STHS urges residents to be safe and take precautions to avoid life-threatening fireworks-related injuries

SOUTH TEXAS HEALTH SYSTEM URGES RIO GRANDE VALLEY RESIDENTS TO BE FIREWORKS SMART DURING THIS WEEKEND’S FOURTH OF JULY CELEBRATIONS

The STHS Trauma & Critical Care Institute urges the community to take precautions to avoid life-threatening fireworks-related injuries

There’s no doubt that fireworks can be a source of great entertainment and spectacle, but they also pose serious safety risks, including burns, eye injuries and fire hazards.

In 2024, there were 11 reported fireworks-related deaths in the United States, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (USCPSC).

Meanwhile, an estimated 14,700 people were rushed to emergency rooms across the country for treatment of fireworks injuries, per the USCPSC, a 52% jump from 9,700 in 2023.

Burns were the most common injury, with hands and fingers being the most frequently injured body parts.

“Fireworks, even small ones, burn at extremely high temperatures and can result in severe burns, including third-degree burns, in mere seconds,” says Santos Cantu, MD, an emergency medicine physician who serves as the medical director of the emergency department at STHS Children’s. “These burns can lead to extensive scarring and permanent damage. Additionally, fireworks can explode with considerable force, which can cause blunt trauma to the body and potentially lead to amputations of fingers, hands or limbs.”

Since Independence Day falls on a Friday this year, the South Texas Health System Trauma & Critical Care Institute is bracing for an influx of fireworks injury-related cases throughout the weekend.

Due to the potential for serious and life-altering injuries when using fireworks, the STHS Trauma & Critical Care Institute urges Valley residents to leave the fireworks to the professionals and encourages them to attend official fireworks displays by local governments like the City of McAllen and the City of South Padre Island.

But if you decide to light your own fireworks this Fourth of July weekend and it’s legal to do so in your community, here are some safety tips to keep you and your loved ones safe:

· Don’t allow young children to play with or ignite fireworks. That includes sparklers, which burn at about 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit—hot enough to melt some metals

· Keep a vessel filled with water or a garden hose nearby, in case of a fire or other mishap

· Always light fireworks one at a time, then quickly move away from the fireworks device

· Don’t place any part of your body directly over a fireworks device when lighting the fuse

· Never try to re-light or handle a malfunctioning firework; soak them in water and then throw them away

· After fireworks are done burning, douse them with water from a bucket or hose to prevent fires

· Only purchase and ignite fireworks that are labeled for consumer (not professional) use

· Never point or throw fireworks at another person

· Don’t use fireworks while impaired by alcohol or drugs

· Never carry fireworks in your pockets

If you or a loved one experiences a fireworks-related injury, seek immediate medical attention by calling 911 or visiting the nearest emergency room.

The STHS Trauma & Critical Care Institute is the largest integrated network of emergency care in the Rio Grande Valley with 11 emergency departments, including the Level I Trauma Center at STHS McAllen and seven freestanding emergency departments throughout the region. To find an ER near you, visit www.southtexashealthsystem.com/our-facilities.

About South Texas Health System

South Texas Health System is a multi-facility healthcare system serving patients throughout the Rio Grande Valley. The system includes four acute care facility campuses with specialties in pediatrics, heart and vascular services, maternity and women’s health and trauma services. Inpatient and outpatient treatment for behavioral health needs and addictive disorders is also provided through the system’s South Texas Health System Behavioral facility. South Texas Health System is affiliated with the South Texas Clinical Partners ACO, Prominence Health Plan and Cornerstone Regional Hospital. The system operates an advanced Level I Trauma Center at South Texas Health System McAllen, the first and only freestanding children’s facility and pediatric ER at South Texas Health System Children’s, the region’s only freestanding heart hospital and specialized cardiac ER at South Texas Health System Heart and seven freestanding emergency rooms located in and around Weslaco, Mission, Edinburg, McAllen, Pharr and Alamo. For more information about the system and its comprehensive services, please visit www.southtexashealthsystem.com.

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