Domestic accidents: a book teaches to prevent them and manage them at home (without necessarily going to the emergency room)

It is our refuge, the safe harbor. But the home can also hide some dangers: a chair used as a scale, a slippery carpet, a stove left on, a detergent just a child. According to the most recent data provided by Istat and by Ministry of Healthin Italy every year are about 4 million domestic accidents (not everyone is registered). Among these, the 54.4 % accidental falls, the 20% wounds, the 13% bumps, crushing and burns, the 12.6 % Other (suffocation by difficult to swallow, ingestion of harmful substances, panting of pets, insect bites …). The 76.9% of fallsFurthermore, it involves ultra seventy -year -olds Self -sufficient, who in the majority of cases become people with disabilities no longer self -sufficient.

In total, they are about 600 thousand cases which require hospital care, while several thousand are fatal or lead to permanent disabilities.
«The huge iMennata of domestic accidents He made me reflect on the safety of our homes and on the possibility of helping to prevent trivial traumas, with an easy reading manual to keep at home, “says the Dr. Luciana Marzella, head of Hand traumatology service and Galeazzi Sant’Ambrogio di Milan microsurgeryauthor of the book The safe house (Sperling & Kupferout of April 29). This idea was also associated, adds Marzella «one of my details affection to the elderly people, who not only after years of work and sacrifices are often neglected by the company, but they are also the individuals most involved in domestic accidentsand with the most serious consequences, because they often live alone and do not want to ask children for help: they think they can do and not annoyed ».

What are the other categories most at risk beyond the elderly?
“THE children: especially under 5 years of age, they are often victims of burns, greed of dangerous objects or accidental poisoning, without forgetting that the falls of the children are among the Domestic accidents more frequent. If there are little ones in the house, we must have the attention to put out of the reach and always keep in closed lockers under closed locations: medicines, including detergents and detergents. Then be careful not to draw substances such as varichin in plastic bottles that are usually used for water, which many do. Another category very subject to injuries in the house are women: For the fact that they spend more time in homes, and for this reason, they are often victims of cuts, burns or sliding ».

In your experience, what are the most frequent domestic accidents?
“If we had to take a ranking, there are falls first (for more trivial reasons, such as hanging the curtains or tidying up the wardrobes), then cuts and in third place burns”.

In the summer, terrace and garden also become more at risk areas. What are the most frequent pitfalls?
«With the arrival of spring everyone Giardinieri are heard and do activities to which they are not prepared, because also the use of a chainsaweven small in size, requires a preparation: at least a careful Reading of the instructions. Instead, the manual is skipped in pieces and proceeds to use the garden tool without taking the necessary precautions, very often making it bad ».

On the other hand, what to do with regard to bites and scratches from animals you have at home, like dogs and cats?
“We must immediately check if the animals have been vaccinated and at the same time ascertain if we ourselves are covered by vaccination against tetanus: otherwise proceed immediately to prophylaxis, going so in this case to the emergency room”.

What are the main causes of domestic accidents?
«Apart from the curiosity In children, the main causes of all accidents in the house are the inattention and haste. To which I would certainly add the mobile phone. The accidents due to the smartphone In recent years they are increased: While you are on the phone you get distracted, so if you have a cell phone in your hand and you have to do things that are even potentially dangerous, the real risk of getting hurt increases. Especially at home, maybe you chat with her friend and meanwhile traffici in the kitchen: a classic is to bring burns ».

What is fundamental for those who suffer an accident and for those who assist who is a victim of it?
“Whatever happens, you have to try to keep calm Because the solution is always there. If you go to panic We only waste time and maybe you can’t help the person who needs to be helped. The point of this book is precisely that reading it is done prevention: Because out of one hundred hypotheses of accidents that I describe, with the relative first aid suggestions, at least ten situations to avoid remain in the lead ».

How much does it weigh on public health to get hurt at home?
“Very. Because trauma that become hospitalizations are not only an expense, but lengthen the waiting lists of patients with other pathologies because the beds remain busy. Consider for example that an elderly person with Fracture to the femur Usually it has a long period of rehabilitation also the one against the state. With my book I would like rAdd people and familiesin order to reduce injuries and therefore also the inputs to the emergency rooms, now always congested, in order to know how to intervene and manage well even with those small notions of first aid that I provide in the book ».

A advice valid in general to prevent and limit domestic accidents?
“Concentrate on what is being done. Don’t get distracted, don’t want to do so many things at the same time: be multitasking increases stress and consequently increases the possibility of distraction ».