Foot injuries common after storms

With summer storm and flood season in full swing, everyone here at Dr. Vail's would like to remind residents about the risks of serious injuries during disaster clean-up. In the aftermath of a storm, people tend to clean up the debris as fast as they can and get on with their lives. By taking these few simple precautions to protect their feet from injury, they can make the clean up go more quickly and safely.

     Many storm survivors suffer puncture wounds on their feet. After Hurricanes Katrina, and Rita, foot and ankle surgeons along the Gulf Coast reported treating patients who injured themselves wearing flip-flops and sandals during debris clean-up. Some patients developed bone infections from improperly treated puncture wounds caused by nails and other sharp objects. According to the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons (ACFAS), puncture wounds require meical treatment within 24 hours to avoid infection and other complications frome embedded foreign objects. Pieces of skin, sock and the shoe itself can be forced into the wound during a puncture, as well as dirt and debris from the object itself.

     If you can't get to a doctor, you can still irrigate the wound, apply a topical antibiotic, and a clean bandage. Those products can be found on our website if you click on the link. Bandages, Dressings, and Tapes. Then see a doctor for follow-up care, including a tetanus shot if necessary. After initial treatment, the ACFAS recommends puncture wound victims see a foot and ankle surgeon for a thorough cleaning and carefull follow-up to monitor the wound for infection and to prescribe antibiotics if necessary.

Other foot safety tips during and after storms include:
- Watch where you walk. Debris and murky floodwaters can conceal sharp objects.
- Be careful standing on unstable surfaces and piles of debris that can throw you off balance, causing ankle sprains or fractures.
- Wear appropriate shoe gear, work boots if possible. Don't go barefoot. Avoid open-toed footwear like  sandals.
- Take precautions when cutting down tree limbs. Severe injuries have been reported regarding these acts.