A Few of the Most Common Halloween Injuries and How to Avoid Them - Legacy ER

The fact that more than two dozen rural hospitals have been shut down since 2013 is almost as spooky as Halloween itself. However, there are a few things that are just a little spookier you should be worrying about on the upcoming holiday.
Believe it or not, Halloween injuries are quite common, but not for the reasons you might think. Here are a few of the most common Halloween injuries and what you can do to prevent them.

Traffic Collisions

Trick-or-treaters beware! The high number of pedestrians on the street combined with typically dark settings can make for a nasty trip to the emergency room for urgent medical needs. However, these types of accidents can easily be avoided. Whether it’s part of your costume or not, you should be wearing reflective outerwear if you plan on trekking the streets at night. Even light-up candy buckets are a great option.

Eye Injuries

The iconic “You’ll shoot your eye out” phrase doesn’t just apply to kids who want Airsoft guns for Christmas. A lot of Halloween costumes require props, but those props can also be sharp and dangerous. If you do need props for some reason, make sure they’re a reasonable length and not too sharp. There’s nothing worse than walking into an urgent care clinic because you poked yourself in the eye with a pointy plastic pitchfork.

Burn Injuries

Although burns are less likely, they still happen. Many Halloween costumes come with flowing capes, oversized sleeves, and long wigs. However, all of those items are extremely capable of catching fire at a Halloween bonfire or even in a spooky room filled with candles. Make sure your costumes are flame-retardant and well-fitted.

Knife Injuries

Pumpkin carving is fun until you realize just how slippery pumpkins can be. Knife wounds are urgent medical needs that must be treated every year. The best way to avoid these is to wear gloves when carving your pumpkin and to entrust the actual carving to adults in the room.

Halloween should be a time for fun scares and treats, not a trip to the ER. If you plan accordingly and safely, you should be set to have a great, injury-free holiday!