TOYS: Christmas Hazards

Working the holidays has it's pros and cons.

On the positive side all the "extra" people are gone (administration, students, JCAHO prep teams, extra visitors). The overhead announcements have quieted. The team that is working seems more relaxed. Family members treat you as those "Angels of Mercy" who sacrifice to take care of their loved one on Christmas and there is always too much food.

On the negative side.... you have to be away from home when it feels like everyone else in the world gets to be with their children, the staffing is pretty thin and if your in the ER...nobody told the public to stay home, not drive drunk and not to get in fist fights with relatives.

And then there are the toys. The least of the recognized holiday dangers. A young Dad limped into the ER holding his side. His story: "I came down stairs and the kids had their toys everywhere. All over the living room, the hallway, the kitchen..everywhere. I told them to pick them up then went back up stairs. When I came down again my son hadn't picked up any of his stuff. I tripped over something and fell onto the coffee table. I think I broke a rib."

An hour later we admitted him to ICU with 3 fx ribs and a torn spleen. He was hemo-dynamically stable but he was in shock at what we had found. He kept shaking his head saying "What were the odds?". In no time at all his children had arrived to be at his bedside with Mom. I felt really bad for the 7 yr old boy hiding in the corner. I knew it was his toys.