Now is the time to go hiking, have a picnic, or gather around a campfire. Jeffrey Craven, M.D., medical director of The Christ Hospital Urgent Care Center explains how to keep you and your family safe while enjoying the great outdoors.

Bugs & Bites

The chances of getting stung by an exotic insect in Cincinnati are slim, but bites and stings from everyday bees and bugs can still kill your summer buzz. Spider bites—mostly from brown recluses or black widows—and bites or stings from mosquitoes, noseeums, wasps and bees are typical for this region.

Not every bite or sting will require medical attention, but there are a few rules of thumb to help you decide if you need to go to the ER, urgent care, or treat the sting at home.

“Anyone who has had a previous serious reaction or those who have suffered multiple stings at once shouldn’t think twice about going to the hospital,” says Dr. Craven, who has more than 34 years of clinical and administrative experience in emergency department and outpatient medicine. The very young, the elderly, or those with weakened immune systems should seek medical attention.

Get to a hospital if you experience:

• Shortness of breath
• Feeling lightheaded
• Tightness in the chest
• Wheezing or swelling of the throat

If symptoms seem to be developing rapidly, it’s likely a sign of a serious reaction. Get to the nearest hospital or call 9-1-1 right away. Less serious stings and bites can be treated at home by following these easy steps:

• Elevate the area where the bite or sting occurred to minimize swelling
• Take an antihistamine or ibuprofen to reduce inflammation
•  Apply ice
• Watch for secondary infections

“Devices such as an EpiPen® can quickly deliver a dose of epinephrine to stop the allergic reaction,” says Dr. Craven. “I would err on the side of over-treating than undertreating.” If there’s a stinger left behind from the bee or wasp, use caution when removing it, especially if you see a small sac attached. Squeezing the sac will release the insect’s venom.

Burns & Scrapes

Burns from errant grill coals or a mishap with the campfire are almost always contaminated by debris like soil and are difficult to care for at home. If the burn looks to be second degree (characterized by blisters) or third degree (charred or dry, white looking skin) get to the emergency room. Keep any blisters intact to preserve the sterility of the area.

Chemical burns, which can be caused by mishandling swimming pool chlorine, or electrical burns should be treated at an ER, as well as burns covering more than 5 percent of the body or burns to the face or hands.

“Timing is key when dealing with cuts and scrapes,” says Dr. Craven. If your cut is larger than 1/8 of an inch or you see debris in the cut, it’s best to have it cleaned and closed in the ER or an urgent care center.

Get Prepared for Summer

Don’t wait until an urgent situation arises to think about how you’ll address it. A well-stocked first aid kit is an easy way to be prepared for the unexpected medical emergency.

Dr. Craven recommends your family’s first aid kit contain the following:

• Ibuprofen (to relieve swelling and inflammation)
• Naproxen (for pain)
• Bandages (for small cuts and scrapes)
• Sterile gauze and tape (for larger scrapes that don’t require medical attention)
• Plastic bags (use to fill with ice for placing on sprains)
• EpiPen^® (if anyone in your family has a history of allergic reaction)

The Christ Hospital’s brand new Urgent Care Center on Red Bank Expressway is a great option for injuries that require medical attention, but do not require the full capabilities of an emergency room. “We are staffed by Christ Hospital physicians, all of whom are either internal medicine or emergency medicine specialists, so it’s a very high quality of care,” says Dr. Craven.

To find a primary care physician near you, call 877-904-4YOU. To learn more about The Christ Hospital’s new Urgent Care Center, visit www.TheChristHospital.com/UrgentCare