Nebraska Injury Prevention and Control News
   Issue #77                                                                      January 2018
In the News
Catalyzing State Public Health Agency Actions to Prevent Injuries and Violence
By The   Journal of Public Health Management and Practice, t his special issue includes eight articles highlighting programs within CDC’s National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. These articles illustrate the relationship between science and practice as mutually reinforcing pieces of a systems approach to injury and violence prevention. Through the lens of a systems approach, this collection of articles builds on the foundation for program success and sustainability offered in the 2014 American Journal of Public Health article  Six Components necessary for effective Public Health Program Implementation.
2017 National Poison Prevention Week Poster Contest Winner
The Poison Prevention Week Council announced the winners of the 2017 National Poison Prevention Week poster contest and the 1 st Place winner in the Middle Division (3 rd to 5 th grade) is Daisy Villatoro from Grand Island, Nebraska.

Daisy is a 5 th grade student at Knickrehm Elementary and a student of Mrs. Diane Meyer. Mrs. Meyer has worked tirelessly with her students over the years on this poster contest. Her class has had several state contest winners and this is the second national win for one of her students.   Daisy’s poster illustrated the message about how to “Bee Smart” and lock up household poisons from children.

National Poison Prevention Week, held the third week in March each year, is observed nationally to highlight the dangers of poisonings and how to prevent them. In honor of this awareness week, the Poison Prevention Week Council conducts a nationwide poster contest to educate the public about the dangers of poisonings and the importance of poisoning prevention. The winning poster in each division will be featured on the 2018 National Poison Prevention Week posters. Posters were submitted from schools around the nation. Winners were selected based on creativity, design and poisoning prevention messages.

National Poison Prevention Week is March 18-24, 2018 and is a week nationally designated to highlight the dangers of poisonings and how to prevent them. For more information, please contact the Nebraska Regional Poison Center at 1-800-222-1222.
Winter Fall Prevention Tips
Safe Kids Nebraska
New CSN Resources on the Costs of Childhood Injuries 
In 2015, injuries caused 13,363 deaths in U.S. children and adolescents aged 0-19. In addition, injuries were responsible for 200,225 hospitalizations and almost 7.7 million emergency department (ED) visits in this population. One important way to understand the burden of childhood injuries is by looking at the costs of those injuries. CSN has released a series of resources on this topic, including three info graphics, a blog post, and a fact sheet. 
Click here for the blog post or the fact sheet.
Protect Kids From a Silent Killer
Click the photo above to read more.
Motor Vehicle Safety
Winter Safety Tips for Driving with Little Ones
The winter season is upon us. Snow and wintery weather can be great fun for kids but can also lead to unpredictable and dangerous road conditions for drivers. That’s why Safe Kids and General Motors teamed up to bring you a few things to remember when driving with your little ones this winter.
Avoid Bulky Winter Clothes . We know you want your little ones to be warm this winter season, but please don’t strap your child into a car seat with a bulky coat as it can affect the ability of your car seat to do its job. A bulky coat can compress in a crash and create a loose car seat harness, putting your child at greater risk of injury in the unlikely event of a crash.
Take the Pinch Test.  Make sure your child’s harness is adjusted correctly year-round by using the “pinch test,” which is the best way to make sure the harness straps are snug and close to the body. First, remove bulky clothing and blankets. Make sure the harness straps are adjusted to the correct height – they should be at, or just below, the child’s shoulders when the child rides rear-facing, and at, or just above, the child’s shoulders when a child is forward-facing. Then buckle and tighten the harness straps. Place the chest clip at armpit level. Now pinch the strap at your child’s shoulder. If you are unable to pinch any excess webbing, you’re good to go. 
Ensure Comfort and Safety at the Same Time . To keep your child warm and toasty after you remove the bulky coat, you can place a blanket (or even the coat) over the tightened car seat harness.
Check your Tailpipe . Before you get in your car, do a quick walk-around and check to make sure your tailpipe is not blocked with snow. A simple check can ensure you won’t have any problems with carbon monoxide, which is dangerous.
Click here to read the full article with more tips.
CPSTF Recommendations Used to Improve Tribal Motor Vehicle Safety
 Older Adult Falls 
Prevent Falls – Utilize CDC’s STEADI Toolkit
Falls affect us all—whether personally or someone we love or care about. Every second of every day an older adult falls. In 2015 alone, more than one in four older adults reported falling and more than 28,000 older adults died as a result of falls—that’s 74 older adults every day. There are simple steps you can take to prevent falls and decrease falls risks. CDC developed the STEADI (Stopping Elderly Accidents, Deaths & Injuries) initiative which includes educational materials and tools to improve fall prevention. STEADI resources can enhance your efforts to help older adults stay healthy and independent. https://www.cdc.gov/steadi/about.html
CDC’s STEADI Toolkit & materials are available at no cost & include:

  • Educational materials for patients, their friends and family
  • Screening and clinical decision support tools for clinical practice
  • Instructional videos
  • Case studies and tips for talking with patients
Check out the following STEADI brochures:
Family Caregivers: Protect your Loved Ones from Falling
(Brochure for family caregivers with steps to help prevent older adult falls.)

Check for Safety Brochure
(Encourage older adults to identify and eliminate fall hazards in their home.)

Stay Independent Brochure
(Offers a checklist older adults can use to check for risk of falling.)

What You Can Do to Prevent Falls Brochure
(Use to help older adults learn how to reduce their chances of falling.)

Chair Rise Exercise
(Simple exercises to help improve thigh and buttock strength and to reduce fall risk.)

Concussion
The Challenge Now Available
The latest edition of  THE Challenge!  is now available for free download. This issue, "Being Your Best Self," features inspirational stories by brain injury survivors and informative articles by brain injury professionals, all of which focus on how to how to be the best version of yourself. Click here to download .
When in Doubt Sit Them Out
Prescription Drug Overdose
Module 2: Treating Chronic Pain without Opioids
Treating Chronic Pain Without Opioids is an interactive, online training for healthcare providers. It describes the risks and benefits of first-line treatments to chronic pain, provides an overview of non-opioid and non-pharmacologic treatments for chronic pain, and addresses communication techniques to facilitate patient-centered dialogue on the management of chronic pain. It is the second in a series that includes sample case scenarios, interactive learning, and additional resources for clinicians. These trainings feature the recommendations from CDC’s Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain published in March 2016.
Find the fully accessible website here .
Click the photo above to read the entire MMWR issue.
Trauma
“Wear Yah Seatbelt”
Humor is an effective way to spread serious driving safety messages, and the contest winner in Massachusetts was a favorite of many. “Make yah Ma proud, wear yah seatbelt” was promoted by the Transportation Department to spread the message. In Nebraska, seat belt usage has improved over the years, but effective enforcement and education could reduce fatalities in rural and urban communities state-wide.
According to the National Highway Safety Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) ten percent of Americans used seat belts thirty years ago, but education and technology have helped to increase usage to nearly eighty-five percent. Currently, however, an estimated one in seven still do not wear a seatbelt on every trip, and even less so in rural areas. Although Nebraska is the sixteenth largest state in the United States in terms of size, hundreds of rural towns in Nebraska have less than 1,000 residents.
It may seem overall seat belt usage seems relatively high, but the small percentage who do not buckle up represent a large portion of deaths related to motor vehicle crashes. Seat belt use can reduce the risk of fatal injury to front seat passengers by forty-five percent and can lessen your chance of moderate to severe injury by fifty percent. Make it a habit to buckle up no matter how far or short the trip. “Make yah Ma proud, wear yah seatbelt.”
  Safety Observances

Quick Links
Contact Information

Peg Ogea-Ginsburg, MA         
Injury Prevention Program Coordinator  


Jason Kerkman, MPH 
Safe Kids Nebraska Coordinator 


Amy Reynoldson
Prescription Drug Overdose Prevention Coordinator

Jeanne Bietz, MA 
Motor Vehicle Safety Coordinator [email protected]

Ashley Newmyer, MPH, CPH
Epidemiology Surveillance Coordinator

Felicia Quintana-Zinn, MS, MBA
Prescription Drug Overdose Prevention Epidemiologist

Celeste Reker, MPH                        
Crash Outcome Data Evaluation Data Analyst  
Injury Prevention and Control E-News is a monthly newsletter distributed to partners of the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services Injury Prevention and Control Program.