"What if rice cake gets stuck in your throat?"... Prepare in advance for Chuseok emergency situations

Need to Check Medical Facilities Open for Emergencies
Learn Basic First Aid Skills for Emergency Situations

[Asia Economy Reporter Song Seung-yoon] Many pharmacies and hospitals close during the Chuseok holiday, making it easy to become flustered in case of safety accidents. First, if an emergency occurs, it is best to call 119 or find out in advance which medical institutions are open during the holiday to respond accordingly. Learning simple first aid techniques is also helpful.

During the Chuseok holiday, 507 emergency rooms nationwide operate 24 hours a day. COVID-19 diagnostic tests continue to be conducted at regular screening clinics and temporary screening centers. Information on medical institutions, pharmacies, and screening clinics open during the Chuseok holiday can be checked through the Health and Welfare Call Center, Emergency Situation Management Center, city and provincial call centers, Emergency Medical Portal, Ministry of Health and Welfare website, and emergency medical information apps. Major portals also allow you to search for "holiday hospitals" to find open medical institutions.

It is effective to know how to respond in advance in case of emergencies that require prompt action. During holidays, indigestion or stomach upset often occurs due to eating hastily. Accidents where rice cakes get stuck in the throat and block the airway also frequently happen. In such cases, the Heimlich maneuver should be performed by wrapping your arms around the patient from behind and pushing the abdomen upward. To perform the Heimlich maneuver, first wrap your arms around the patient from behind, make one hand into a fist, and grasp it with the other hand. Then place the fist between the patient's sternum and navel and push upward as if pulling. Repeat this process until the food is expelled, and if the patient loses consciousness, immediately switch to cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).

The response method differs for infants under one year old. First, place the baby face down on your thigh with the head lower than the chest, then firmly tap the center of the baby's back with the palm. Next, turn the baby over so the head is lower than the chest, and use two fingers to press about 4 cm deep just below both nipples quickly and strongly. Repeat this process until the food is expelled, similar to adults.

If you suffer a burn while preparing holiday food, it is best to perform accurate first aid initially. This helps minimize secondary bacterial infections and potential scarring. First, cool the burn area under running water until the burning sensation subsides. Avoid applying ice packs as they can worsen the wound. After cooling, it is recommended to use a burn-specific moist dressing for first aid. If the burn is severe, visit a hospital immediately after first aid.

Bee stings also recur every holiday season. If you need to visit ancestral graves, wearing long sleeves and long pants helps prevent bee sting accidents. Avoid wearing bright primary-colored clothes as they can attract bees. Using strongly scented lotions or perfumes is also discouraged. If stung by a bee, do not forcibly remove the stinger; instead, reduce swelling with ice packs and clean the sting area thoroughly to prevent secondary infection. If symptoms such as swelling of blood vessels or difficulty breathing occur, seek medical attention immediately.

In case of a snake bite, it is important to minimize movement of the bitten area. Use a rigid object like a twig as a splint and tightly compress the area around the bite with a rubber band or clothing. Then, quickly move to a hospital before the venom spreads.

According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, during last year's Chuseok holiday (September 30 to October 4), approximately 98,000 patients visited emergency medical centers, averaging about 20,000 visits per day. Compared to normal days, the number of patients increased by 1.8 times on weekdays and 1.3 times on weekends. The main reasons for visits were urticaria, sprains, minor injuries, enteritis, abdominal pain, fever, and colds. Compared to the annual average, burn patients increased 2.5 times, penetrating injury patients 2.2 times, and traffic accident patients 1.5 times during the Chuseok holiday period.