ARKANSAS, USA — As Fourth of July celebrations are in full swing in many cities across Arkansas, doctors are warning people to stay safe when lighting fireworks.
“Hand surgery is kind of hot in the Fourth of July time,” said Dr. Sean Morell, an orthopedic hand surgeon with UAMS. “It's one of those things that we actually have to take turns taking call because it is so busy.”
Dr. Morell said that in previous years, he and his colleagues have seen about 12 to 14 injuries from fireworks on July 4. That’s about three times more than what they see on New Year’s Eve, the second busiest time of the year.
Dr. Morell said these are not minor surgeries; they often involve amputations and reconstruction.
“These patients stay in the hospital for two or three days and have multiple surgeries in the future too, for stiffness, contracture releases and those kinds of things,” Dr. Morell said. “It's not just kind of, ‘Come in, get your hand fixed, and then you get to go home.’ This is life-changing stuff.”
The types of injuries he treats usually result from people trying to hold large fireworks in their hands while lighting them or not maintaining a safe distance.
“Those are about a quarter stick of dynamite, and so with those types of injuries, it really is as if a stick of dynamite went off in the patient's hand,” Morell said.
“Most of the time when these things occur, patients are holding the mortar tube and trying to fire it from their hands, rather than putting it on the ground, and what will usually happen is that mortar will explode in their hands and they'll have tendon, bone [or] nerve injury, and this is what leads to a lot of the amputations.”
Dr. Morell said to always follow instructions when lighting fireworks, set them on the ground, never hold them in your hand while lighting them, and get a safe distance away from them.
He added he hopes parents will talk with their kids and emphasize how important it is to always follow proper fireworks safety guidelines.
“I think the biggest thing when it comes to fireworks safety is really just spreading the word and telling people that this is something that can change your life for only a few seconds of enjoyment ... teaching safe handling practices if they are wanting to do fireworks [and] being there to supervise teenagers when they're doing these types of things,” Morell said. “…I think parents should just have honest talks with their kids and even show them some of the results from these bad fireworks injuries.”
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