Keep
hands safe
Carve carefully
e bagel slicer got you
through breakfast with
your fingers intact, but
now it’s time to carve the
dinner roast and it’s just
you and the knife. How
do you cut into the main
course without slicing your
digits?
You’ll have a better
chance of avoiding a hand
injury and a trip to the
emergency department
if you:
Keep your grip.
Make
sure your cutting area
and knife handle are dry.
Use a carving fork or your
free hand to hold the meat
steady.
Steer clear.
Never cut
toward yourself. Do not
place your hand underneath
the blade to catch the meat.
Choose the right tools.
Use a sharpened knife or an
electric knife to slice meat.
Try kitchen shears to cut
bones and joints.
If a minor accident oc-
curs and you do cut your
fingers or hand, take a
clean cloth and apply pres-
sure to the wound. Go to
the emergency department,
however, if:
e bleeding does not
stop after minutes of
continuous pressure.
Your ngertips become
numb or tingly—and stay
that way.
You can’t remember
when you had your last
tetanus shot.
You can’t get the wound
clean with mild soap and
water.
Sources: American College of Emergency
Physicians; American Society for Surgery
of the Hand
When children need emergency care
Taking your child to the emergency de-
partment can be a stressful experience.
But if you’re prepared and in control, you
can help make things less stressful—for
both you and your child.
To prepare for an emergency, talk to
your child’s doctor in advance about the
signs of a true emergency. Ask questions
about what you should do if your child is
seriously ill or injured.
e American College of Emergency
Physicians o ers these tips for taking a
child to the emergency department:
Know where the nearest emergency de-
partment is located and how to get there.
If it’s a critical situation, call
. If it is
safe to drive, go to the hospital right away.
Tell the emergency department sta
exactly what is wrong with your child.
If possible, bring a list of your
child’s allergies and medications, as
well as his or her immunization re-
cords and contact information for
your child’s doctor.
Be open and honest with your child.
Tell him or her what is happening
and that the hospital sta is there to
help.
Don’t let your child eat or drink any-
thing on the way to the hospital.
Above all, do your best to stay calm—
for your child’s sake. If you are impatient
and panicked, your child is likely to act
the same way.
The emergency
departments of DCH
Health System are
here to help you 24/7.
Learn more at
www.dchsystem.com.
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6
H E A L T H Y C O M M U N I T Y
W I N T E R 2 0 1 3
N E W S , V I E W S & T I P S
H E A L T H T A L K
W
hen Becky Logan became the Director of the Emergency Department at Fayette
Medical Center last October, she was immediately impressed with the ED sta .
“ e Fayette ED has a strong nursing sta ,” Logan said. “All are certi ed in
advanced cardiac life support and pediatric advanced life support. Some also
are nationally certi ed in emergency nursing and trauma nursing.”
Logan is proud of the sta and their credentials. “ e community also can
be proud of the sta and feel secure knowing about the excellent skills of the caregivers in
the ED,” she said.
Logan, a native of nearby Wayside, has extensive experience by which to gauge the ED’s
performance. She has more than years’ nursing experience and has served in leadership
roles in large hospital systems in Virginia and Texas and midsize to smaller hospitals in
South Carolina and Georgia before joining the Fayette Medical Center ED team.
“We are focused on ways to reduce the wait time in the ED, and also we are continuously
looking at enhancing our clinical practices,” Logan said.
“When you come to the ED, we want you to know that the care you or a family member
receives is the same level of care we would want our own loved one to receive,” she said. “You
have a high expectation for the care you will receive, and we are always looking at ways to
meet or exceed those expectations.”
Cooperation in care
Logan pointed to the experienced physicians who sta the ED / as
integral members of the ED team. “We are pleased to also have the commitment and support
from our CEO as well as our administrator, Barry Cochran, and chief nurse o cer, Kathy
Gri th, for all that we strive to do in the ED,” Logan said.
She said the ED sta consistently sees to patients a day. Additionally, sta works
closely with the local emergency medical services. “We work with an air evacuation service,
since the hospital has a helipad, something not commonly found in a rural setting.”
Care that EDs provide is a specialty service, Logan said.
“We are prepared for all ages and for the reasons that brought them to the ED—a bee
sting, a motor accident, a heart attack, whatever,” Logan said. “One of our goals in the ED is
to stabilize patients with severe injuries or medical problems to save their lives so they can
be transferred to the next area for their continued care.”
When it’s an emergency,
expert sta is ready to act
A hospital emergency department prob-
ably isn’t on your Top List of travel des-
tinations, but at some point in your life,
an injury or illness will most likely land
you or someone you love in one.
Knowing what to expect can help you be
prepared and make your visit less stress-
ful, according to the American College of
Emergency Physicians (ACEP).
Is it an emergency?
Not every illness
or injury requires a trip to the emergency
department. Some less serious medical
problems can be treated by your primary
care doctor or at an urgent care center.
But there are some conditions that
require instant attention and an imme-
diate trip to the hospital. Some common
signs and symptoms of an emergency
include:
Chest pain or upper abdominal pain or
pressure that lasts two minutes or more.
Sudden changes in vision.
Uncontrolled bleeding.
Sudden or severe pain.
Di culty breathing or speaking.
Sudden dizziness or weakness.
Severe or persistent vomiting or
diarrhea.
Coughing or vomiting blood.
Suicidal or homicidal feelings.
In case of an
emergency
Know when to go
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