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Happy Independence Day America!
Let’s Party.
Medically reviewed and written by Ashwin Malhotra, M.D. — July 4th, 2021
I love the 4th of July. Being outdoors, BBQ, and having a cold one with friends is the best. And who doesn’t love fireworks! I want to share 4 quick hits for medical safety – the obvious and not-so obvious things.
“Fun in the sun,” “outdoor gathering,” and “pool party” are the staples of July 4th. An obvious safety point to know and implement is using sunscreen to prevent sun damage to your skin, burns, and long-term skin cancer risk. And some ICD codes for my physician friends: L55.0 – L55.2 for first-, second-, and third-degree sun burns.
I hate to see this, but as a Neurologists who focuses on personal injury, this is all too common. Specifically for the over 65 family members = be careful around the pool and don’t have a fall. And the everyone else, be very careful jumping into the pool, it may not be as deep as the Jones said. The not so obvious ICD codes for my physician friends that I have used: W16.522A for Jumping or Diving into Swimming Pool/Body of Water Injury.
Obvious safety hazard: Fireworks. I mean I get it. They are awesome. But as a physician I have learned to watch them from afar and to enjoy them more than having to deploy them. Firework injuries range from mild to life-altering level severe. ICD code to know: W39.XXXA Discharge of Firework Injury. It might hard to get kids to appreciate this one.
Avoid eating undercooked food – this may be less obvious than you think. It’s easy to get lost in the fun and skip checking the burger temperature or making sure that chicken is fully cooked on the inside. ICD codes for this nightmare: T62.91XA: toxic effect of unspecified noxious substance eaten as food.
Stay safe and enjoy the 4th
Special thanks to my wife, Danielle Schwartz, a primary care physician, for helping me find some of the ICD codes above.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
