SIOUX CITY | Recently, Ashley Neils has tried her hand at cooking, making a dinner of chicken, asparagus and artichokes for her husband and baking up some homemade pumpkin dog treats.
Neils, a family physician at St. Luke's Sunnybrook Medical Plaza, however, is no stranger to cooking injuries. She has treated a number of patients who suffered burns from grease fires.
Her dad caught fire while frying bacon on Christmas Day.
"He was covered in a blue flame. I said, 'Dad, you're on fire!'" Neils recalled. "He didn't even know because the blue flame was just dancing along his sweater."
Neils helped pat her father down to extinguish the fire. He wasn't injured during the incident. In fact, the fire didn't even damage his sweater.
"Since then we've made sure everyone has their fire extinguishers in the kitchen updated, because they expire," she said.
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BURN (LIQUID)
PREVENTION: Hot liquid such as water and grease can cause superficial and partial thickness burns when they splatter. Neils said you should be always pour hot liquids away from your body.
TREATMENT: A small burn consisting of a red spot, Neils said, can be treated at home with ice. If the skin starts bubbling up, she recommends visiting urgent care or your family physician.
"Generally we use Silvadene (a topical oinment). We always want to prevent bacterial superinfection so we keep a close eye. The main thing is for people to come in and not mess around with it at home," she said.
If the burn covers a majority of your arm, leg or another part of your body, Neils said you'll need to go to the emergency room to receive intravenous fluids and pain medication.
EYE IRRITATION
PREVENTION: Neils said you should always wash your hands before touching your eyes.
TREATMENT: If you inadvertently touch your eye after chopping hot peppers, Neils said you can rinse your eye out with water. If that doesn't alleviate the burning and tingling or if you start experiencing problems with the clarity or sharpness of your vision, Neils said you should see a doctor.
KNIFE CUT
PREVENTION: Use knives that are sharp and cutting boards that won't slip. Neils said you should also know your slicing and dicing abilities and be sure to keep knives away from children.
TREATMENT: "I would wrap it up right away with a kitchen towel or a Band-Aid," she said. "You can rinse it with the faucet water right there and put on some hydrogen peroxide or an antibiotic ointment." If the wound doesn't stop bleeding after applying pressure, Neils said you should visit urgent care. She said you might want to inquire about a tetanus shot if you're not up-to-date.
FALLS
PREVENTION: "I guess you kind of need to know your area and the capacity for your kitchen," Neils said. "If you have elderly folks around you want to make sure that you don't have rugs lying around that they can trip on. Know where your cords are."
TREATMENT: Neils said landing on an outstretched arm is a typical injury that occurs as a result of a fall. She said ice and elevation can soothe an injury to a limb. Head injuries that occur as a result of falls, she said, should be evaluated by a doctor if they are accompanied by nausea, vomiting and dizziness.
BURN (CONTACT)
PREVENTION: Be aware of hot surfaces in the kitchen and use potholders.
TREATMENT: If you do accidentally put your hand on a burner or touch a hot pan, Neils said you should immediately run your hand under lukewarm water. "Depending on how much surface area is burned will determine if you probably need to see your physician or not and if you have feeling to that area and whether or not it's going to bubble up," she said.
FOODBORNE ILLNESS (SALMONELLA, STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS ETC.)
PREVENTION: "When you're cleaning, you want to make sure that you aren't using the sponges after you've cleaned up the chicken," Neils said. And be sure to wash your hands.
TREATMENT: Signs of foodborne illness include severe abdominal cramps, bloody diarrhea, nausea and vomiting. These symptoms generally occur 24 to 48 hours later, but Staphylococcus aureus -- a toxin-producing bacteria -- can make a person sick within in an hour of exposure, according to Neils. She said you'll need to visit your doctor for testing. If you have a foodborne illness, you'll be prescribed a course of antibiotics.
