Share a cab. Share your food. Share joy! But don't share medications.

Sharing medications, even over-the-counter medications like aspirin,can be a prescription for disaster.

Side effects and drug interactions:

It has become common practice for family and friends to share medications. The medication prescribed for you or other family members may cause serious problems for others with bad side effects such as severe allergic reactions and unhealthy interactions with another prescription medication that is being taken. In fact, sharing one medication may decrease the effectiveness of another medication. The medication you share may work with other prescriptions to double the potency and cause a reaction similar to an overdose. Even herbal and dietary supplements can do this.

Not all symptoms are alike:

You may think the symptoms your friend is suffering are the same as yours, but he or she may have a very different medical problem. By sharing your medication, you may be delaying his or her trip to a doctor, and may even contribute to the worsening of a medical condition. Sharing medication with someone is like diagnosing and treating him or her. You wouldn’t expect your doctor to come to you workplace and do your job without the appropriate any training, so don't try to diagnose and treat your friends.

Unique responses:

We are unique and so are our reactions to medications. You have heard the statement,"I can take that medication and not be the least bit drowsy, but my sister falls asleep two minutes after swallowing it." Our body chemistry, composition, and how fast our liver works to clear medications out of our system are evidence of our differences, and those factors play a role in medication use. So just because a medication works for you does not mean it will work the same for someone else.

Unsafe:

Medications, particularly those that have a narcotic component, may be habit-forming and may pose a severe risk to safe driving. Side effects such as drowsiness, dizziness, and confusion have a direct impact on the focus,concentration, and stamina needed for for a variety of day-to-day tasks.

As we stated before, even though you may not have an adverse reaction to the medication, someone else may. Thus, sharing a medication with another person who may have a different reaction to the medication can cause serious public safety concerns. It's improper, unsafe, and potentially illegal to share any prescriptions with other people. Doctor prescribed medications are strong, even some antibiotics can cause serious reactions. Your good intentions may cause dangerous results to health and safety while on or off the road-especially if the person you share with is unaware of how the medication will affect them. In addition, sharing a controlled substance is illegal and could result in legal problems for you. 

Photo Credit

Finally - if your medicine cabinet looks like this -  it may be a good idea to always leave the light on when giving or taking medicines to prevent a mix up.

Sledding Safety

With fresh snow this morning - my daughter is wishing for another snow day so she can go sledding with friends.

This winter ritual has been celebrated for generations. Anywhere there's snow and a hillside, you can find people sledding. You probably went sledding as a kid, and you'll want to share this fun activity with your kids.

But sledding can also cause injuries, some of them pretty serious. To keep your kids safe while sledding, make sure they follow these safety tips.

• Choose the Right Sledding Hill
• Dress for Cold Temperatures
• Get the Right Kind of Sled
• Have Some Simple Safety Rules

For specific tips go to the Kids Health web-site.

Snowblower Safety

From www.aash.org

Each year, hundreds of people suffer maiming or amputations of their fingers or hands due to the improper handling of snowblowers. The American Society for Surgery of the Hand would like to provide you with patient information to help you avoid these injuries during the winter season.

Injury Profile
Average age: 44 years
Sex: Male
Dominant hand — 90% of injuries
Amputations of tips of fingers
Middle finger most commonly injured

Common Weather Conditions
Heavy, wet snow
Large snow accumulation, greater than six inches
Temperature: 28 degrees Fahrenheit or greater
Injury Causes

Snow clogging the exit chute of the machine
Not noticing that the impeller blades are still rotating even though the machine is off
Operator attempts to clean the clogged exit chute with hands
Hands connect with the rotating blades, resulting in severe injury
Snowblowers are safe if used properly.

Remember — if your snowblower jams:
Turn it OFF!
Disengage clutch.
Wait five seconds after shutting machine off to allow impeller blades to stop rotating.
ALWAYS use a stick or broom handle to clear impacted snow.
NEVER put your hand down chute or around blades.
Keep all shields in place. DO NOT REMOVE the safety devices on the machine.
Keep hands and feet away from all moving parts.
Keep a clear head, concentrate, and
DO NOT DRINK before using your snowblower!
REMEMBER — SAFETY FIRST AT ALL TIMES!

Copyright © American Society for Surgery of the Hand 2009.

January Traffic Fatalities See Increase

Traffic fatalities in Nebraska by the end of January, were at their highest level in the last five years with twenty-four fatalities occurring in twenty crashes. There are several reasons for the increase according to Cindy Houlden, Safety Education and Research Manager at The Nebraska Safety Center in Kearney, but the major reason was the lack of seatbelt usage combined with local road conditions. Twenty-one of the twenty-three vehicle occupants killed were not using safety belts.

According to statistics provided by the Highway Safety Section of the Nebraska Department of Roads, only one fatality occurred on the Interstate. Sixteen happened on non-Interstate highways, and seven took place on local roads. Twenty-one of the fatalities occurred in rural locations. Reduced traffic and familiarity with local roads should make rural highways safer, however, it can often contribute to the problem by making people complacent, even when the weather is dangerous. “Drivers need to be diligent, “said Houlden. “ Just because you drive the same stretch of highway day after day commuting to work or for other reasons, that does not guarantee a safe trip every time.”

Additionally:

• Nine of the fatal crashes were head-on collisions.
• Seven of the fatal crashes were single vehicle run-off-road accidents.
• One of the fatal crashes was a collision with a train.
• One fatality was a pedestrian.

YEAR-TO-DATE TOTALS	FATALITIES	FATAL CRASHES
January – 2013	24	20
COMPARISON
(FATALITIES)	FATALITIES	FATAL CRASHES	% CHANGE v. 2013
2012	22	21	+ 9.1
2011	7	7	+ 242.9
2010	8	7	+ 200.0
2009	14	11	+ 71.4
2009-2012 Avg.	13	12	+ 84.6

Remember:

• Check often for current weather reports through local media sources before you travel.
• Drive for conditions – slower speeds, slower acceleration.
• Use your headlights.
• Do not use cruise control on wet or icy roads.
• Four-wheel and all-wheel vehicles do not stop or steer better on ice.
• Leave extra room between your vehicle and the vehicle in front of you.
• Most importantly - make sure everyone in a motor vehicle wears a seat belt and children are in a car safety seat.

Return of Winter Weather

Yesterday's 60 degree tempartures will soon give way as another blast of winter enters the MidWest.


The Nebraska Safety Center reminds you to protect yourself and your passengers by allowing extra time to reach your destination during inclement weather.

• Drive for conditions – slower speeds, slower acceleration.
• Use your headlights.
• Do not use cruise control.
• Four-wheel and all-wheel vehicles do not stop or steer better on ice.
• Leave extra room between your vehicle and the vehicle in front of you. And remember, the larger the vehicle, the longer the stopping distance.
• Slow down when approaching intersections, offramps, bridges, or shady spots.
• If you find yourself behind a snowplow, stay behind it until it is safe to pass. Remember that a snowplow driver has a limited field of vision. Stay back (15 car lengths) until you’re sure it is safe to pass or until the plow pulls off the road.
• On multi-lane roadways, snow plows often need to clear the center, throwing snow, ice and slush into nearby lanes. If approaching an on-coming snow plow, slow down and give the plow a little extra room.

A Safe Home

You can't remove all the safety hazards from your life, but you can reduce them. You can avoid major hazards and prepare for emergencies by taking the following steps:

• Keep emergency phone numbers by your telephones.
• Make a first aid kit for your home.
• Make a family emergency plan.
• Install and maintain smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors
• Keep guns unloaded and locked up. Lock up the ammunition separately.
• Follow the directions carefully when using tools or equipment.

Young children are especially at risk. Supervision is the best way to keep them safe. Childproofing the house can also help.

Have a SAFE weekend!

Cold and Flu Prevention

It appears that the recent seasonal influenza outbreak has peeked, however that does not mean the risk is over.

Germs travel fast during February. The cold weather generates colds and the flu in countless individuals we encounter on a daily basis. Talk with colleagues, staff members, students, family members, and/or friends about collaborative actions to keep work, school, and home environments germ free. Emphasizing the importance of washing your hands and keeping floors and hand rails clean are vital ways to prevent the spread of germs.

To keep your family healthy and safe this flu season, it's important to know all you can about the flu. As Grandma (and Ben Franklin) used to say an ounce of Prevention is worth a pound of cure.

The seasonal flu viruses are transmitted through tiny amounts of mucus released when you talk, sneeze or cough. You can prevent the spread of both flu viruses by developing these healthy habits:

• Wash your hands. Several times a day, wash your hands with soap and water, especially before eating. If you don't have sink access, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
  
• Cover your cough. If you feel the urge to cough or sneeze, cover your mouth with a tissue and then throw the tissue away. If you don't have a tissue andy, cough into your elbow.
  
• Stay home. If you get sick, plan on staying home for four days, or until the fever has been gone for 24 hours without the aid of fever-reducing medication.
  
• Get vaccinated. "Vaccination is the best way to prevent seasonal flu." To find flu vaccination clinics near you, contact your local or state health department.

More information is available from the Center for Disease Control.