Top Dangers Threatening To Take the Happy out of your Holidays

Nothing makes you more of a Grinch during the holidays than a trip to the Emergency Room when you should be home enjoying good food, family and friends. Unfortunately, accidents are very common during the holiday season, for a variety of reasons. Here are the top concerns you should steer clear of if you don’t want to have a Ba Humbug attitude about the holidays this year.

Falls

About 5,800 individuals are treated annually in hospital emergency rooms for injuries sustained from falls involving holiday decorations.  This can include putting lights up on the house or reaching to far on the ladder to get the star on the top of your tree.

In addition, 4,000 people a year are treated in emergency rooms for injuries associated with extension cords.  Half of these injuries involve fractures, lacerations, contusions, or sprains as a result of people tripping over the cords.

Carbon Monoxide poisonings

Carbon Monoxide claims an average of 430 lives in the United States per year. These are preventable deaths. Make sure you install at least one smoke alarm and carbon monoxide alarm on every level of your home and near bedrooms.

Fires

About 30% of all home fires and 38% of home fire deaths occur during the months of December, January, and February.  The United States Fire Administration (USFA) says these fires happen for a variety of reasons cooking, heating, and open flames, all which increase during the holidays. Watch all fires and do not cook or handle an open flame if you have been drinking in excess.

Decorations

With all their shine and glitter holiday decorations are especially tempting to infants, who can quickly choke on items like tinsel, small ornaments, tiny pine cones and pieces from nativity scenes. Be sure to keep all such hazards well out of the reach of children; this includes popular holiday food items like nuts and hard candies, too.

Mistletoe
Poinsettias are often regarded as the most poisonous holiday plant, but contrary to popular belief these plants are actually not toxic to people. Mistletoe, on the other hand, is poisonous. Eating any part of the mistletoe plant, but particularly the berries and leaves, can lead to gastrointestinal upset, while some varieties contain toxins that can lead to blurred vision, blood pressure changes and even death. 

  

Toxic Candles, Sprays and Lights

Do you ever stop to consider what is in the smoke that burns from your candles? They can release hundreds of chemicals, including cancer-causing benzene, into your home's air every time you burn them. This is particularly true of scented candles, as the fragrance oils often contain phthalates, which have been linked to numerous hormonal disruptions, breast cancer, early or delayed puberty and more. Spray on snow is also hazardous as it contains acetone and methylene chloride (a probable carcinogen).

According to a U.S. Environmental group’s study four out of five holiday lights tested contain lead, 28 percent of which contained lead at such high levels they would be illegal to sell in Europe. 

Give yourself a gift this holiday season. Beware of the hazards that threaten to rob you of the joy and relaxation you deserve. An ounce of prevention is worth a lot more than what Santa might bring you.

When to Seek Out a Hybrid Urgent Care Facility

When there is a medical emergency, we instantly think that we should seek out the nearest emergency room. However, there are many instances when going to the traditional emergency room will be frugal to your well being because of wasted time spent in the waiting rooms. While there are of course the true-life threatening situations, in which you should still seek immediate medical care. Although, non-life threatening situations is when you should seek out an alternative to the ER.

While services vary between each urgent care and clinic you visit, most of them have the more than the basic services of a physician’s office and less than the serious situations that a traditional emergency room can offer.  For serious situations that do not require an ambulance, consider the hybrid urgent care option offered from The Urgency Room.  It is the ideal facility when you are looking to get back on your feet faster but don’t need the hassle and long wait of the ER! The Urgency Room is for people seeking immediate help for symptoms that deal with allergies, cuts that require stitches, chest pain, and even head injuries. If you are in the Minnesota area and are in need of a hybrid, advanced urgent care option, look to The Urgency Room to provide that service for you. Learn more at our website!

Unique Emergency Care

When you or a loved one needs urgent care near St. Paul, it’s important to act fast. With 3 locations in the East Twin Cities area, it’s easy to find us:

Eagan

• 12 private treatment rooms, 2 procedure rooms, 2 observation rooms, 2 consult rooms
• Address: 3010 Denmark Ave, Eagan, MN, 55121
• Phone: 651-789-9900

Vadnais Heights

• 13 private treatment rooms, 2 procedure rooms, 2 consult rooms, 2 observation rooms
• Address: 1159 East County Rd E, Vadnais Heights, MN, 55110
• Phone: 651-789-6500

Woodbury

• 10 private treatment rooms, 2 procedure rooms, 2 consult rooms
• Address: 7030 Valley Creek Plaza, Woodbury, MN 55125
• Phone: (651) 789-7000

All 3 locations are open 365 days a year, including holidays, from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Each location contains a full complement of laboratory equipment so we can serve our patients faster and better. Most importantly, our board-certified emergency physicians and highly experienced team of ER nurses and paramedics are standing by to help our patients with any health concern.

Find the Urgency Room location nearest you on our website, where you can also see our wait time. You’ll be seen in just minutes instead of hours, and diagnosed quickly with our robust diagnostic capabilities that traditional urgent care centers just can’t match. For urgent care near St. Paul, visit www.urgencyroom.com today.

Career Opportunities with The Urgency Room

Are you dedicated to delivering emergency medical services and helping make a difference in the lives of others? Then a career with The Urgency Room could be right for you! We feature career opportunities on our website as they become available.

The Urgency Room is owned and operated by Emergency Physicians Professional Association (EPPA). This organization of highly-skilled emergency physicians has over 40 years of experience, working within many hospital emergency departments in the Twin Cities area. In 2010, this group of physicians opened The Urgency Room; a new concept in medical care providing exceptional emergency medicine in an out-of-hospital environment. 

At The Urgency Room, our number one goal is to offer exceptional emergency care to our patients without any of the hassles generally associated with traditional emergency rooms. We take pride in meeting and exceeding the expectations of our patients. This includes the delivery of medical care provided, as well as the overall experience the patient has during their visit. The Urgency Room is looking for only the best candidates who seek to become part of our clinical team, as well as our guest services department.

We value our team members for their contributions to providing the best outcomes for all of our patients. If you’re interested in becoming part of The Urgency Room team, check to see if there are career opportunities available for you.

Emergency Care When You Need It

At The Urgency Room, you will always find a board-certified emergency physician and emergency trained staff on duty. Always. You can visit any of our three locations - Eagan, Woodbury or Vadnais Heights - on any day and there will be a skilled emergency physician on site to provide the emergency care you need. In addition, all of our experienced physician assistants, nurses, paramedics and technicians have received extensive training and will provide you with high-quality medical care.

The doctors and clinicians of The Urgency Room are experienced in diagnosing and treating a wide range of injuries and illnesses to all age groups including adults, children and infants. From high fever to broken bones or head injuries to heart rhythm disturbances, The Urgency Room is dedicated to providing you with exceptional medical care, in a timely manner. Because many of our doctors are the same physicians you would see in many of the local hospital emergency rooms, you’ll receive the same great medical care, while avoiding long wait times and other hospital ER hassles.

When you or a loved one need fast, exceptional emergency care, turn to the qualified physicians and staff of The Urgency Room. Time is a factor when it comes to medical assistance; don’t get caught up in waiting games when your well-being is in question. The Urgency Room is here to provide you exceptional, emergency care, 365 days a year!