ACS: Outdoor safety tips from a pediatric trauma surgeon

Editor's Note

With increased summer time outdoor activities is an increase in injury rates, which trauma surgeons often refer to as “trauma season,” according to a July 18 report from the American College of Surgeons (ACS).

Brendan Campbell, MD, MPH, FACS, chair of the Injury Prevention and Control Committee of the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma, and a pediatric surgeon at Connecticut Children’s in Hartford, offers five key tips to help keep outdoor activities safe and fun:

• Practice water safety
• Wear a helmet
• Know the basics of fire safety
• Use caution around fireworks
• Know the signs of heat-related illness.

“By taking a few simple precautions, we can greatly lessen our risk of injury so we can enjoy the summertime and avoid spending any time in the emergency department or operating room,” he says.