VIVA NOLA February 2019

HEALTH CHECK
It is Mardi Gras Season!
Have Fun but Be Careful!
by ARTUROGASTAnADUY, M.D.
Mardi Gras, Fat Tuesday in French, is
the last day of Carnival. The season is
celebrated with King Cakes, gold,
purple and green decorations,
costumes, masks, bead necklaces,
parades, and parties with lots of
delicious foods and drinks. New
Orleans has a long tradition of Mardi
Gras celebration and it is one of the
most famous in the world. The first
parade was in 1837, the first float
appeared in 1857 and beads in 1900.
Mardi Gras season is a lot of fun, but
there are some common health
problems associated with it.
Traum a: Bruises, cuts, sprains,
concussions, dislocations, and even
fractures caused by trips, falls, motor
vehicle accidents, projectiles, etc. The
most common ones are smashed
fingers, sprained ankles, wrist
fractures, and head or face
contusions caused by projectile bead
bags. Elbow subluxation and eye
scratches also occur. Tendinitis and
feet friction blisters are frequent in
dancers and marching band
members. Watch your footing, be
24 aware of the curbs, fences,
Happy &
Safe
M ardi Gras!
potholes, projectiles, moving vehicles,
etc. Be sure that children?s ladders are
well designed and placed in a safe
spot at least 6 feet inside the curb.
Wear comfortable previously used
shoes with double socks (thinner
inside). Pay attention to your children
and minimize cell phone use.
Exposure: Cold injuries, sunburns
and dehydration may occur,
especially in children. Plenty of water,
sunscreen and layered clothing to
adjust to weather changes are
recommended.
Foreign bodies: Every pediatrician in
New Orleans has had to remove
beads from ears and noses of
children. The procedure could be easy
or traumatic, sometimes requiring an
ear nose and throat consultant.
Infants and small children have a high
risk of choking with a bead or small
toy like a king cake doll. Prevent little
children playing with small objects.
Gast roint est inal Problem s: Parties,
outside cooking, previously prepared
meals, multiple food handlers and
lack of bathrooms and hand-washing
facilities, provide opportunities for the
food to become contaminated. Food
poisoning and stomach infections
may occur. Sometimes outbreaks
develop from a common food source.
Keep food refrigerated, use
disposable utensils, minimize the
number of food handlers, use hand
sanitizer and wash hands with water
and soap whenever possible.
Drugs, alcohol, sex: These are
potential problems for adolescents.
Parties with lack of supervision
provide the opportunity to
experiment and for risk-taking
behaviors. Remember that small
children can get intoxicated by
partially filled cups they find lying
around. Watch and counsel your
children, be sure you know where
they are and with whom as well as
who is supervising them.