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Firefighter offers summer safety tips

By BEN NELMS
bnelms@TheCitizenNews.com

David Byrd has been told he is too watchful. Some have laughed at what they believed to be over zealous protection of his family, including his three children. But Byrd knows better. As a longtime firefighter and supervisor with Rural Metro, Byrd has seen more than his share of seemingly innocent occasions turn abruptly into tragedy. It is that reality that led to his comments last week about summer safety tips that can save lives. High on the list of factors that can compromise an otherwise leisurely summer activities are water related accidents, allergic reactions from insect bites and stings and the problems associated with dehydration and heat stroke.

Drowning is the second leading cause of all injury-related deaths in children 1-14 years of age, resulting in nearly 1,000 deaths each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“I’ve been doing this quite a few years. And when I see drownings, especially with kids, it really upsets me. Every drowning call I’ve been on was preventable, every single one,” Byrd said.

Drownings are not limited to a solitary swimmer getting into trouble or a young child falling into an unattended backyard pool. Tragedy can strike in the most unassuming settings. With unfortunate frequency, drowning victims often lose their lives while surrounded by people.

“Drownings happen at places like subdivision swimming pools. There are people everywhere. They’re all over the place. Parents are there. People are in the pool, out of the pool, walking around,” Byrd said emphatically. “Parents turn away for a few minutes or they get busy and aren’t paying as close attention as they thought they were and somebody finds their kid at the bottom of the pool. And yet there were people everywhere. People don’t understand how fast it can happen. They think they are paying attention. But the bottom line is that you don’t have even 30 seconds with a little kid.”

Byrd said misunderstandings about drowning are not uncommon. Contrary to what many people, drowning is due to hypoxia, a deficiency in the amount of oxygen reaching body tissues, rather than being under water for a prolonged period. Lungs filling with water only occurs after the person has died and the body has relaxed, he said.

“What people don’t understand is that, in a drowning, you don’t have to be under water for several minutes,” said Byrd. “Once the water hits the vocal chords it will make them spasm and will shut them off. So when people drown it’s not from having their lungs full of water. It’s from hypoxia because their airway closes off once the water hits it. And it can be hard to revive them.”

Even if successfully revived, the aftermath of a near drowning can be fatal. Near drownings in lakes and rivers can result in bacterial infections in the lungs that can cost a life long after the incident is over.

“So no matter what, if you’ve got little kids you don’t take your hands off them. You stay right by them. If they’re around the pool you don’t sit 20 feet away. If they’re walking around the pool you better stay behind them,” Byrd stressed. “People may think they’ve got a margin to work with but that’s where mistakes are made. That’s where most people get into trouble.”

Other water safety tips from Rural Metro include never swimming alone, keeping basic lifesaving equipment near pools and swimming areas and know how to use them, enclose home pool areas with a self-locking, self-closing fence with vertical bars and watch for the “dangerous too’s.” Being too tired, too cold, too far from safety, engaging in too much strenuous activity and taking in too much sun can lead to tragedy.

And it is the sun and the outside activities during summer months where water intake is insufficient that can tun work or play into a medical problem. Byrd said dehydration and even heat stroke are summer conditions that people should be aware of and take precautions to avoid.

Rural Metro carries additional items such as ice packs during summer months because physical exertions levels increase and can lead to the need for medical attention. This is true, he said, of construction and other outside workers as well as children and adults participating in outside activities. Without drinking enough water to match the activity level the body cannot maintain the needed electrolyte balance provided by potassium, sodium and calcium. An electrolyte imbalance can even become life threatening because the heart functions in concert with these chemicals, Byrd said.

Symptoms of dehydration include thirst, fatigue, dry mouth, dizziness, confusion, increased heart rate and breathing and less frequent urination. In children, additional symptoms can include high fever, listlessness, irritability, no tears when crying or no wet diapers for more than three hours. With children, things can change rapidly

“The thing about a child is that they are so different than an adult. You can see that an adult is starting to go down hill but with kids, they will compensate really well until they can’t compensate anymore. And then they’re done and they’re down. Parents need to understand that their kid may look fine but that’s not always true. Parents need to make sure the kid gets plenty of water and is watched closely.”

Heat stroke is another matter altogether, Byrd cautioned. He said our bodies generate tremendous amounts of internal heat and our bodies are cooled by sweating. With extreme heat, vigorous activity or high humidity that cooling system can begin to fail, allowing that internal heat to build up to dangerous levels. Heat stroke is a condition that develops rapidly and requires immediate medical attention. Symptoms of heat stroke include headache, dizziness, high body temperature, fatigue, disorientation, heat cramps, seizures, rapid heart rate, hallucinations or loss of consciousness in children or adults.

“With heat stroke your core temperature gets so high that it can literally cook your brain. It can also lead to organ failure and can affect a whole range of things. The big thing is that it will either stop your heart or it’s going to fry your brain,” Byrd said with emphasis, indicating the seriousness of the condition. “If we get to the person fast enough they can come out of it with no cardiac damage or other permanent damage. People need to take precautions because heat stroke is extremely dangerous.”

Heat stroke is treated by cooling the individual down by placing ice packs under the armpits, around the neck and the groin area. This helps cool down the core temperature, Byrd said. Until medical help arrives, heat stroke can be treated by applying cool water to the skin and fanning the individual, having them move indoors and lie down with their feet slightly elevated.

Byrd said people should enjoy the summer months. A part of that overall enjoyment includes the simple precaution of getting enough water to match the exertion that summer brings.

“Sometimes when people are outside at a barbecue or doing yard work they get busy and they don’t think about getting into a problem,” he said. “They can end up with heat exhaustion or heat cramps or even heat stroke when they get too hot. A person can stay outside all day as long as they keep themselves hydrated. And it’s not cokes, it’s not alcohol, it’s not even fruit juices. You just need to drink water and plenty of it.”

Parents can cover many bases but sometimes occasions arise when the unexpected happens during what would seem to be the least intrusive moments. That can be the case with unexpected allergic reactions to insect bites and stings. Byrd advised parents to have Benedryl on hand during back yard barbecues and carry it with them on outdoor family outings. Thinking ahead the keeping a supply of the drug close by can help buy some time, especially when a child is not known to have an allergy to a particular insect.

“A lot of times you don’t know your child is allergic to a particular type of insect,” he said. If the child is bitten and begins having a problem like a rash or hives or difficulty breathing or swallowing the parent can give the appropriate amount of Benedryl elixir and it will buy them some time.”

Many people that know they are allergic to insect bites and stings will carry an adrenaline auto-injector known as an Epipen. It is in the heat of the moment that mistakes with the device can be made. Common mistakes include accidentally injecting themselves in the thumb.

“People with allergies that carry an Epipen should make sure they stay familiar with the way they are used and they should expect to use them,” he said. “A lot of times somebody will start having a reaction and the get so nervous that they forget they have the device with them. So it’s better to have the attitude that they are going to need to use it.”

Byrd said the toxins from two local spiders can potentially cause severe problems. The venom of a Black Widow contains a strong neurotoxin that affects muscles. A bite can have severe health effects in young children and older adults. More common locally is the bite from the Brown Recluse that produces a toxin that destroys the affected tissue. Though often unnoticed at the time of the bite, the affected tissue may require surgical removal if the toxin spreads. A telltale sign of a Brown recluse bite is a reddened area with a small white mark in the center, he added. More tissue dies as the toxin spreads from the site of the bite. Byrd said the best approach to dealing with insect bites is to get the area checked if it shows no improvement over the first 24 hours.

“The thing about a Brown Recluse is that most people don’t know they’ve been bitten or they don’t think anything about it,” Byrd said. “So they don’t think to get it checked.”

Allergic reactions generate more than one-half million emergency rooms visits annually and cause at least 50 deaths, according to The American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. Other tips relating to insect bites and stings include oral anti-histamines for mild allergic reactions as long as the individual is alert and able to swallow and removing stingers by flicking it with a driver’s license or credit card. Tweezers may seem to be the logical way to remove a stinger but they can cause more harm that good because pinching the stinger can release more venom into the wound. A paste of meat tenderizer or baking soda and water can help break down venom. Above all, call 911 or seek medical attention if serious symptoms develop.

David Byrd expects to enjoy an active and safe summer with his family. He hopes you do, too.