Mexstan

Just read an article that I thought was funny, so am sharing it with y'all. It brings new meaning to the the expression "Be safe out there".;



A casualty doctor has warned that carving the Christmas turkey while drunk or popping champagne corks could seriously damage the population's health on Christmas Day.

Dr John Heyworth, emergency department consultant at Southampton General Hospital, said that every year over the festive period he deals with a host of injuries as families get together.

More bizarre accidents medics have seen include: exploding Christmas tree lights, which caused small burns to eyelids and eyeballs, and zips caught on eyelids as people struggled to try on a new jumper.

Also on the list are burns from the oven, older people choking on their turkey and nasty hand and limb injuries caused by people trying to get stones out of avocados - something that is becoming an increasing issue.

Others can turn up at accident & emergency with eye injuries from poking themselves with Christmas tree branches while getting presents from under it.

Eye unit staff commonly see children suffering after poking themselves or others in the eye with new toys and glitter fragments in the eye from cards or craft activities.

Dry eyes from sleeping with eyes open after excess alcohol consumption is common.

Mr Heyworth said: ''Every Christmas without fail we see the same injuries caused by preparing and cooking the Christmas dinner.

''People are likely to burn themselves on the oven or cut themselves as they carve the turkey - particularly if they have been drinking alcohol.

''We will always see someone who chokes over Christmas, often the elderly. They will choke on a piece of meat because they don't chew it properly,'' he said.

''If people are looking after or hosting elderly people for Christmas dinner, it is important to take extra care of them. It seems like a basic thing, but someone will choke on turkey over Christmas - it happens every single year.''

Rob Crouch, an emergency nurse, said: ''Last year I remember incidents with people trying to get stones out of avocados.

''Instead of putting a knife across the stone and twisting, people tend to stab down and then either go through or slip off into the hand, often resulting in a nasty injury.''

Emma Powditch, a hospital sister, added: ''The main problems people come in with over Christmas include scratches to the eye from Christmas tree branches as they place and retrieve gifts from under the tree and corks hitting the eye, which causes significant bruising and swelling to lids as well as inflammation and swelling within the eye.

''We would just say don't put presents too far back under the tree and open bottles pointing away from your own and others' faces to avoid unnecessary and damaging injury to the eyes.''

high bid

2yrs ago my brother was so excited about opening a gift for our dad. The gift was zip-tied to the box. He used his fancy new box cutter to cut the ties and half-way thru his thumb! Blood all over the place. We gave him a really hard time for making such a mess of the garage floor. He arrived home later after 6-8 stitches and missing the xmas dinner. He's a little more careful w/knives now. We still laugh about it.

AkTallPaul

Social Darwinism....................

AaronT

Thanks Stan: "Dry eyes from sleeping with eyes open after excess alcohol consumption is common".

I always thought I had an alergy to Turkey and cranberry sauce that caused this.

dj_souvlaki

ya those champagne bottle corks fly out with some power. when my girlfriend rented me the romance sweet for my birthday it came witha complimentry bottle of champage. i remember opening the bottle and we could not find the cork. it was lodge in the cieling.

Redleg

My sargent poked himself in the chest pretty good with his bootknife, opening his daughter's christmas present Christmas morning. We were deploying to the gulf the following week. Fortunately he didn't get anything vital so they let him deploy.

Bark

Many years back it Twas the Thanksgiving turkey that got me!!

stinkindiesel

I've got a friend who recieved a new Buck knife for Christmas. Armed with a bellyful of beer, he tried to stick the point of it into the gap of a walnut's shell to open it. He had the walnut cupped in one hand while he forced the blade with the other.

It resulted in festive Christmas red arterial spray. When I send him a Christmas card each year, I always commemorate the self-stabbing with a little drawing of the event.

madhat

I have drank a few beers in my day, never had this happen... Sounds interesting, tho...

cougar

Like my Grandma said to Grandpa may years ago; Merry Christmas, its another boy!

megacabdad

Amateurs or people who don't drink often can have weird reactions from alcohol consumption...

For those of us who run on barley and hops, liver damage is all we have to worry about.

madhat

I wonder how long my liver has...

Hvytrkmech

The liver is evil and must be punished.

Mexstan

How? By trying to drown it in alcohol?

Bark

I use many beers to flush out the toxins in my liver. Must work because I aint dead yet!!!