Hospitals Preparing For Potential Of More Fireworks-Related ER Visits

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (CBS4) - Fireworks are being set off across Denver metro, and though it is generally illegal in cities, some in the medical community are worried this year could see an uptick in related injuries.

Just over the weekend, Denver Police fielded a high volume of calls.  105 on Friday, 167 on Saturday, then 317 on Sunday.  Compared to this time last year, DPD estimated it received approximately 7 calls.

Medical staff at the Swedish Medical Center in Englewood are concerned the pandemic and cancellations to most large firework displays will push more people to buy and light their own fireworks, and that could mean more ER visits. 

HealthONE, which runs eight hospitals in the Denver metro area, including Swedish Medical Center, could not confirm any firework-related injuries yet, but their burn center is prepping to see patients with burns.

"Once you receive a burn you really don't know how bad it is, or the extent, so that's why you want to keep a moist dressing on the burn area until you reach a place that you can reach medical care and then they can evaluate and see the extent of your injury," Melanie Wuzzardo, a nurse and Injury Prevention Coordinator said.

Studies from the U.S. Product Consumer Safety Commission show that hands and fingers are the most injured body parts, followed by legs. Wuzzardo says the ages of patients also run the gamut, however, burns are particularly dangerous for young people.

"Children are smaller, they have less surface area, so if they're going to get burned, whatever impacts them it's going to spread across their body," Wuzzardo explained.

She also said people often underestimate sparklers. Most fireworks can get up to 2,000 degrees, easily causing 3rd degree burns -- in other words it can go through two layers of skin and damage nerve endings.