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Plan Ahead for Fireworks Safety

Planning on celebrating the Fourth of July with fireworks? An urgent care physician goes over some safety tips to keep in mind.

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CLEVELAND - Many people celebrate the Fourth of July with fireworks, but remembering to create a plan before enjoying them is important to prevent injury.

“It’s imperative to responsibly designate who will be setting off the fireworks. The general recommendation is for children not to be involved,” explained urgent care physician Allan Capin, MD, with Cleveland Clinic Florida.

Dr. Capin said it’s best to leave the fireworks show to the professionals, but if you decide to set some off yourself, location matters.

You should be in an open area outside – away from anything that can easily catch fire.

When it’s time to light the fireworks, don’t stand directly over them, and make sure to light them off one at a time.

You should never try to re-light a firework that doesn’t go off.

If you experience a minor burn, Dr. Capin said it’s important to avoid icing it to relieve the pain.

“It's not a good idea to use ice on a burn. Ice is the enemy in this case because the minute you apply ice, you're decreasing blood flow to the area, which can cause more pain and worsen the severity of the burn,” Dr. Capin said.

Dr. Capin added running a minor burn under cool water can help – but make sure to seek medical care if the burn is more severe and blistering.

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Cleveland Clinic is a nonprofit multispecialty academic medical center that integrates clinical and hospital care with research and education. Located in Cleveland, Ohio, it was founded in 1921 by four renowned physicians with a vision of providing outstanding patient care based upon the principles of cooperation, compassion and innovation. Cleveland Clinic has pioneered many medical breakthroughs, including coronary artery bypass surgery and the first face transplant in the United States. Cleveland Clinic is consistently recognized in the U.S. and throughout the world for its expertise and care. Among Cleveland Clinic’s 81,000 employees worldwide are more than 5,743 salaried physicians and researchers, and 20,160 registered nurses and advanced practice providers, representing 140 medical specialties and subspecialties. Cleveland Clinic is a 6,690-bed health system that includes a 173-acre main campus near downtown Cleveland, 23 hospitals, 276 outpatient facilities, including locations in northeast Ohio; Florida; Las Vegas, Nevada; Toronto, Canada; Abu Dhabi, UAE; and London, England. In 2023, there were 13.7 million outpatient encounters, 323,000 hospital admissions and observations, and 301,000 surgeries and procedures throughout Cleveland Clinic’s health system. Patients came for treatment from every state and 132 countries. Visit us at clevelandclinic.org. Follow us at twitter.com/CleClinicNews. News and resources available at newsroom.clevelandclinic.org.

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