Check open hospitals via the emergency medical portal
The Lunar New Year holiday is a time when family and relatives, who do not often gather, come together to share food and deepen their bonds. However, eating richer and larger amounts of food than usual can sometimes lead to unexpected emergencies. Abdominal pain from overeating, burns while cooking, and even airway obstruction caused by foods such as rice cakes mean you cannot let your guard down. Before the holiday begins, it is important to review basic first-aid methods and information on how to use medical facilities in advance.
◆Choking on rice cake... If the airway is blocked, perform the Heimlich maneuver immediately
Rice cake, which is a staple on holiday tables, has a firm texture and carries a risk of causing airway obstruction accidents. If food is stuck in the throat and the person cannot breathe, you must perform the Heimlich maneuver, in which you stand behind the patient, wrap your arms around them, and thrust upward on the abdomen. Stand behind the patient, make a fist with one hand and grasp it with the other hand, then place it between the bottom of the breastbone and the navel. Then apply quick, strong upward thrusts. Repeat this motion until the food is expelled. If the person loses consciousness, you must immediately switch to cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).
The method is different for infants under 1 year of age. Place the baby face down on your thigh so that the head is positioned lower than the chest, then deliver several firm blows with the palm of your hand to the center of the back. Then turn the baby over and use two fingers to give quick compressions about 4 cm deep just below the nipples. Repeat this process to remove the foreign body.
◆Burns while cooking... Use lukewarm water instead of ice
There are also many cases of people getting burned while preparing holiday dishes. The prognosis of a burn is greatly influenced by how it is treated initially. First, cool the area thoroughly with running lukewarm water or normal saline to lower the heat. It is important to cool it until the pain subsides. You should avoid applying ice directly, as it can worsen tissue damage. Once the heat has dissipated, protect the wound with a burn-specific moist dressing, and if the pain is severe, you should visit a medical institution immediately.
◆What if a child suddenly develops a fever or starts vomiting?
During the holidays, many local pediatrics clinics are closed, which can easily cause parents to panic. High fever, repeated vomiting, and convulsions in children require prompt medical attention even during holidays. In children, changes in body temperature and dehydration progress quickly, so their symptoms can worsen faster than in adults. If the fever continues to rise even after taking antipyretics, or if the child becomes limp and responds poorly, medical staff should assess the child without delay. If convulsions occur, or if signs suggesting dehydration appear, such as dry lips and reduced urine output, it is safest to go straight to the emergency room.
◆Which hospitals are open during the holiday?
If symptoms such as abdominal pain or diarrhea are severe, do not delay and use a medical facility. During the Lunar New Year holiday, 529 emergency rooms nationwide operate 24 hours a day. Information on medical institutions operating during the holiday can be checked through the 129, 119, and 120 call centers and the Emergency Ttalk Ttalk application. Through the E-Gen emergency medical portal's hospital search service, operated by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, you can check which nearby hospitals, clinics, and pharmacies are open during the holiday period from the 14th to the 18th.
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