Continuously receiving children with serious injuries due to homemade fireworks
After the first semester exam, to prepare for Tet, Khanh (12 years old, Binh Duong province - character name has been changed) learned how to make fireworks through social networks, ordering fireworks ingredients such as KCl3, Na, S. While experimenting, the fireworks exploded, crushing his left hand. The family took the child to a nearby hospital, then transferred him to Cho Ray Hospital (HCMC).
The patient was admitted to the hospital in a state of traumatic shock, multiple injuries to all four limbs, crushed left hand; injuries to the head, face, chest, abdomen, scrotum, perineum; corneal burns, corneal lacerations on both eyes; scattered second-degree burns, 40% of body surface area.
At Cho Ray Hospital, the child was treated for shock, had his left wrist amputated, had his cornea and other injuries stitched, and was then transferred to Children's Hospital 1.
Every year, during the Tet holiday, the Burn and Plastic Surgery Department of Children's Hospital 1 receives many cases of severe burns due to explosion accidents when making homemade fireworks, often occurring in the 12-18 age group.
Cho Ray Hospital has been continuously receiving cases of severe trauma caused by making fireworks. Recently, the unit received 3 cases of multiple trauma and severe burns related to homemade fireworks. All 3 patients were transferred from a hospital in Tay Ninh province, and were teenagers aged 15-17.
At the Orthopedic Trauma Hospital, the emergency unit received patient Kien (15 years old - the character's name has been changed) in a state of complex injuries, crushed right hand; open fracture of the proximal phalanx I, wounds on fingers II, III, IV of the left hand; skin abrasions on the face, neck, 2 knees, left shoulder. The patient said that he was playing with firecrackers and was hit in both hands by an explosion.
Permanent disability
According to Dr. Diep Que Trinh - Head of the Burn and Plastic Surgery Department of Children's Hospital 1, gunshot burns are often deep, severely destructive, and even fatal. Many cases leave permanent disabilities such as loss of limbs (hands, feet), blindness, deafness, and loss of function of other organs. Accidents will greatly affect the psychological development and daily life of victims, as well as burden their families and society.
Teenagers love to explore and discover, so they easily imitate instructional clips on social networks without realizing the dangers of making explosives. In particular, there are still places that produce and store materials to make fireworks such as match powder (sulfur), which students can easily buy to conduct experiments.
When a burn accident occurs, the patient must be quickly removed from the scene. Then, assess the extent of the injury, provide first aid by cooling the burned area or deep bleeding burns that require initial pressure to stop the bleeding; quickly take the patient to the nearest medical facility. Avoid applying folk remedies such as leaves, egg whites, toothpaste... This will aggravate the burn and cause infection.
To avoid accidents caused by firecrackers, Dr. Vo Hoa Khanh - Head of Quality Management Department of Orthopedic Trauma Hospital recommends that it is necessary to raise people's awareness; avoid being negligent and subjective about the existing risks when firecrackers explode. Do not secretly store, produce, or make firecrackers yourself. At the same time, schools and families must advise and remind children not to imitate learning how to make firecrackers online, and not to be curious and buy firecracker ingredients online.
