December 15 - Injury Prevention Day

Injury to the population is one of the most important public health and healthcare problems, the relevance of which is determined not only by medical but also by socio-economic aspects, caused by the consequences of injuries, often leading to permanent disability and even invalidism, as well as a high mortality rate from external causes.

Types of injuries:

1. Road traffic injuries are one of the leading causes of direct death from injuries as a result of road traffic accidents (RTAs). According to the World Health Organization, more than a million people die worldwide annually, and 20 to 50 million are injured or become disabled. Ensuring road traffic safety is of great importance in reducing RTAs.

2. Occupational injuries are injuries sustained by workers at work, usually caused by non-compliance with occupational safety requirements. To reduce occupational injuries, it is necessary to strictly adhere to occupational safety rules, and workers must be provided with serviceable personal protective equipment and workwear. First aid kits with a set of medications, bandages, splints, etc., must be available for providing first medical aid. All newly hired employees undergo a medical examination and mandatory occupational safety briefing. Improving competence and updating knowledge in this area, as well as their verification, must be continuous.

3. Domestic injuries include accidents that occur outside the victim's work activities – in the home, yard, at the dacha, etc. Domestic injuries usually account for the main share of all injuries. The leading cause of these injuries (about a third of cases) is performing household chores: cleaning and repairing premises, cooking, etc. Recently, injuries sustained at the dacha and garden plots have been noted more and more often. Among domestic injuries, bruises, wounds, burns, etc., predominate. The hand is most often injured. About a quarter of domestic injuries occur due to falls in the yard and apartment, etc. Injuries are less commonly sustained in various domestic conflicts. Alcohol intoxication plays a significant role in their occurrence, especially on holidays and weekends.

4. Street Injuries. One of the important measures to prevent street injuries is to combat domestic alcoholism, as street injuries are often sustained by individuals in a state of alcohol intoxication. In winter, ice-related injuries are of particular concern. The main rule is to be extremely attentive and careful, and to avoid danger, you need to:

• look carefully at your feet;
• do not step widely, walk slowly;
• step on the whole sole, not on the toe, not on the ball of the foot;
• avoid uncleared streets and walk around slippery places;
• walk where the sidewalks are sprinkled with sand;
• attach a strip of sandpaper or regular plaster to the sole of your shoes;
• wear shoes with a ribbed sole.

If you fall, it is very important to correctly assess your condition. The main signs of a fracture or dislocation are: sharp pain, increasing swelling, shortening of the injured limb, and the inability to move it normally. A concussion is manifested by loss of consciousness (sometimes for literally a few moments), nausea, and headache. The victim, at all costs, must attract the attention of passers-by, ask for help. You need to call an ambulance or help get to the nearest trauma center. You can do without a doctor's help only in case of a minor bruise: just apply something cold to the sore spot, this will reduce swelling and pain!

5. Childhood Domestic Injuries.

Currently, the pressing problem is the ingestion of batteries (power sources for household appliances and toys), magnetic foreign bodies, and chemically active liquids by children.

Toys containing power sources must be inspected in advance to rule out easy removal of batteries. All batteries must be under a lid, securely fastened with a screw.

If a foreign body is suspected to have been swallowed or inhaled, it is necessary to: not panic, not try to induce vomiting in the child, and immediately call an ambulance crew.

All cleaning agents, laundry detergents, food acids, and potassium permanganate can cause severe poisoning or chemical burns to the mucous membranes of a child's digestive tract.

If your child is very curious, get down on your knees and see what potentially dangerous items your child can reach. Remove anything that could pose a threat to life to an inaccessible level or into a lockable cabinet.

Remember: the kitchen, bathroom, and toilet are sources of extreme danger for children!

Be careful! Take care of yourself and your loved ones!

State Institution "Rossonsky RTCGE", 2023