Doctors warn of injuries caused by New Year's Eve

Avoid serious hand injuries from New Year's Eve fireworks

Every year, many people are injured by firecrackers on New Year's Eve, often due to improper handling. Doctors of the University Hospital Dusseldorf (UKD) warn in a recent communication before impending long-term damage that can extend to amputation. There are a number of important points to consider in order to minimize the risk of injury.

"Incorrect lighting, illegally imported or homemade firecrackers, and carelessness ends the New Year's Eve celebration for many people in the ER." so the message from the UKD. The Director of the Department of Trauma and Hand Surgery at the University Hospital Düsseldorf Joachim Windolf warns that careless use of fireworks threatens accidents with severe to irreparable damage. In the event of injuries, a specialist should be consulted immediately. Windolf.

Hand injuries particularly critical

Numerous burns and injuries are caused annually by New Year's Eve boulders, which mainly affect the area of ​​the hands, chest and face, the UKD reports. Especially by the hand injuries, the quality of life can be severely limited in the long term. In addition to burns and open wounds to amputations, especially caused by the explosion pressure of the fireworks tissue damage was observed. The latter are "particularly treacherous, because at first the extent of the injury is not visible" and "it could have come in the hands of the pressure wave of the explosion to violations of the fine tissue structures", reports Prof. Windolf.

Threatening amputations

If such tissue damage is present, the tissue continues to swell in the "sequence" and this leads to an additional pressure increase, which eventually endangers the circulation of the hand, "explains the expert. In this case one speaks of a so-called compartment syndrome. If there is no treatment, "the fingers can be irreparably damaged - as the consequences range from a limitation in holding or grasping to deafness and in bad cases to the amputation of individual fingers," continues Prof. Windolf. After an accident, sufferers should therefore visit a clinic with hand surgery as quickly as possible and have their hands treated by a specialist.

Specialists asked

In a corresponding special clinic, the pressure in the tissue may be relieved on-site and in special hand-room centers, such as at the University Hospital in Düsseldorf, the physicians are "committed to providing emergency care at all times," emphasizes Prof. Windolf. "Especially on New Year's Eve, we are prepared for it," continues the director of the Department of Trauma and Hand Surgery. Basically, however, a prudent approach to the fireworks is required. But this is obviously not the case on New Year's Eve for many people.

Recklessness is often the cause of injury

Professor Windolf cites as an extreme example a case that occurred just a few years ago, in which a boy with a severe injury was handcuffed, whose father had made him in a kind of test of courage, burning a baulk as long as possible to hold in the hand. The Böller has exploded in the boy's hand, according to Prof. Windolf. "That makes us stunned," says the hand surgeon. The consequences of this evening, the boy will feel his life.

Minimize the risk of injury

In order to avoid injury from New Year's Eve boulders from the beginning, according to the announcement of the UKD the following points should be taken into consideration urgently:

• Only buy firecrackers in specialist shops and pay attention to the CR mark and the BAM test number (Federal Office for Material Testing)
• No home-made or manipulated firecrackers
• Use fireworks that do not need to be ignited in the hand (eg fireworks batteries)
• Store firecrackers safely and not on the body
• Do not re-ignite duds / firecrackers that have not exploded
• No firecrackers under the influence of alcohol
• Fireworks are not in the hands of children - pay attention to age ratings

In view of the environmental pollution caused by, for example, the release of fine dust and during production, New Year's Eve boulders are becoming increasingly controversial and many people are deliberately avoiding New Year's Eve fireworks. The risk of injury could be completely avoided in this way. (Fp)