Rx for Injury Prevention Discharge Instructions

Emergency physicians and nurses are all too familiar with the toll of traffic injuries which impact the emergency department daily. More than 3 million people will come through emergency department doors this year requiring treatment for a preventable traffic injury. As a trauma professional, you are in a unique position to sound a loud and clear wake-up call about this neglected epidemic. The time to be proactive has never been more opportune. These Rx for Injury Prevention sheets are one way to stimulate public support for safety.

These discharge instructions were originally developed to be given out in the emergency department (ED) to injured patients to help them prevent a recurrence of their injuries. But the discharge instructions are just as helpful provided as information sheets. For example, the Protect Your Kids in the Car sheet could be given to a mother who came in to have her child�s sore throat checked, or the Kids Riding Bikes could be given to a parent whose child has come in for an earache but who just received a bike for his birthday.

These sheets are very useful in an ED setting, but they could also be used by urgent care facilities, doctors offices, school nurses, police officers (especially DARE officers), and firefighters. They could be handed out at health fairs, neighborhood days, child safety seat checks, bike rodeos, and in school health classes. The sheets are written at such a level that they are understandable to most segments of the community. Handing out the sheets can benefit the community by helping to prevent injuries and improve public health. By distributing the sheets, providers let their constituents know that they care about them.

The instruction sheets are in black and white camera-ready format that can be easily reproduced and may be personalized by providers wanting to add their own logos.

Protecting Your Kids in the Car

The safest place for any child 12 years old and under is in the back seat.

Every child should be buckled in a child safety seat, a booster seat, or with a lap/shoulder belt, if it fits.

Riding with Babies

	Babies should ride in rear-facing child seats until they are at least 20 pounds AND at least one year
	Babies riding in a car must never fact front. In a crash or sudden stop, the baby�s neck can be hurt badly.
	Babies in car seats must never ride in the front seat of a car with air bags. In a crash, the air bag can hit the car seat and hurt or kill the baby.
	Never hold your baby in your lap when you are riding in the car. In a crash or sudden stop, your child can be hurt badly or killed.
Riding with Young Kids
	Kids over 20 pounds and at least 1 year old should ride in a car seat that faces the front of the car, van, or truck.
	It is best to keep kids in the forward facing car seat for as long as they fit comfortably in it.
	Older kids over 40 pounds should ride in a booster seat until the car�s lap and shoulder belts fit right. The lap belt must fit low and snug on their hips. The shoulder belt must not cross their face or neck.
	Never put the shoulder belt behind their back or under their arm.
Remember...
	Bikes have to follow the same traffic rules and signs as cars.
	All kids are safest in the back seat, in a safety seat or seat belt
	Always read the child seat instructions and the car owner�s manual. Test the child seat to ensure a snug fit by pulling the base to either side or toward the front of the car.
For additional information, please contact the NHTSA hotline at: 1-888-DASH-2-DOT (1-888-327-4236), or the NHTSA Web site.

Car Safety

Don�t Drink and Drive

	More than four out of every ten traffic deaths involve alcohol.
	Even small amounts of alcohol affect your judgment, concentration, reaction time and your ability to drive.
	If you drink, don�t drive. If a friend or family member drinks, call them a cab or drive them home.
Wear Your Safety Belt
	Wear your lap and shoulder belt correctly, low and snug across the hips, and the shoulder belt across your chest, not in front of your neck or face.
	Do not put the shoulder belt under your arm or behind your back.
	If your car has air bags, make sure you wear both the lab and shoulder belt for the best protection. Move the seat back as far as possible from the air bag.
	Never place babies under one year old in the front sear of a car with a passenger-side air bag. Always keep babies in the back seat and facing the rear of the car.
	All children are safest in the back seat using the safety belt or in a child safety seat.
	Pregnant women should always wear the lap and shoulder belt, with the lap belt firmly placed under the belly and across the hips. By protecting Mom, the baby has the best chance of surviving a crash.
	Buckle up every trip, every time, and every body!
Slow Down - Follow the Speed Limits
	Nearly one out of three crashes where someone dies is related to speeding. Speeding makes it hard to steer safely around curves or objects in the roadway.
For additional information, please contact the NHTSA hotline at: 1-888-DASH-2-DOT (1-888-327-4236), or the NHTSA Web site.

Kids Riding Bikes

Wear a Helmet

	Wearing a helmet is the best thing you can do to be safe when you ride a bike.
	Bicycle helmets save lives. Most bike deaths come from head injury. Bike helmets can prevent head injury.
	In some states, the law says you have to wear a bike helmet to ride your bike.
	Bike helmets should fit like this: sits evenly between ears sits low on your forehead
See and Be Seen
	Ride so cars can see you.
	Wear bright colors or clothes that reflect light at night so cars, buses, and trucks can see you.
	If you ride at night, get a headlight for the front of your bike and �reflectors� on the front and back of your bike.
Follow the Rules
	Bikes have to follow the same traffic rules and signs as cars.
	You must ride in the same direction as the cars are going.
	Ride your bike single-file.
	Signal when you want to stop or turn.
	Look out for holes, wet leaves, or cracks in the street. They can make you crash your bike.
	Ride away from the curb in case a car pulls out or someone opens a car door suddenly.
For additional information, please contact the NHTSA hotline at: 1-888-DASH-2-DOT (1-888-327-4236), or the NHTSA Web site.

Walking in Traffic

Walk on the Sidewalk
	Stay on the sidewalk and crosswalks. Avoid walking in traffic where there are no sidewalks or crosswalks. If you have to walk on a road that does not have sidewalks, walk facing traffic.
Cross at Intersections
	Most people are hit by cars when they cross the road at places other than intersections.
Look left, right, and left for traffic
	Stop at the curb and look left, right, and left again for traffic. Stopping at the curb signals drivers that you intend to cross. Cross in marked crosswalks and obey the signal.
See and Be Seen
	Drivers need to see you to avoid you. Stay out of the driver�s blind spot. Make eye contact with drivers when crossing busy streets.
	Wear bright colors or reflective clothing if you are walking near traffic at night. Carry a flashlight when walking in the dark.
	Do not let kids play near traffic or cross the street by themselves. Kids are small, and drivers may not see them if they run into the street.
Watch your kids
	Children should not cross streets by themselves or be allowed to play or walk near traffic. Kids are small, unpredictable, and cannot judge vehicle distances and speeds.
	When kids get older, teach them three things to do before they cross the streets: Try to cross at a corner with a traffic light Stop at the curb. Look left. right, then left again to make sure no cars are coming.
For additional information, please contact the NHTSA hotline at: 1-888-DASH-2-DOT (1-888-327-4236), or the NHTSA Web site.