Some people may want to rethink throwing a turkey into the deep fryer this Thanksgiving.
According to the National Fire Protection Association, an average of 1,000 homes are set ablaze and $15 million in property damages occur every year as a result of Americans trying alternative cooking methods for their turkeys. There is also an uptick in burn injuries and an average of five deaths and 60 injuries associated with using deep fryers around this time every year.
While Thanksgiving is a day to get together with family, crack open that can of cranberry sauce, catch a ballgame and eat way too many mashed potatoes and bread rolls, it is also a time for increased visits to the emergency room and phone calls to the insurance agency.
The question is: How can those celebrating the holiday avoid ending up in the hospital?
One way is to make sure turkeys are refrigerated and cooked properly.
One of the major causes of Americans ending up in the ER every year on Thanksgiving is food poisoning. Improperly cooking a turkey can lead to dangerous bacteria like salmonella or listeria growing on the raw meat, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which can cause someone who consumes it to have diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps for up to 72 hours, if they are a healthy individual. If they have compromised immune systems, the outcome can be much worse.
The CDC recommends turkeys reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
Another reason people might be visiting the ER on Thanksgiving is simple overeating, especially a meal that is high in sodium.
Dr. Jeff Kalina, associate director of Emergency Medicine at Houston Methodist Hospital, said an excess of salt can be dangerous for people with conditions like congestive heart failure, kidney disease, diabetes or high blood pressure.
“We see the effects of overindulgence,” Kalina said in an interview with U.S. News. “If people have heart disease, it can cause heart attacks.”
Around the country, emergency rooms see more people come in with chest pain on Thanksgiving afternoon and evening than on other day of the year, according to Dr. Corey Slovis, chairman of Emergency Medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
“Some people consuming massive amounts of food are not in good shape to begin with,” Slovis said in an interview with U.S. News.
Overconsumption of alcohol is another factor that not only causes trips to the ER during Thanksgiving because of household and cooking accidents, but also automobile crashes.
According to the National Safety Council’s statistics, an average of 36% of car crashes on Thanksgiving are caused because of driver intoxication. Based on an accumulation of data gathered from previous years, the NSC estimates between 450 to 600 people will die on the roads during the holiday this year.
Alcohol also can also cause something known as “holiday heart syndrome,” which is an irregular heartbeat pattern that may “develop largely because of excessive drinking in people who are otherwise healthy and who do not drink often,” according to the National Library of Medicine.
Another ER visit unique to the holiday is injuries from people playing a fun game of Thanksgiving Day football, according to the Members of the American College of Emergency Physicians. Usually the visits are from people who do not normally play the sport or are not used to that kind of physical activity.
Durango Fire Rescue Authority EMS Chief Scott Sholes does not have any local statistics on increased visits to the ER during Thanksgiving, but he agrees that alcohol consumption can play a major role in accidents and illnesses during the holiday, as well as foodborne illnesses.
“Alcohol is always a factor, and driving (while intoxicated),” Sholes said, “and all food should be fully cooked to avoid bacterial issues.”
As for Sholes’ admonition about overeating during Thanksgiving, he had only this to say: “I’m the last one to give advice on that matter.”
molsen@durangoherald.com
