Avoid Kitchen Injuries This Holiday Season

"It's a fact that the kitchen is the most dangerous room in the house, especially during the holidays. In addition to kitchen fires and burns, knife and broken glass accidents affecting the hand and fingers are among the most common kitchen injuries. "We see an increase in injuries from kitchen accidents over the holidays," says Nitin Goyal, MD, hand, wrist and elbow surgeon, Midwest Orthopaedics at RUSH (MOR). "Most often they are from people cutting themselves while carving turkeys or on broken holiday glasses.""

""People who experience a laceration or deep cut should seek treatment right away," explains Dr. Goyal. "If a tendon is cut, it should be reattached in a timely manner to maximize the chances for healing and mobility. Severing a nerve can cause feeling to be lost, and this should be treated expeditiously to maximize the potential outcome." Before you take a stab at carving or cooking, make sure you are using the right technique. Dr. Goyal has these tips:"

The kitchen poses significant injury risks, especially during the holidays, with an estimated 350,000 yearly ER visits for knife injuries. Kitchen fires and burns, along with knife and broken glass accidents, commonly injure hands and fingers. Lacerations, tendon and nerve injuries can cause loss of function or sensation and require prompt medical attention; timely tendon repair improves healing and mobility while nerve injuries need expeditious treatment to optimize outcomes. Practical prevention steps include using a sharp knife, keeping the cutting area well-lit and dry, slicing away from the hand, using cutting boards, stabilizing round foods, and washing knives immediately rather than soaking them.

Read at Alternative Medicine Magazine