By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
    Health
    Healthcare organizations are operating on slimmer profit margins than ever. One report in August showed that they are even lower than the beginning of the…
    Show More
    Top News
    bowl of vegetable salad
    Raw Foods: benefits and harms
    November 9, 2021
    pros and cons of the keto diet
    Read This Before You Follow the Keto Diet
    May 18, 2022
    spinal cord injuries
    4 Potential Causes of Spinal Cord Injuries (and How to Seek Compensation)
    May 25, 2022
    Latest News
    7 Most Common Healthcare Accreditation Programs: Which Should You Use?
    August 20, 2025
    Hospital Pest Control and the Fight Against Superbugs
    August 20, 2025
    Hygiene Beyond The Clinic: Attention To Overlooked Non-Clinical Spaces
    August 13, 2025
    5 Steps to a Promising Career as a Healthcare Administrator
    August 3, 2025
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
    Policy and Law
    Get the latest updates about Insurance policies and Laws in the Healthcare industry for different geographical locations.
    Show More
    Top News
    TBI: Some Surprising Statistics
    February 9, 2016
    Your Keys to Safer, Even More Secure Healthcare Cloud Services
    January 13, 2015
    4 Career Options in Healthcare Industry that Combine Big Data & Healthcare
    February 5, 2021
    Latest News
    How Social Security Disability Shapes Access to Care and Everyday Health
    August 22, 2025
    How a DUI Lawyer Can Help When Your Future Health Feels Uncertain
    August 22, 2025
    How One Fall Can Lead to a Long Road of Medical Complications
    August 22, 2025
    How IT and Marketing Teams Can Collaborate to Protect Patient Trust
    July 17, 2025
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: Deck the Halls Without a Trip to the ER
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > Wellness > Home Health > Deck the Halls Without a Trip to the ER
Home HealthPublic HealthWellness

Deck the Halls Without a Trip to the ER

Jennifer Bragg
Jennifer Bragg
Share
4 Min Read
holiday health and safety
SHARE

Holiday season is in full swing. Spirits are up, and so are emergency room visits. 

With extreme eating, drinking, stress, and accidents from decorating, ER admissions generally increase around holiday time. Don’t let decking the halls and ringing in the New Year land you in the hospital.

Holiday season is in full swing. Spirits are up, and so are emergency room visits. 

With extreme eating, drinking, stress, and accidents from decorating, ER admissions generally increase around holiday time. Don’t let decking the halls and ringing in the New Year land you in the hospital.

More Read

obama announces insurance extension
Obama Announces Consumers Can Keep Health Insurance Plans 2 More Years
How Healthy Are Plant-Based Meats?
Can Egg Salad Actually Be Healthy for You?
Screening and Prevention: Separating the Wheat from the Chaff
9 Criticisms of the Readmission Reduction Program

Excessive alcohol consumption brings the vast majority patients to the emergency room over the winter holidays. The number of binge drinkers admitted emergency departments has increased steadily over the past few years. On New Year’s Eve of 2011, the emergency department at the University of California at San Francisco experienced a 50 percent jump in the number of ER visits from the year before. 70 percent of admissions were for alcohol intoxication. 

In addition to alcohol related incidents, emergency rooms see a spike in the number of coronary related incidents in December and January. According to a national study published in Circulation in 2004, heart related deaths increase by 5 percent during the holiday season. Fatal heart attacks peak on Christmas, the day after Christmas, and New Year’s Day.

And holiday mishaps may be funny in the movies, but decorating holiday health and safetydebacles send thousands of people to the emergency room each year. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates that emergency departments nationwide saw 15,000 injuries involving holiday decorating during November and December 2012. 

Last year, the most frequently reported holiday decorating episodes seen in emergency departments involved falls (34%), lacerations (11%) and back strains (10%).  Christmas trees can be a hazard as well. From 2009 to 2011, fire departments nationwide responded to an average of 200 fires in which the Christmas tree was the first item on fire. These incidents resulted in 10 deaths, 20 injuries and $16 million in property loss.

“There are about 250 injuries a day during the holiday season. Adding safety to your checklist can keep a holiday tradition from becoming a holiday tragedy,” said U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission Acting Chairman Robert Adler. “Keep Christmas trees watered well, don’t leave candles unattended, and use caution whenever you are on a ladder.”

If you end up in the emergency room over the next week or so, try to be patient. Remember that, just like you, many healthcare workers like to take a few weeks of vacation each year, and many of them want to be at home with their families over the holidays.

The problem is that regular staff and the highest ranking doctors and nurses in the hospital probably get to choose their vacation times first and are likely on vacation during the busy holiday rush. Be cautious, be your own advocate, and do not be afraid to ask lots of questions about the care you are receiving.

(Photo: Flickr/Samantha Maher)

Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

engineer fitting prosthetic arm
How Social Security Disability Shapes Access to Care and Everyday Health
Health care
August 20, 2025
a woman explaining the document
How a DUI Lawyer Can Help When Your Future Health Feels Uncertain
Public Health
August 20, 2025
physiotherapist at work
How One Fall Can Lead to a Long Road of Medical Complications
Health care
August 20, 2025
Common Healthcare Accreditation Programs
7 Most Common Healthcare Accreditation Programs: Which Should You Use?
Health News
August 20, 2025

You Might also Like

Clinical Social Worker Career Analysis
Wellness

Medical Social Worker Career Analysis

February 3, 2016
Good Night's Sleep
NewsWellness

Why You Need a Good Night’s Sleep

June 27, 2017

Rural Healthcare: Increasing Access to Physicians and Technology

October 6, 2011

Facial Recognition Moves Into Advertising–What About Privacy?

August 21, 2011
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!
Follow US
© 2008-2025 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?