Every summer, the number of swimming pool injuries tends to spike as families and friends gather around pools to enjoy the warmer weather. In order to reduce the risks and learn the best ways to treat these injuries, it’s helpful to learn more about pool safety.
Swimming pool injuries can range from minor scrapes and bruises to more serious injuries such as concussions, dislocations, fractures, and even drownings. In this post, we will delve into the types of injuries that commonly occur in swimming pools and offer guidance on how best to treat them.
Common Types Of Swimming Pool Injuries
Slips and falls around the pool are the most frequent causes of swimming pool injuries. Wet surfaces can be incredibly slick, leading to falls that may result in sprains, strains, or fractures. Diving injuries, too, often cause serious neck or spinal damage.
These situations can also be a result of faulty pool equipment, contact with sharp objects, or chemical exposure from pool sanitizers. These could lead to burns, lacerations, allergic reactions, or even infections if not treated properly.
In severe incidents, drowning is the most dangerous risk around pools in the summertime. According to the Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention (CDC), drowning is the leading cause of death for children ages 1 to 4. And for children ages 5 to 14, drowning is the second leading cause of death after car accidents.
Immediate Treatment
When treating swimming pool injuries, the response should be immediate and appropriate to the severity of the injury. For minor scrapes and cuts, cleaning the wound with fresh water and applying an antiseptic is usually sufficient.
For more serious injuries like fractures and dislocations, it’s essential to immobilize the injured part of the body and seek medical attention immediately. Similarly, in case of a neck or spinal injury caused by diving, it is paramount not to move the victim unless absolutely necessary to prevent further injury.
Preventing Swimming Pool Injuries
Addressing the causes of swimming accidents is always better than treating them after they occur. Maintaining a safe environment around the pool, including slip-resistant surfaces and proper lighting, can drastically reduce the risk of slips and falls. It’s also recommended to have rules around the pool, such as no running, no diving in shallow water, and always having adult supervision when children are swimming.
First-Aid Training
First aid training typically covers basic life-saving skills, such as how to perform CPR and use an Automated External Defibrillator (AED), how to treat burns, how to respond to choking incidents, and how to handle allergic reactions.
Specifically for swimming pool injuries, first aid training should include how to manage sprains, fractures, dislocations, and head injuries. For instance, knowing how to immobilize a fracture or a dislocation can prevent further damage, reduce pain, and increase the chance of a successful recovery.
Training might also cover how to treat chemical burns or eye irritations caused by excessive chlorine or other pool chemicals, common causes of swimming pool injuries.
Professional Medical Treatment
For more severe swimming pool injuries, professional medical treatment should be sought immediately. If an injury is serious, call for emergency medical assistance right away. If the injury is less severe but still requires medical attention, get to an urgent care center or your family physician as soon as possible!
Call Deldar Legal
After you seek medical attention and figure out the cause of your swimming pool injury, you may be entitled to compensation. If the accident was out of your control or occurred as a result of faulty equipment in a public setting, Deldar Legal can offer advice. Give us a call at (844) 335-3271 or contact us online for a free case evaluation.
Tagged with: injury prevention, Swimming Pool Accidents and Personal Injury, swimming pool and slip and fall accidents
Posted in: Aquatic Accidents, Pool Accidents