Ready egg whites, ice, as first-aid for ‘cracker injuries, doctor says

AFP FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — Home remedies such as egg whites and ice, as well as other first-aid materials should be readied for firecracker-related accidents that may happen during the New Year’s Eve revelry.

Chief resident orthopedic department of Jose R. Reyes Memorial Medical Center Dr. Bernard Adajar has advised using first-aid remedies first such as ice and eggs before rushing a patient injured by firecrackers, to the nearest hospital.

Egg whites must be administered immediately to a patient in case of firecracker ingestion, Adajar said.

“Actually para siyang (egg white) antidote, para lang hindi muna maabsorb ng katawan yung lason na dala ng mga nalulunok po katulad ng watusi. Hindi po kaagad maabsorb ng sikmura po,” Adajar explained Tuesday in a radio interview.

(Actually, it’s like an antidote so that the body will not immediately absorb the poison brought by the ingested firecracker, for instance, a watusi. This way, it will not be immediately absorbed by the stomach.)

Adajar also advised the public to ready ice should there be a case of fingers being blown-off by exploding firecrackers.

“Linisin lang po ng malinis na tubig ang sugat kahit walang sabon then takpan ng malinis na tuwalya o kaya mga gasa and then dalhin po agad sa hospital, kami na po ang bahala dito,” Adajar said.

(Just clean the wound with clean water, even without soap, and cover it with a clean towel or gauze. Then immediately bring the patient to the hospital.)

“Pag natanggal po kunware yung daliri, mas maganda po nasa yelo po sa malinis na lalagyan pero iwasan po na nasa tubig. Yelo lang po,” he added.

(Should the finger be removed, it’s better to place it on ice inside a clean container, but prevent from putting it on water. Ice alone is fine.)

As of Monday, the Department of Health (DOH) has already recorded 54 cases of fireworks-related injuries.

Edited by MUF