Pearls of Prevention

When you ask little kids what they want to be when they grow up, you hear “I want to be a doctor.” “A nurse.” “A firefighter.” They want to help people. But do they really understand what we do?

Yes, we help people, but there is so much more. Most people’s point of reference for what we do is from television. House, Rescue Me, ER, Grey’s Anatomy, Emergency and so on. They believe that we can save them all — that people can walk away with a mere scratch from the crash. But we know the ugly truth.

When people find out what we do, they have the same question. “How can you do that trauma stuff?” My question is: How can we explain it so you understand?

• Trauma is a passion. It's an intangible part of you, but it's there and very real. The adrenaline is pumping. You're in the zone. You know what needs to be done. You know what you need to do.

The next question is, “Do you ever cry?”

• During resuscitation, there is no time for tears. The tears come later. My usual answer is: "When I stop crying, it is time for me to stop."

The last question is, “What is the worst thing you've ever seen?”

• The majority of us have a particular patient that pops into our heads — the one you've thought about over and over. The what-if patient. The “should have, could have, would have” patient. The one that you dream about. The patient that haunts you.

One paramedic, who was talking to high school students with me, really summed it up well. Each scene, each patient, we give ourselves to them. Some take a piece of us that we'll never forget. We've all been there — telling patients to hang on, don’t give up. We held their hands as life slips away. We cried with the families. And we all have that one patient that we will never forget.

The “what if’s” will always be there. What if she had her seatbelt on? What if he was not on his cell phone? What if the child was in a car seat?

To pose it another way, what if there were no more senseless deaths? What if we didn't have to tell family members that their loved one died? What if...?

That's why we're all here, isn’t it? We all know in our hearts that we do it for the patient — the person in front of you. Not for the glory. Not for the recognition. For our patient. We know that this person in front of us is someone’s mom, husband, child or friend. Our patient is the passion for what we do.

There will be times when you think — why the heck do I do this? Then you get that one heartfelt thank-you. The thank-you that eases the frustration. The visits you get from the patients you saved. They are walking. They are smiling. It's because of what you did. And now life seems better.

And seriously, how many people can say “I save lives for a living,” and truly mean it? When you really stop and think about it, the kids are right. We do this all to help people, to help our patients.

Thank you for all that you do.

May is National Trauma Awareness month. So in a short 31 days, education and awareness regarding trauma should be occurring. How, in one month, do I cover all the pressing trauma issues? And that doesn’t even include funding? How do I cover seat belts, drinking, texting, gun violence, motorcycles, falls — just to scratch the surface?

In my blog, I attempt to bring out awareness regarding what we see at the Froedtert & The Medical College Trauma Center, and what you can do to keep safe.

I do education in the community on variety of injury prevention topics. One of the most requested topics is distracted driving. And, yes I know, I have written a lot on the subject. That said, the numbers are still rising. Drivers think that they can drive and text without issues. Yet the numbers do not lie. According to the National Safety Council, 1.6 million crashes per year are caused by texting and driving. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety Fatality Facts report that 11 teen deaths occur every day from texting and driving. Nearly 25 percent of all car crashes are from texting and driving.
 
When I am in the car (as a passenger) I look at the drivers in the different cars. I see that phones and texting is not just a teenager affliction. It is a societal affliction. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that if you text while driving, you are about six times more likely to cause a crash than driving intoxicated. And texting while driving is the same as driving after consuming four beers.

So my challenge to you is simple. Look at the driving contract. If you have a family of drivers, sit down and talk about the contract. Then all of you sign it. If you are the sole driver, sign it as a pledge to yourself. Sign it for the safety of all of us.

One month in the scheme of life is not long enough. One month for trauma awareness should really be a lifetime. It is for me.

Spring is finally here, which means summer is right around the corner. So how can you stay safe while enjoying warm-weather activities?

• If you are drinking, do not drive. This includes cars, jet skis, boats, motorcycles even windsurfing. For that matter, do not ride with a person who has been drinking.
• Do not swim or dive if you have been drinking. Drinking can affect your judgment. You could swim out too far without even realizing it. Also, diving into shallow water can cause serious injuries.
• If you are riding in a boat, remember that alcohol will impair your balance and increase your chances of falling overboard. This danger, compounded by alcohol's effects on your swimming ability, is a common cause of drowning.
• Eat before and during occasions when you are drinking — eating will slow alcohol's effects.
• Alcohol combined with warm weather can cause dehydration. If you are going to drink alcohol, make sure you drink plenty of water as well.

Remember that alcohol will impair your performance in most sports, making you more vulnerable to accidents and injuries.

I am looking forward to being outside again!

I happen to love snow. I think it is beautiful. So serene and peaceful. And yes, I know that it is a pain to shovel. And yes, it can make a mess of the roads and make it difficult for driving. However, there are a lot of fun things you can do, safely. I have quite a few friends that wish for more and more snow so that they may take their sleds out. Now I am not talking about toboggans rather, snowmobiles. If you are one of the many snowmobilers out there, please remember your safety!

• Watch the weather conditions and check the trails before heading out. Do not go out in poor visibility.
• Never going riding alone. Always make sure you go out with another person. If your snowmobile breaks down, you have a ride. Also, if there is a medical problem, you have another to help.
• Remember your personal safety. Always wear a helmet and facemask. Dress in layers to keep warm.
• Slow it on down. Excessive speed is a major factor in most crashes, especially at night. Keep your speed under 40 miles per hour.
• Keep to the right. Most trails are two way just like the roadways. Keep to the right especially on corners and hills. Follow and obey all trail signs. Cross roads with caution.
• Thin ice! The best practice is to stay off of lakes and rivers all together. If you must travel on ice, wear a life jacket over your clothing in case you fall through. Stay on the marked trail and stay off any ice that has any moving water near or under it.
• Do not drink and drive, period.

Whether you like the snow or not, this is Wisconsin.Wait a moment and the weather will change.
 
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