Adam C. Young, MD
Alan C. League, MD
Albert Knuth, MD
Alejandra Rodriguez-Paez, MD
Alexander E. Michalow, MD
Alexander Gordon, MD
Alexander J. Tauchen, MD
Alexander M. Crespo, MD
Alfonso Bello, MD
Ami Kothari, MD
Amy Jo Ptaszek, MD
Anand Vora, MD
Andrea S. Kramer, MD
Andrew J. Riff, MD
Angela R. Crowley, MD
Angelo Savino, MD
Anthony Savino, MD
Anuj S. Puppala, MD
Ari Kaz, MD
Ashraf H. Darwish, MD
Ashraf Hasan, MD
Austin Chinn, DPM
Bradley Dworsky, MD
Brian Clay, MD
Brian J. Burgess, DPM
Brian R. McCall, MD
Brian Schwartz, MD
Brian Weatherford, MD
Brooke Vanderby, MD
Bruce E. Noxon, DPM, FACFAS, FAPWCA
Bruce Summerville, MD
Bryan Waxman, MD
Bryant S. Ho, MD
Carey E. Ellis, MD
Carla Gamez, DPM
Cary R. Templin, MD
Charles L. Lettvin, MD
Charles M. Lieder, DO
Chinyoung Park, MD
Christ Pavlatos, MD
Christian Skjong, MD
Christopher C. Mahr, MD
Christopher J. Bergin, MD
Craig Cummins, MD
Craig Phillips, MD
Craig S. Williams, MD
Craig Westin, MD
Daniel M. Dean, MD
David Beigler, MD
David Guelich, MD
David H. Garelick, MD
David Hamming, MD
David Hoffman, MD
David M. Anderson, MD
David Raab, MD
David Schneider, DO
Djuro Petkovic, MD
Douglas Diekevers, DPM
Douglas Solway, DPM
E. Quinn Regan, MD
Eddie Jones Jr., MD
Edward J. Logue, MD
Ellis K. Nam, MD
Eric Chehab, MD
Eric L. Lee, MD
Evan A. Dougherty, MD
Garo Emerzian, DPM
Gary Shapiro, MD
Giridhar Burra, MD
Gregory Brebach, MD
Gregory J. Fahrenbach, MD
Gregory Portland, MD
Harpreet S. Basran, MD
Holly L. Brockman, MD
Inbar Kirson, MD, FACOG, Diplomate ABOM
Jacob M. Babu, MD, MHA
Jalaal Shah, DO
James M. Hill, MD
James R. Bresch, MD
Jason G. Hurbanek, MD
Jason Ghodasra, MD
Jason J. Shrouder-Henry, MD
Jeffrey Ackerman, MD
Jeffrey Goldstein, MD
Jeffrey Staron, MD
Jeffrey Visotsky, MD
Jeremy Oryhon, MD
Jing Liang, MD
John H. Lyon, MD
Jonathan Erulkar, MD
Jordan L. Goldstein, MD
Josephine H. Mo, MD
Juan Santiago-Palma, MD
Justin Gent, MD
Justin M. LaReau, MD
Kellie Gates, MD
Kermit Muhammad, MD
Kevin Chen, MD
Kris Alden MD, PhD
Leah R. Urbanosky, MD
Leigh-Anne Tu, MD
Leon Benson, MD
Lori Siegel, MD
Lynn Gettleman Chehab, MD, MPH, Diplomate ABOM
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Marc Breslow, MD
Marc R. Fajardo, MD
Marie Kirincic, MD
Mark Gonzalez, MD
Mark Gross, MD
Mark Hamming, MD
Mark Mikhael, MD
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Michael Chiu, MD
Michael J. Corcoran, MD
Michael O'Rourke, MD
Nathan G. Wetters, MD
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Rajeev D. Puri, MD
Rhutav Parikh, MD
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Sean A. Sutphen, DO
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Steven M. Mardjetko, MD
Steven S. Louis, MD
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T. Andrew Ehmke, DO
Taizoon Baxamusa, MD
Teresa Sosenko, MD
Theodore Fisher, MD
Thomas Gleason, MD
Timothy J. Friedrich, DPM
Todd R. Rimington, MD
Todd Simmons, MD
Tom Antkowiak, MD, MS
Tomas Nemickas, MD
Van Stamos, MD
Vidya Ramanavarapu, MD
Wayne M. Goldstein, MD
Wesley E. Choy, MD
William P. Mosenthal, MD
William Vitello, MD

Stay Safe This Fourth of July

IBJI

June 29, 2022  |  Blog

Fireworks Safety Tips from IBJI’s Hand & Upper Extremity Surgeon

Craig Phillips, MD

Orthopedic Surgeon with Fellowship Training in Hand and Upper Extremity Surgery

Dr. Craig Phillips is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon with a subspecialty certification in hand and upper extremity surgery, who specializes in treating the hand, wrist, elbow and shoulder. 

    In 2006, about 9,200 firework injuries were reported in the US, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). By 2021, there were 11,500 injuries.

    In 2020, the CPSC’s report listed an estimated 15,600 people who were hospitalized with injuries related to fireworks – the highest number in the last 15 years. Fireworks handled incorrectly can be fatal; 12 out of 18 deaths reported in 2020 were related to misuse.

    More than 50% of the incidents reported in 2021 involved either the hands, fingers, or head.
    Burns were by far the most common of injuries, followed by fractures/sprains, cuts, and bumps. Such
    situations are often complicated by alcohol and drug misuse.

    The fireworks causing the highest number of injuries were the “mortar” category followed by
    sparklers, wire/wood core, roman candles, and bottle rockets. Frequently, the person injured is
    not the one actually handling the firework but happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong
    time.

    Two types of injury are commonly seen: burn injuries, as can be expected from anything that
    could explode. Additionally, a blast effect-type injury can occur, which causes deeper trauma.

    If you do choose to use legal fireworks, here are some safety tips from the National Safety Council:

    • Never allow young children to handle fireworks
    • Older children should use them only under close adult supervision
    • Never use fireworks while impaired by drugs or alcohol
    • Anyone using fireworks or standing nearby should wear protective eyewear
    • Never hold lighted fireworks in your hands
    • Never light them indoors
    • Only use them away from people, houses, and flammable material
    • Only light one device at a time and maintain a safe distance after lighting
    • Never ignite devices in a container
    • Do not try to re-light or handle malfunctioning fireworks
    • Soak both spent and unused fireworks in water for a few hours before discarding
    • Keep a bucket of water nearby to fully extinguish fireworks that don’t go off or in case of fire.

    Tips for treatment: If you are injured by a firework or explosion, seek immediate medical attention.

    IBJI’s OrthoAccess walk-in clinics are here for you if you suffer a minor injury. You can skip the ER and find the OrthoAccess location nearest you to have a plan in place for:

    • Simple Fractures
    • Dislocations
    • Slips, Trips, and Falls
    • Sprains and Strains
    • Sports Injuries
    • Work-related Injuries, and More

    IBJI

    Illinois Bone & Joint Institute (IBJI) is the largest independent physician-owned orthopedic practice in Illinois. IBJI is dedicated to providing accessible, compassionate, and comprehensive care to your family for every orthopedic specialty with leading-edge technology and innovative treatment options.

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