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"2009 ARTHRITIS EXPO
WAS A SUCCESS"
Hand Surgeons Urge Safety in the Garden
The Hand Center of Southwestern Ohio recommends that gardeners take the proper precautions to prevent hand-related injuries before digging or planting in the garden this spring.
According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), emergency rooms treat more than 400,000 outdoor garden-tool-related accidents each year. With proper safety techniques, you can stay away from the hospital and avoid becoming a statistic..
"Common sense is the most important concept," says Brent Bamberger, D.O., founder of the Hand Center. “Try to do one thing at a time, multitasking in the garden can cause safety issues."
“Just because you might be out relaxing in the garden doesn’t mean you should throw safety precautions to the wind. Before you start each task, simply ask yourself, ‘What can I do to keep my hands safe?’”
Follow these precautions to avoid injury, pain, and discomfort: Click Here
Hand Surgeons Warn of
Pumpkin Carving Dangers
Use caution during the Halloween season, and take steps to prevent hand injuries when carving.
“Every Halloween season we see four or five patients—both adults and children—who come into our office with severe injuries to their hands and fingers,” says Mark Klug, MD, a member from The Hand Center of Southwestern Ohio. “Treatment can often run three to four months from the time of surgery through rehabilitation.”
To prevent hand injuries, the Hand Center suggests the following safety tips
Carve at a Clean, Dry, Well-lit Area
Wash and thoroughly dry all of the tools that you will use to carve the pumpkin: carving tools, knife, cutting surface, and your hands. Any moisture on your tools, hands, or table can cause slipping that can lead to injuries.
Always Have Adult Supervision
“All too often we see adolescent patients with injuries because adults feel the kids are responsible enough to be left on their own,” says Wint. “Even though the carving may be going great, it only takes a second for an injury to occur.”
Leave the Carving to Adults
Never let children do the carving. Wint suggests letting kids draw a pattern on the pumpkin and have them be responsible for cleaning out the inside pulp and seeds. When the adults do start cutting, they should always cut away from themselves and cut in small, controlled strokes.
Sharper is not Better
“A sharper knife is not necessarily better because it often becomes wedged in the thicker part of the pumpkin, requiring force to remove it,” says Wint. “An injury can occur if your hand is in the wrong place when the knife finally dislodges from the thick skin of the pumpkin. Injuries are also sustained when the knife slips and comes out the other side of the pumpkin where your hand may be holding it steady.”
Use a Pumpkin Carving Kit
Special pumpkin carving kits are available in stores and include small serrated pumpkin saws that work better because they are less likely to get stuck in the thick pumpkin tissue. “If they do get jammed and then wedged free, they are not sharp enough to cause a deep, penetrating cut,” says Wint.
Help for a pumpkin carving injury
Should you cut your finger or hand, bleeding from minor cuts will often stop on their own by applying direct pressure to the wound with a clean cloth. If continuous pressure does not slow or stop the bleeding after 15 minutes, an emergency room visit may be required.
Holiday Hand Safety 101: Hand Surgeons Offer Tips for a Safe Carving Season
Nothing says “Thanksgiving” like football, family and the enticing aromas of turkey, stuffing, yams and pumpkin pie. But no matter what’s included in a Thanksgiving spread, one dish nobody anticipates is a hand injury.
The holidays are a wonderful time for families and friends to get together. Schedules are often filled with parties and events, and, unfortunately, accidents can occur at such events. According to Tim Harman, D.O., a member of the Hand Center of Southwestern Ohio, "We hand surgeons often treat people who have accidentally injured themselves with sharp knives while cutting or preparing foods causing traumatic injuries to the tendons, nerves, and vessels of their hands and arms. While glassware is prepared for the upcoming revelry, people should be cautious when handling wet, soapy glassware as it can become slick, break, and cause injury."
Specialists are always available to deal with these injuries, but we encourage people to take extra precautions during these times of the year to truly enjoy their events.
Don't let your turkey day celebrations go fowl this year because of a hand injury.
Click here for easy tips and get your bird on the table in time so guests can start gobbling.