OK to take a moment to yourself

to manage rising stress levels.

So, while we might think of these incidents as “accidents”, injury can be a predictable outcome from such high-risk activities and behaviours.

Across Tasmania, there are doctors and nurses here to look after you if you become injured. But often these injuries can be preventable if the right precautions are taken.

Dr Jennifer Jamieson is the deputy director of the Royal Hobart Hospital Trauma Service and an emergency physician.

Dr Adam Mahoney is the director of the Royal Hobart Hospital Trauma Service and an anaesthetist.