Thanksgiving Tips from CityMD

Guest Blog Post by: CityMD and Physician insight provided by emergency physician Dr. Frank Illuzzi

The day after Thanksgiving ranks the second busiest day of the year for CityMD urgent care centers. From accidental turkey carving injuries to “Turkey Bowl” ankle sprains, CityMD sees an uptick in patient visits due to holiday festivities. A recent poll of 129 CityMD physicians about the most common incidences that bring in patients during the holiday found:

• 60 percent of physicians see an increase in patient visits related to cooking wounds, especially turkey carving accidents
• 47 percent of physicians see an increase in patient visits related to gastrointestinal complaints, such as overeating and food poisoning
• 42 percent of physicians see an increase in patient visits related to burns from cooking
• 15 percent of physicians see an increase in patient visits related to orthopedic injuries resulting from football injuries, such as the annual “Turkey Bowl” tradition of playing backyard football with family

How do you know when to seek treatment at the neighborhood CityMD urgent care center? CityMD’s Dr. Frank Illuzzi explains:

I cut my hand carving the Thanksgiving turkey.

Dr. Illuzi: After any type of cut or slice of the skin, the first thing you should do is immediately wash the wound with regular soap and water. If the bleeding persists and is difficult to stop, or if you can see tissue, seek medical attention right away. It’s important to get medical treatment within 12 hours of the laceration to prevent the risk of infection or complications.

Help! I think I have food poisoning.

Dr. Illuzi: Foodborne illness is quite common during the Thanksgiving holiday due to poor food handling techniques, including transporting and staging food, most times letting your Aunt Petunia’s casserole remain uncovered for an extended length of time. Food poisoning and other GI complaints are unpleasant with symptoms ranging from vomiting, nausea, diarrhea and dehydration – any of these symptoms warrant a trip to the urgent care center. It’s important to note that it can take between 6-18 hours for bacterial food poisoning to develop within the human body, and CityMD sees a majority of GI patient visits the day after the Thanksgiving feast.

I burned my hand while cooking.

Dr. Illuzi: CityMD urgent care centers are equipped to treat first and second degree burns from cooking. First degree burns look like a sunburn. It’s important to keep it clean and run the burn under cool – not freezing – water. Home remedies, such as butter or oil, have the potential to damage the skin and are highly not recommended. Second degree burns result in a blister. You need to let the burn heal on its own – which means you should not try to pop it! Stop by your local urgent care center to wrap it up with gauze and continue to keep the burn clean and covered until it heals. Burns around fingers, on your face, hand or face are best treated by a medical professional.

I think I pulled my back in the family “Turkey Bowl.”

Playing tackle football with the family can leave you with a few bumps and bruises, but if the injury hurts enough that you are worried, get it checked out. CityMD can provide both X-rays and stitches. For a full list of services, visit http://www.citymd.com/services/injuries-illness. CityMD locations are open on Thanksgiving and physicians will be available to treat any of these holiday aliments. Holiday hours vary by each CityMD location, but most urgent care centers are open between 9 a.m.-3 p.m. local time on Thanksgiving. All locations resume normal operating hours the rest of the holiday weekend.

To find your nearest location and exact hours, click here.